Independent Syndicate Working Toward New Agreement for GM Workers

The National Independent Union of Automobile Industry Workers (SINTTIA) is working on a new agreement to pursue a better economic proposal for GM employees. Since February of this year, workers at GM’s production plant in Silao started to choose their representatives to be the face for their collective bargaining agreement, according to El Economista. 

SINTTIA obtained 76 percent of the votes to replace the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), which was the previous representative syndicate of GM workers in Silao. As the new union, SINTTIA started negotiations with the company to improve working conditions at the plant. “After two weeks of negotiations and unfortunate disagreements due to the impositions of the company's representatives, today GM presented its 'initial proposal' for the economic offer related to the collective bargaining agreement, which is far below what has been offered in other GM plants in Mexico and the automotive sector, even below inflation,” said Alejandra Morales, General Secretary, SINTTIA.

Among SINTTIA’s demands are a direct salary increase of 8.5 percent, an increase in the quarterly productivity bonus to MX$1,600, an increase in food vouchers to 14 percent of tabular salary, a social welfare bonus of MX$400 at the beginning of each year, mandatory rest on Dec. 24 and a negotiating table to implement a salary recovery program for the next few years.

Not all GM workers are affiliated to SINTTIA. Regardless, they will also be affected by the changes that this agreement is trying to enact, according to Morales. “We know that there is a group that has made the decision not to join our union, which is respectable. They will also enjoy the benefits achieved with this contract, even though that group of workers has decided to remain with the previous union.”

Shifts in worker-union-employer relationships are occurring in various parts of Mexico, mostly favoring independent unions. According to The San Diego-Union Tribune, workers at the Tridonex Matamoros plant are planning to substitute this union with an independent one.