GLOBAL PRODUCTION AND WORKER RESPONSE: THE STRUGGLE AT VOLKSWAGEN OF MEXICO

Abstract

The transformation of work and labor relations in the global auto industry has gathered momentum over the last twenty‐five years, driven by the introduction of new systems of industrial organization derived from the “Toyota Model.” There are few countries where the pace of change has matched that of Mexico. It is difficult to make generalizations about what this has meant for Mexican autoworkers and their unions given the highly decentralized nature of collective bargaining. There is no national union of autoworkers and, even within a single company, there is little coordination between plant‐level unions. Even so, several trends are evident: intensified work, stagnant or falling real wages, and close collaboration between government and corporate leaders to promote investment and suppress worker resistance. At the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, these trends have played themselves out in an especially high‐profile conflict between the company and the independent union representing workers. The history of this struggle provides valuable insights on the problems and prospects that Mexican autoworkers confront as their industry is transformed by global capital.