Kimberly A. Nolan Garcia, Network Dynmaics and Local Labor Rights Movements in Puebla, Mexico 106-140
- suggests that most labor movements tried to get protective legislation in the face of neoliberalism, and still do (106)
- whole story is about alliances...when transnational movement returned to wield power at the local level, positive/negative unionization outcomes were decided (mainly) by who was allowed to stay in the alliance...when some members were excluded, unions lost important resources which in turn led to defeat (107)
- looking at maquilas, especially Kukdong
- transnational network built over Kukdong fight, then after that was done network leadership was transferred to Mexicans in Matamoros (where they lost)...in two other places, Johnson Contorls and Vaqueros Navarra, national alliances supplied resources that were once supplied by internaional allies, leading to success (107-8)
- (109) local groups seek international allies in hopes of garnering some resources (put broadly) that would allow them to overcome domestic obstacles
- an important key to positive outcomes is what happens when transnational movements "come home"
- starting on 112, account of Kukdong issue, official union is the CROC
- workers at Kukdong became center of a convergence of other groups who became a transnational movement, including USAS, AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, Maquila Solidarity Network, a local (new) workers center (CAT) and many others (114)
- Kukdong eventually liquidated itself to create a new identity, thus nulling contract with the CROC and allowing independent union to be formed (117)
- though transnational allies wanted to leverage this win into new organizing, members of the new union just wanted to keep their jobs, and withdrew from organizing efforts once they had a contract. eventually the union lost its own control of the factory to another PRI organization
- CAT then took the lead as this network (minus USAS and a couple others) took on a plant in Matamoros...the network specifically had CAT take the lead so it would be a Mexican-led charge ...goal was to form an independent union (118)
- CAT decided to go after PUMA (because they made clothes at Matamoros Garment) and sought German allies (119)
- but then Matamoros Garment just closed their plant, ending the struggle (120)
- then CAT moved on to Tarrant Ajalpan (TA)
- again goal was to get independent union
- CAT took the lead, but informed the transnational network (121)
- MY IDEAS: "informed"? is this really transnational cooperation anymore
- took the route of trying to enforce codes on conduct, not mexican law
- early brand targets don't really pan out (122)
- CAT never really got any traction, meanwhile the owners began taking orders to other shops, TA was heading for closure (123)
- everyone gets impatient, workers get tired of waiting for CAT, everyone bickers, and TA closes (123-124)
- CAT COMES OFF WIN AT KUDONG JUST TO LOSE TWICE
- CAT failed after Kukdong because they weren't able to leverage brands the same way that transnational network idd at Kukdong (125)
- brand focus provided all the economic leverage, which is utterly necessary
- at Johnson Controls and Vaqueros Navarra, workers decided to register with Mineros and FAT (resp.), meaning they got to skip first step of union registration process nad could go straight to the election process! (126) in this case the weaker local groups were able to get help from stronger, though national, groups, and work around local hurdles (127)
- SO WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE DO THIS? why doesn't everyone just affiliate with a national union?!
- Conclusion: IN THE END, ALL THESE FACTORIES WERE CLOSED, or the unions were busted (128)
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