BMW San Luis Potosi Staff Move to Replace CTM Deal

Workers at BMW’s San Luis Potosi plant have launched a formal process to seek representation by an independent union and replace the existing collective bargaining agreement held by the Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM). The move follows a recent contract vote in which 849 workers rejected the proposed revision, reinforcing long-standing concerns over a contract signed in 2014—five years before the plant began operations.

Workers argue that the 2014 agreement is a protection contract that favors the company and excludes worker participation. They say the contract preserved pre-existing salary tables and working conditions when production began in 2019. “It was a collective protection contract that only favored the company’s interests, not those of the workforce,” workers said in their announcement.

The initiative is backed by the Liga Sindical Obrera Mexicana (LSOM), which confirmed the start of an internal affiliation campaign to meet representativeness requirements under Mexican labor law. LSOM noted that the BMW case is part of complaint 2694 before the International Labour Organization regarding the persistence of protection contracts in Mexico. “The CTM signed a contract when the plant didn’t even exist and no employees had been hired,” LSOM representatives said.

Workers claim they have never had the opportunity to choose their union representation. They also said they do not know their CTM committee members and have not seen them inside the plant. Hugo César Flores Zavala, one of the designated worker delegates, said the group notified BMW’s Human Resources department about its intention to establish a new union. He said the objective is “to finally have a union that represents and defends workers’ rights.”

Under Mexico’s 2019 labor reform, revisions to collective contracts must be validated through a worker vote. In the latest consultation organized by the CTM for the 2025 revision, 849 workers voted against the agreement and 920 in favor. LSOM described the process as “unreliable” and said the outcome reflected fatigue with “a lack of authentic negotiation.”

Workers referenced previous cases—such as Goodyear—where independent votes led to improved benefits. LSOM pointed to that case as evidence that alternative processes can bring meaningful change. “That frustration led us to organize,” LSOM representatives said.

Delegates plan to request a formal, secure, and impartial vote before the Federal Labor Tribunal. They also notified the governments of Mexico, the United States, and Germany about the start of the process. Workers asked BMW to maintain neutrality and guarantee employee protection throughout the process. “No one should fear affiliating or exercising their right to freedom of association,” they said in a message shared across the plant.

If obstacles arise, workers said they are prepared to activate the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism under the USMCA. They also pointed to the German automotive industry’s labor mechanism as another potential escalation route. The group said it will pursue these avenues if intimidation, retaliation, or violations of collective rights occur during the organizing effort.