<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://medium.com/rethinktrade/brakes-thugs-and-ballots-inside-tridonex-historic-vote-to-defeat-sham-mexican-unions-using-usmca-9b680aa93510" class="">https://medium.com/rethinktrade/brakes-thugs-and-ballots-inside-tridonex-historic-vote-to-defeat-sham-mexican-unions-using-usmca-9b680aa93510</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="o ct" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><div class="dq dv dt dy dw dz du dx ds ea di" style="box-sizing: inherit; min-width: 0px; width: 692px; margin: 0px 32px; max-width: 692px;"><article style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><div class="l" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="l" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><section style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><div style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><div class="hi hl hh hk hj" style="box-sizing: inherit; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><h1 id="910a" class="hs ih et ht ia ii hu hm ib ij hv hn ic ik hw ho id pw-post-title hx hp ie hy hq if cg hz hr ig" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.6em 0px -0.27em; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); line-height: 40px; letter-spacing: -0.016em; font-size: 32px;"><span class="ba" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Brakes, Thugs and Ballots: Inside Tridonex Historic Vote to Defeat Sham Mexican Unions Using USMCA</span></h1></div><p id="c340" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">by Daniel Rangel</p><figure class="fe jl jo paragraph-image ff jm fq jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px auto 0px; clear: both;"><div role="button" tabindex="0" class="jq cj jp js dq jr" style="box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; width: 692px; cursor: zoom-in; z-index: auto; transition: transform 300ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0.2, 1);"><div class="jj ff fe" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 1599px;"><img alt="" class="dq jt ju" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%;" apple-inline="yes" id="E256A7A9-885F-42CB-80F2-F55E55AFE008" src="cid:50F3E1A3-DBBB-49A9-BFB5-1715B7867D01@hsd1.pa.comcast.net."></div></div></figure><p id="24f9" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">After an eventful 36-hour trip, which included a nail-biting 18-hour union vote after a missed flight and a high-speed drive along one of Mexico’s most dangerous roads, I started to write this entry from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The industrial city on the Mexican-U.S. border has hosted a great deal of the most intense labor conflict and organizing activity in Mexico’s recent history.</p><p id="fade" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">I was there for a February 28 union vote with continental consequences. The election would decide what union had the right to represent more than 1,600 workers at three auto parts plants operated by Tridonex, a subsidiary of Philly-based Cardone Industries.</p><p id="46b2" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Tridonex workers, who refurbish brakes that are exported for sale in the United States, have been fighting for better wages, treatment and a real union for years. In retaliation to their most recent organizing drive more than 600 workers were fired. And those who stayed at the company were intimidated and denied contract benefits. Plus, the workers’ then-legal advisor, Susana Prieto Terrazas, was harassed by local government officials and <a class="jv au" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/top-mexican-labour-lawyer-arrested-us-owned-factories" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">detained under bogus criminal charges</a> aimed at obstructing her labor rights advocacy.</p><p id="757a" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">But even so, why would a union election in a small border city have continental consequences? Unfortunately, these kinds of labor abuses are not uncommon in Mexico.</p><p id="a6ee" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">It is because Tridonex and its labor rights’ violations were the target of the <a class="jv au" href="https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-seiu-snitis-and-public-citizen-announce-filing-first-usmca-rapid-response" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">first stakeholder-initiated labor enforcement case</a> under the agreement that replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).</p><p id="0791" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">The new deal, rebranded United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA or T-MEC if you use the name in Spanish), has innovative labor enforcement provisions conceived to deal with precisely this kind of situation. The pact includes a new powerful company-specific device, the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which can be used to challenge specific firms that deny workers’ rights to organize. Under this system if workers trying to organize unions or negotiate better wages and working conditions are fired, threatened or otherwise denied specific rights under Mexico’s 2019-reformed labor law, the RRM can be used to try to speedily redress the situation. The companies involved can face sanctions if the abuse continues.