As you will see from the story about the
recent Mexican railroad strike (see page 8), there is a great deal of union activity among
railroad workers in Mexico. Aside from the fact that we share a huge border with Mexico,
it is clear that U.S. and Canadian railroads are becoming actively involved in Mexico,
attempting to create seamless rail freight transportation from the Southern tip of South
America to the most northern extremity of North America. It would be incredibly naive,
possibly fatally naive, for rail unions on either continent to ignore this. It is critical
that we involve ourselves early, learn everything we can and work together to see that
workers in North, Central and/or South American countries do not end up beyond the
eightball, with mega railroads whipsawing railroad workers against each other on the basis
of nationality, craft and/or race and sex. BMWE has been following events in Mexico
closely both for purposes of solidarity and for the interests of our own members. Over the
past two years, we have worked with some consultants to make certain that events do not
overtake us. We have watched as KCS purchased major trackage in Northeast Mexico. We have
seen the Union Pacific become a major part of a U.S./Mexican conglomerate by purchasing
massive trackage in Western Mexico. And we are aware that one of the purposes of the
proposed CN/IC merger is to become a major competitor in the North America/South America
rail freight system.
As a result of massive downsizing caused by the privatization of the Mexican rail
system described in the previous paragraph, railroad workers in Mexico centered in the
city of Empalme went on strike in February of this year. For several weeks they took on
the U.S./Mexican railroad companies. Retirees from the Mexican rail system also confronted
the U.S./Mexican railroad companies.
As a result of all of this activity, BMWE and the Teamsters sponsored a policy
statement through the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO to create a joint
fact-finding mission to Mexico - to meet with local, regional and national Mexican rail
labor leaders and rank and filers, and to assess the state of the transportation industry
within Mexico, and what it's potential impact can be within the U.S. The purpose of a
fact-finding mission is to also help forge a closer relationship between Mexican and U.S.
transportation labor.
The fact-finding mission is to include representatives from the BMWE, Teamsters, TWU,
TCU, UTU, BLE as well as representatives from the AFL-CIO. Roger Sanchez, General Chairman
from the Southern Pacific Atlantic Federation and Director of Research Joel Myron will
represent the BMWE on the Mexican fact finding mission, which will occur between April 20
and April 27, 1998 (after this JOURNAL goes to press). I have authorized them to invite
one or two of the Mexican railroaders to our Grand Lodge Convention in Montreal if they
deem it appropriate to do so. The delegation plans to spend time in Mexico City with some
of the Mexican national rail union leadership and some pro-labor politicians and will then
travel to Empalme to meet with local rail union leaders, including those who led and
participated in the strike. They will join with the rest of the transportation labor
delegation in drafting a report which will be presented to the BMWE, as well as to the TTD
and the AFL-CIO.
We are aware of recent acts of repression that have occurred against labor and others
within Mexico, including deportations of some U.S. labor officials, and the murder of 45
pro-Zapatista peasants in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas, and are doing everything
possible to guarantee the effectiveness, safety and productivity of the members of the
fact-finding mission. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney has personally contacted the proper
authorities within Mexico to further these objectives.
Whether we like it or not, globalization of the economy requires U.S. labor to become
more directly involved with the rest of the world. If we keep our heads in the sand, we
may very well find our work being contracted out to Mexican workers, as has occurred
already within the auto industry, and experience a downward pressure put on our wages,
benefits and working conditions. Over the past couple of years we have monitored events
within Mexico and the creation of this fact-finding delegation is a part of our keeping on
top of events which can impact all of us. I thank the AFL-CIO, the TTD, and all of the
unions involved, as well as those who will be part of this fact-finding mission, for
having the foresight and courage to participate in this project. |