With more than 75% of the votes, the Independent National Union of Workers of Industries and Services Movement 20/32 (SNITIS) obtained a historical representation of the workers of Panasonic de Reynosa, in Tamaulipas.
It is a triumph that marks a turning point in the history of this industrial sector, since it defeated the Autonomous Industrial Union of General Maquiladora Operators of the Mexican Republic (Siamarm), affiliated with the CTM, the Confederation of Workers of Mexico with more than 85 years old.
The SNITIS won 1,200 votes, out of the 391 received by Siamarm.
In addition, there was a very high participation: almost 75 percent of a total list of 2,150 employees.
The electoral act ended on Friday, April 22 at night, and had started a day earlier. There were a total of more than 20 hours of voting.
Although the voting in Panasonic was carried out normally, there were anomalies that were denounced by the SNITIS.
According to Rosario Moreno, general secretary of the new union, there were no problems inside the Panasonic factory, but there were moments of tension outside, due to a demonstration by some 200 people from the CTM union.
With the victory, the independent union may negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with Panasonic and, if necessary, organize a strike.
Panasonic manufactures vehicle audio and display systems in Reynosa, primarily for the US and Canadian markets.
Unions: changes from the T-MEC
Workers in the sector had recently voted against the CTM at General Motors, in Guanajuato, and at the Tridonex auto parts factory, also in Tamaulipas. Tridonex’s parent company is Philadelphia-based Cardone Industries, controlled by Canadian Brookfield Asset Management.
The SNITIS is not very well seen in the United States because the union has been demanding that the government of Joe Biden United States investigate the Panasonic plant for alleged abuses of workers’ rights.
This is important because under the USMCA’s “Rapid Response Labor Mechanism”, companies in Mexico and the United States can face tariffs and other sanctions for not guaranteeing workers’ rights, such as freedom of association.
The Union SNITIS grew out of workers’ dissatisfaction with traditional labor groups.
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