</p><p id="57fd" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">The very first RRM case was brought by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who <a class="jv au" href="https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2021/may/united-states-seeks-mexicos-review-alleged-workers-rights-denial-auto-manufacturing-facility-0" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">challenged </a>outrageous “irregularities” that occurred during an April 2021 union contract ratification vote at a General Motors (GM) plant in Silao, Mexico. The RRM action forced a revote and ultimately an election to choose a new union. In February 2022, <a class="jv au" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/gm-workers-mexico-elect-independent-union-historic-labor-vote-2022-02-03/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">workers elected an independent union</a> in a celebrated victory.</p><p id="11cd" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">The Tridonex vote was viewed as a test of the RRM system by fans, skeptics and opponents alike: It either would reaffirm the auspicious outcome of the GM Silao case or Silao was an anomaly in the long history of disappointment regarding the use of trade pacts to defend labor rights.</p><p id="4d80" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Encouraged by the GM victory and the international oversight that the RRM case created, finally, after years of being unable to choose what union would represent them, the Tridonex workers could decide. They had two options. They could vote for the incumbent <span class="jw" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Sindicato Industrial de Trabajadores en Plantas Maquiladoras y Ensambladoras de Matamoros y su Municipio</span> (SITPME), a sham “protection” union that for decades had represented the interests of management instead of workers. Like many unions affiliated with CTM, a labor federation linked to a conservative political party, SITPME had not negotiated decent wages and working conditions or even held elections, member meetings or adhered to any principles of union democracy.</p><p id="de58" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Or, they could vote for the <span class="jw" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadores de Industrias y Servicios “Movimiento 20/32”</span> (SNITIS), a scrappy independent union that was formed in 2019. SNITIS emerged after <a class="jv au" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/17/mexico-matamoros-strike-union-jobs" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">wildcat strikes arose throughout Matamoros</a> with tens of thousands of workers seizing industrial parks and taking to the streets to demand their employers honor a labor clause won decades before. Tridonex was the epicenter of the 2019 demonstrations insisting that Matamoros wages be raised in line with the minimum wage established by the federal government. Workers demanded and largely gained a 20% raise and a 32,000 pesos one-time bonus, hence, the name “<span class="jw" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Movimiento 20/32” </span>became part of SNITIS’ christening.</p><figure class="fe jl jo paragraph-image ff jm fq jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px auto 0px; clear: both;"><div role="button" tabindex="0" class="jq cj jp js dq jr" style="box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; width: 692px; cursor: zoom-in; z-index: auto; transition: transform 300ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0.2, 1);"><div class="jx ff fe" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 1608px;"><img alt="In December 2018, progressive Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador raised the minimum wage by 16%. Along the northern border with the United States, the minimum daily wage was doubled to restore the purchasing power of the country’s lowest earners. Corporations in Matamoros refused to adjust factory workers’ wages accordingly, as required by existing collective contracts. This generated widespread anger and discomfort among the working class or ‘la raza’ as you say in Tamaulipas." class="dq jt ju" style="box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%;" apple-inline="yes" id="4970729A-B38A-4DD5-89F5-50DFF86E89FB" src="cid:D1E618E0-831C-4A3A-BD23-380168925CA2@hsd1.pa.comcast.net."></div></div><figcaption class="fg ka ek bw kb b jy cg fe jz ff ej" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(117, 117, 117); font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 728px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">In December 2018, progressive Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador </span><a class="jv au" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexico-to-give-minimum-wage-another-boost-11545085238" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">raised the minimum wage</span></a><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> by 16%. Along the northern border with the United States, the minimum daily wage was doubled to restore the purchasing power of the country’s lowest earners. Corporations in Matamoros refused to adjust factory workers’ wages accordingly, as required by existing collective contracts. This generated widespread anger and discomfort among the working class or ‘la raza’ as you say in Tamaulipas.</span></figcaption></figure><p id="ba83" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Emboldened by forcing their bosses to give in to their demands, Matamoros workers founded SNITIS later that year, and the new independent union filed several legal claims to challenge SITPME’s control over the collective contract covering Tridonex’ plants.