Mexican workers win battles against multinational 
corporations

On February 19th Mexican workers won small battles against 
exploitation by multinational corporations. The management 
of the Kukdong Internacional SA de CV plant in the state of 
Puebla in central Mexico agreed to rehire 39 workers they 
had fired because of their activism in a work stoppage in 
January. This Korean-owned factory makes sweatshirts with 
u.s. university logos for Nike. The company agreed to rehire 
the workers unconditionally with their seniority and 
original salaries intact. However, five union leaders whose 
firings led to the work stoppage will not be returned to 
their positions as supervisors. They were offered a demotion 
to the position of operators and they have to sign 
individual contracts with the company. On the same day these 
workers were reinstated, the Federal Conciliation and 
Arbitration Board scheduled union elections at the US-owned 
Duro Bag Manufacturing plant (a tax-exempt assembly plant 
producing for export) in Mexico. The elections will allow 
the independent Duro Workers Union to compete against unions 
affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (a 
centrist, government-based party). Hallmark Cards is Duro's 
main customer. There is some doubt that these elections will 
be fair and some activists groups are calling for actions at 
Hallmark outlets. MIM supports the demands of these Mexican 
workers and their right to freely organize unions. These 
struggles are examples of the international proletariat 
fighting the capitalists. Unlike Amerikan workers who earn 
more than the value of their labor thanks to superprofits 
reaped by the imperialists abroad, these workers are 
exploited.

Notes: Weekly News Update on the Americas, Issue #578, Feb. 
25, 2001, wnu@igc.org.