Wearing a blue helmet and a new uniform, Alfonso Torres, 45, took up his old job at the factory on July 21, eight years after being fired.
As time passed and other factories refused to hire him, Torres camped outside the plant to demand his job back. Back at his job, he said his younger co-workers reminded him that the fight for a better union was worth it.
“Do you think we can leave them a salary like the one left by the CTM?” he asked, referring to the Confederation of Workers of Mexico union. “We want something fair,” he added.
Torres earns 374 pesos ($18) a day, roughly in line with established starting hourly wages for American Stellantis workers.
The TMEC aims to reduce the large pay gap between US and Mexican workers, and recent increases achieved by independent unions at General Motors and Panasonic following lawsuits linked to the agreement show that they are achieving some of their goals.
Still, wages at other plants have largely stagnated, even with inflation skyrocketing, and experts say local autoworkers lack the kind of massive clout that American unions have long given manufacturers. detroit car dealership
Imelda Jiménez, a laid-off Teksid worker who is now Los Mineros’ political affairs secretary, said the union will soon demand wage increases but was on guard to see how the plant would fare without US scrutiny under T -MEC.
The plant could have had exports taxed if it was found to be in violation of the new trade agreement, which has stricter labor rules than NAFTA.
“They’ve never behaved this way before,” Jimenez said.
