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Workers at a Mexican General Motors plant voted this week to join a union of their own choosing, rejecting three company-linked unions that were also on the ballot.
“This is a tremendous victory for the workers at this plant, and for all workers in Mexico,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias said.
“All workers have the right to join a union of their own choosing, and to have a voice in their workplace.”
Unifor has worked closely with SINTTIA, the independent union for workers at the plant in Silao, Mexico, and worker rights CILAS organization to push for a free vote at the plant. In a vote last year, the workers rejected a company-led union, prompting the vote this week.
Dias has travelled to Mexico to show solidarity with the workers, and pressured both General Motors and the Mexican government to ensure a free and fair vote.
There were four unions on the ballot as votes were cast Tuesday and Wednesday, including the company union rejected last year and two others with ties to the company.
Unifor International Department and Social Justice Fund Director Mohamad Alsadi has been in Mexico this week to help ensure a fair vote.
“These workers have worked long and hard for workplace democracy and a say in their working conditions,” Alsadi said. “Ensuring all workers have that right is a fundamental part of what Unifor and the Social Justice Fund do.”