</p><p id="8952" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Initially, SNITIS pursued its case before authorities in the state where Matamoros is located, Tamaulipas. Local authorities refused to act on SNITIS’ legal demands for over a year, not even formally admitting the independent union’s lawsuit. Tamaulipas state authorities have a long history of colluding with corporations in the sprawling maquiladora industrial parks and with the sham “protection” unions there that <a class="jv au" href="http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/mexiko/08467.pdf" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;">commonly </a>sign “union” contracts that <span class="jw" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">protect the employers’ interests</span> without even consulting workers or trying to get their approval.</p><p id="7dfb" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">SNITIS only was able to force an election at Tridonex after prying control over the fate of the collective bargaining agreement out of the hands of the local authorities and getting the federal government to handle the case. Then, after much struggle, the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (Federal CAB) set a date for the vote that would give the Tridonex’ workers a fighting chance to decide what union should represent them.</p><p id="bfe5" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">February 28 started with swaths of SITPME thugs surrounding Tridonex plants while workers were going in to vote and get on with their jobs. Despite the fact that federal authorities had ordered both federal and state forces to guarantee the safety of the proceedings, the day passed by without any presence from the federal police. Early in the morning a couple of state police patrols parked outside of one of the plants. But, they left before sunrise and never came back.</p><p id="e68f" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">All of this, lack of police surveillance and lurking officials from the protection union as well as the various thuggish characters on the premises created a tense ambiance that lasted until the results of the vote were announced.</p><figure class="fq jm jl jo jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px 0px 0px; clear: both;"><div class="m l cj" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: auto; position: relative;"><div class="l ww ke" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 849px;"><iframe src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&schema=twitter&url=https%3A//twitter.com/danielrangelj/status/1498406856838074369&image=https%3A//i.embed.ly/1/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3Da19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="849" width="692" title="Daniel Rangel on Twitter: "#USMCA-observed Tridonex vote has started. This footage shows troubling presence of thugs hired by the incumbent union around the plant to intimidate workers and prevent them from exercising their right to elect the union of their choosing! pic.twitter.com/NM6d9gQOJr / Twitter"" class="eg as dq ag aq" scrolling="auto" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 849px; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 692px; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="3c91" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">SNITIS activists, while confident about the arduous organizing work that they had carried out for months, were concerned about reports of workers being offered illegal bribes to vote in favor of the incumbent union. This was the deal: 500 pesos if you voted for SITPME and 1500 pesos more if you got 10 coworkers to vote for the incumbent union as well.</p><p id="2be9" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Adding to the concerns was the fact that the Federal CAB had refused to accept independent observers overseeing the election. Hence, only three SNITIS lawyers, three CTM lawyers and a handful of officials from both unions were allowed near the ballot boxes. Inexplicably, federal authorities admitted more CTM than SNITIS officials in the plants where the vote took place. And because the federal authority had ordered the election less than two weeks after its decision, there was no time for International Labor Organization observers to intervene.</p><p id="7ed9" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">However, over the course of the day, news trickling out from the plants hinted that workers had not fallen for SITPME’s latest ruse or the intimidation and were voting overwhelmingly for SNITIS. One Tridonex worker even sent an exhilarating voicenote to SNITIS activists saying that she received SITPME’s bribe money but still casted her vote in favor of the independent union. (I wonder if SITPME is planning on suing her for breach of contract.)</p><p id="53e9" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">By 6pm the polls had closed and vote-counting started. SNITIS activists, despite arriving pre-dawn, didn’t budge. They wanted to know the outcome as soon as possible. Some Tridonex workers that had finished their shifts came back to the factory to hear the news as well.</p><p id="a7b8" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">The hours went by. Anxiety built. While the SNITIS activists and Tridonex workers had a hunch they had won, SITPME thugs continued to circle the plants. SNITIS’ people feared the thugs would provoke a confrontation, as had happened in the past.</p><p id="2672" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Then news started leaking out of the factory: It seemed that SNITIS triumph was undeniable. SNITIS activists couldn’t contain anymore their joy and started celebrating. The SITPME thugs began to disband, melting into the darkness. At 10:25 pm, 18 hours after voting started, Susana Prieto posted a video on her Facebook page announcing the results:</p><figure class="fe jl jo paragraph-image ff jm fq jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px auto 0px; clear: both;"><div class="kf ff fe" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 511px;"><img alt="" class="dq jt ju" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%;" apple-inline="yes" id="54534BA2-6BF9-461C-A650-857C297F21DD" src="cid:1365D5DD-EC52-43C3-96C5-FC20787B9023@hsd1.pa.comcast.net."></div><figcaption class="fg ka ek bw kb b jy cg fe jz ff ej" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(117, 117, 117); font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 728px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">For those of you who understand Spanish, this is a </span><a class="jv au" href="https://www.facebook.com/susana.prietoterrazas/videos/281853924062932" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">video</span></a><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> worth watching. Susana Prieto, the lawyer that supported workers’ struggle to defend their rights from the beginning of the 20/32 movement in early 2019, was imprisoned and accused of bogus criminal charges in retaliation for her activism and leadership. After being released, under ignominious conditions such as not going back to Tamaulipas for three years, she ran for the Mexican congress and is now a diputada in the lower chamber of Mexico’s legislative body. Quite a story in my opinion — no wonder her excitement with the news.</span></figcaption></figure><p id="4ae2" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">SNITIS won 1,126 of 1,313 casted votes! That is 86% of the vote in an election where 80% of the workers eligible to vote went to the ballot. A resounding victory without a doubt.</p><p id="5c45" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">Unbelievably but at the same time unsurprisingly, the next day, SITPME’s chief, Jesus Mendoza Reyes, announced that he would challenge the outcome of the vote. But there is no precedent in Mexico of a union election featuring such an overwhelming margin of victory being annulled.</p><figure class="fe jl jo paragraph-image ff jm fq jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px auto 0px; clear: both;"><div class="kg ff fe" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 378px;"><img alt="" class="dq jt ju" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%;" apple-inline="yes" id="E43B8AA1-70BA-407E-936C-5A96C6F44B9D" src="cid:F0E8779C-AE32-4DE8-A577-7B57B2944A05@hsd1.pa.comcast.net."></div><figcaption class="fg ka ek bw kb b jy cg fe jz ff ej" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(117, 117, 117); font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 728px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Here’s SITPME’s chief Jesus Mendoza Reyes complaining about the vote and, as one labor friend said, looking like a character brought to life from a “Saturday Night Fever” meets “The Godfather” rerun.</span></figcaption></figure><p id="2d02" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">So what’s next? Once the SITPME legal threats blow over and the vote is officially certified by the Federal CAB, SNITIS will gain control over the contract. Then, it will have to arrange elections for workers to choose their union delegates and, when the time comes, renegotiate the terms of the agreement with the company to better serve the interests of the workforce.</p><p id="f8fa" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">SNITIS will also start receiving Tridonex workers’ union dues. This will give to the movement a direly needed fund boost that will contribute to SNITIS fight to gain better wages and working conditions for people in Matamoros and the rest of Tamaulipas.</p><p id="8a52" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">SNITIS has already announced that it will file new legal challenges to gain control of six additional collective bargaining agreements in facilities where workers support SNITIS in Matamoros and Reynosa. For decades, Matamoros’ industrial workers haven’t had the chance to elect their union leaders, approve or even read their collective contracts or count on a union to defend their interests. Now they are determined to change this.</p><p id="fa2c" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">NAFTA’s renegotiation in 2019 and the resulting Rapid Response Mechanism are an essential part of the backdrop to this story. The outcomes to date of the first two RRM cases are hopeful. I will keep you looped in about how the new independent unions are faring with their efforts to secure better wages and conditions for the Tridonex and GM workers. The implications are enormous for the future of workers throughout Mexico and the Americas.</p><p id="3be6" class="ix ip je iy iq jf et iz ir jg is jh it il ho ja ji iu im jb hh iv in jc iw io pw-post-body-paragraph jd b" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); word-break: break-word; line-height: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px;">That the USMCA RRM helped to empower independent unions to fight for new, better contracts for these two groups of Mexican workers is undeniable. How is it that a trade deal is being used as a tool to promote workers’ welfare in Mexico that could create a domino effect that benefits U.S. workers? I will explore this question in a future entry. Stay tuned!</p><figure class="fe jl jo paragraph-image ff jm fq jk jn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 56px auto 0px; clear: both;"><div class="kh ff fe" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 362px;"><img alt="" class="dq jt ju" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%;" apple-inline="yes" id="D67159D8-1E78-4837-BEE2-6B9DFCA7C70B" src="cid:8612D167-08A5-4355-B704-9F1884C3ADCB@hsd1.pa.comcast.net."></div><figcaption class="fg ka ek bw kb b jy cg fe jz ff ej" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(117, 117, 117); font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 728px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span class="kc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit;">For all the talent SNITIS members have organizing and fighting for workers’ rights, photographing skills could be improved. Alas, this is the best picture I have to share of this historic day, but at least I got one where you can see the sign of the company</span>.</figcaption></figure></div></div></section></div></div></article></div></div><div class="ki l" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 16px;"></div><div class="l" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></div><footer class="ks qi o ko kt qj kk kp ku qk kl kq ao c ql km kr kn qm" style="box-sizing: content-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: flex; align-items: center; height: 52px; max-height: 52px; position: sticky; bottom: 0px; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(230, 230, 230);"><div class="l kv" style="box-sizing: inherit; flex: 1 0 auto; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;"><div class="o ct" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><div class="dq dv dt dy dw dz du dx ds ea di" style="box-sizing: inherit; min-width: 0px; width: 692px; margin: 0px 32px; max-width: 692px;"><div class="o u kw" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: space-between;"><div class="o fu ao" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; align-items: center; flex-direction: row;"><div class="kx l" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 155px;"><span class="lv g l lw h f" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block;"><div class="o fu ao" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; align-items: center; flex-direction: row;"><div class="lb pw-multi-vote-icon le lc cj lf la ld" style="box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; -webkit-user-select: none; margin-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><a class="bi be aw ba bf ax bb bg ay bc au bh az bd av" rel="noopener follow" href="https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fvote%2Frethinktrade%2F9b680aa93510&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Frethinktrade%2Fbrakes-thugs-and-ballots-inside-tridonex-historic-vote-to-defeat-sham-mexican-unions-using-usmca-9b680aa93510&user=Daniel+Rangel&userId=c81dfc3883ef&source=-----9b680aa93510---------------------clap_footer--------------" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit; text-decoration: none; fill: inherit; font-size: inherit; border: inherit; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="cn lj bk lm lh lk bb lf li ll lg" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px; fill: rgb(41, 41, 41); border: 0px; -webkit-user-select: none; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer;"><svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-label="clap"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M11.37.83L12 3.28l.63-2.45h-1.26zM13.92 3.95l1.52-2.1-1.18-.4-.34 2.5zM8.59 1.84l1.52 2.11-.34-2.5-1.18.4zM18.52 18.92a4.23 4.23 0 0 1-2.62 1.33l.41-.37c2.39-2.4 2.86-4.95 1.4-7.63l-.91-1.6-.8-1.67c-.25-.56-.19-.98.21-1.29a.7.7 0 0 1 .55-.13c.28.05.54.23.72.5l2.37 4.16c.97 1.62 1.14 4.23-1.33 6.7zm-11-.44l-4.15-4.15a.83.83 0 0 1 1.17-1.17l2.16 2.16a.37.37 0 0 0 .51-.52l-2.15-2.16L3.6 11.2a.83.83 0 0 1 1.17-1.17l3.43 3.44a.36.36 0 0 0 .52 0 .36.36 0 0 0 0-.52L5.29 9.51l-.97-.97a.83.83 0 0 1 0-1.16.84.84 0 0 1 1.17 0l.97.97 3.44 3.43a.36.36 0 0 0 .51 0 .37.37 0 0 0 0-.52L6.98 7.83a.82.82 0 0 1-.18-.9.82.82 0 0 1 .76-.51c.22 0 .43.09.58.24l5.8 5.79a.37.37 0 0 0 .58-.42L13.4 9.67c-.26-.56-.2-.98.2-1.29a.7.7 0 0 1 .55-.13c.28.05.55.23.73.5l2.2 3.86c1.3 2.38.87 4.59-1.29 6.75a4.65 4.65 0 0 1-4.19 1.37 7.73 7.73 0 0 1-4.07-2.25zm3.23-12.5l2.12 2.11c-.41.5-.47 1.17-.13 1.9l.22.46-3.52-3.53a.81.81 0 0 1-.1-.36c0-.23.09-.43.24-.59a.85.85 0 0 1 1.17 0zm7.36 1.7a1.86 1.86 0 0 0-1.23-.84 1.44 1.44 0 0 0-1.12.27c-.3.24-.5.55-.58.89-.25-.25-.57-.4-.91-.47-.28-.04-.56 0-.82.1l-2.18-2.18a1.56 1.56 0 0 0-2.2 0c-.2.2-.33.44-.4.7a1.56 1.56 0 0 0-2.63.75 1.6 1.6 0 0 0-2.23-.04 1.56 1.56 0 0 0 0 2.2c-.24.1-.5.24-.72.45a1.56 1.56 0 0 0 0 2.2l.52.52a1.56 1.56 0 0 0-.75 2.61L7 19a8.46 8.46 0 0 0 4.48 2.45 5.18 5.18 0 0 0 3.36-.5 4.89 4.89 0 0 0 4.2-1.51c2.75-2.77 2.54-5.74 1.43-7.59L18.1 7.68z"></path></svg></div></a></span></div><div class="lo lr l lp ls pw-multi-vote-count ln lq lt" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="lu" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></footer></div><br class=""><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
</div>
<br class=""></body></html>