Frontera NorteSur December 2000-January 2001

Leocadio Mendoza Reyes, General Secretary for the Matamoros Maquiladora Workers' Union (Sindicato de Trabajadores en Plantas Maquiladoras y Ensambladoras, SITPME), expects the current negotiation process to take place without any strikes or conflicts. Any differences that do arise will be solved through dialogue, he said.

The contracts which are currently being negotiated will run from January through December, 2001. So far 80% of the contracts have been revised with gains for all employees.

With the new contracts workers will receive a 22% pay raise. Other types of compensation will rise in accord with the rate of inflation and the increase in basic consumer goods.

Mendoza noted that the contract renewals are taking place in a cordial manner so as to benefit both worker's as well as the  industrial sector.

Source:  El Mañana, November 13, 2000.  Article by Blanca Isela Martínez.

Cd. Juárez Maquiladora Allegedly Ripped Off by Two Employees for US$1.3 Million

Chihuahua State Police (Policía Judicial del Estado) arrested two Thomson de México employees that have allegedly been stealing computer chips for some time from their employer. The company said that the total value of the thefts was US$1,300,000.

Enrique Zaragoza Castillo, 43 years old, and César Herrera Sánchez, 17 years old, were accused of theft by Thomson Televisiones de México SA de CV after discovering that the employees had allegedly for months been taking computer chips from the maquiladora.

Police arrested the two suspects when they went to eat lunch outside the plant. They were stopped and searched and police found 19 chips on Herrera. [FNS note: most maquiladora workers eat the free lunches their employers provide for them in corporate cafeterias. Skipping their free lunch may have appeared suspicious.]

Herrera told officials that Zaragoza would pay him US$50 for the chips and that he was only filling Zaragoza's "order." Zaragoza said that he would have sold the chips for US$400. It was not mentioned to whom Zaragoza sold chips. [FNS note: a typical maquiladora worker earns between US$4-7 per day].

Both employees took responsibility for having stolen the chips but Zaragoza said that it is absurd that they could have taken US$1.3 million worth of chips as the company claimed.

Source: El Norte, November 17, 2000. Article by Karen Chávez.

Reynosa Industrialists Join PAN

El Mañana reports that six major Reynosa-area industrialists joined the PAN political party (that of President-elect Vicente Fox) this past weekend. Forty more industrialists are expected to join this coming weekend. The reason given for these mass conversions is that local business leaders see the new openness of the PAN and also like the PAN's local political candidates who they see as talented and uncorrupted. El Mañana did not address the issue of political opportunism in the business leaders' moves to the PAN.

Industrialist Federico Alanís Peña was the most notable of the new PAN members. Alanís sited the PAN's openness and his love of Mexico as reasons for joining the party. He also stated that the PAN's ideology is more industrial than that of other parties. In the past he said that he and other business leaders have supported local political candidates more for the quality of their projects than for their political affiliation.

Alanís also stated that he liked the PAN's new local candidates whom he sees as, "good, clean, hard workers . . . without bad pasts." "We saw the best men in the PAN, in other parties we have not found them," he continued.

The new PAN members want to be dedicated party members Alanís stated, "We have come to be disciplined members; we have to be active members and do what they tell us to do."

Source: El Mañana, November 20, 2000.

Matamoros Unions Unaware of PAN-CTM Alliance

Nationally known news that the Confederation of Mexican Workers (Confederación de Trabajadores de México, CTM) will meet with President-elect Vicente Fox to end the alliance that it has had for decades with the PRI has yet to be officially relayed to Matamoros unions.

Juan Villafuerte Morales, Exterior Secretary for the Matamoros Industrial Workers Union (Sindicato de Jornaleros y Obreros Industriales de Matamoros, SJOIM) and general secretary for the CDM of  the PRI in Matamoros, indicated that any decision regarding a change in party affiliation would be something that workers would have to come to a consensus on.

Villafuerte expressed that while no official process exists at this time to determine what is best for workers, decisions will be made by creating a set of criteria that will help define workers' struggles in the future.

Source: El Bravo, October 27, 2000.  Article by Rosy Pereda Rangel.

Teacher Strikes Continue in BC

Almost 400 education workers from Méxicali, Tijuana, Rosarito and Tecate gathered yesterday to protest at the offices of Baja California Governor Alejandro González Alcocer.

The head of the D-I-45 delegation, Jorge Luis Pereira, said that the teachers' movement does not wish to supplant the Education Workers' National Union (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación, SNTE). Instead they are trying to get the governor of BC to agree to their demands which would become effective in January, 2001.

The education workers are seeking an economic package that they believe will only represent 6.75% of the current education budget, not 50% as they say the Subsecretario has declared. Among other things the teachers want a December-holiday bonus equal to 30 days pay and a salary increase. If the governor does not agree with them soon, the protesters will return to protest in Méxicali on November 16.

Source: La Crónica, November 8, 2000. Article by Magdalena López Cerecer.

275 Businesses Fined in BC this Year for Work Place Violations

At least 275 businesses have been fined this year in Baja California by the Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS), mostly for safety and health violations. Ramón Cano Hernández, regional director of legal affairs for STPS, stated that these fines have a value of 3,660,490 pesos (approximately US$390,000).

Cano explained that the increase in the number of fines is owed to the equal increase in industrial growth in the region and to an inspection pact between state and federal government. Most of the fines were against maquiladoras and local businesses with more than 20 employees.

Cano recalled that in 1999 land owners in Ensenada were fined because they violated the Federal Work Law (Ley Federal del Trabajo). This year, due to more frequent monitoring of safety, health and pay regulations, no irregularities have been detected in BC rural areas.

1,228 Maquiladoras Employ 281,000 In Baja California

Luis Alberto Pelayo, Director of the Maquiladora Industry Association Coast Zone (Asociación de la Industria Maquiladora, AMI) stated that 1,228 maquiladoras operate in Baja California and employ 281,397 people.

Pelayo also said that in 1996, 794 maquiladoras gave work to 159,519 people, while in 1997, 904 maquiladoras were registered which gradually grew to 1,081 with 214,000 workers in 1998.

In 1999 the Baja California maquiladora industry closed the year with 1,149 maquiladoras, and 248,731 workers.  In July, 2000 a report indicated that the number of maquiladoras had grown to 1,228.

According to Pelayo, the year 2000 goal was to have 1,280 maquiladoras operating in Baja California by the end of the year.  He noted that Tijuana alone accounts for nearly 800 maquiladoras in Baja California while the rest are distributed among Méxicali, Ensenada, and Playas de Rosarito.

Baja California Products Promoted in Paris At International Expo

Baja California companies took advantage of the International Food Expo (Salón Internacional de los Alimentos, SIAL) in Paris to promote their agricultural and cattle businesses.

In a press release the BC government informed that SIAL is the largest expo in the world that brings together producers and buyers of perishable food. Products like fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood are showcased.

During the opening ceremonies, Baja California Governor Alejandro González Alcocer said that the expo is a magnificent means to find big opportunities in the sale and distribution of Baja California products in the global marketplace.

González Alcocer visited the pavilion in which the Secretaries of Economic Development, Agricultural and Cattle Promotion, the Horticultural Producers Union Coastal Zone, Productos Altar de Hortalizas del Valle de Méxicali, Patronato de la Feria Agrobaja, and Productores Nacionales de Baja California and others participated.

The governor went on to say that with today's utilization of the internet in the sale of food products, other, more competitive mechanisms are needed to convince investors of the quality of BC foods. The SIAL lets buyers get to know and taste Baja California products.

Ninety countries, and 5,000 exhibitors participated in this year's SIAL, which began on October 15, 2000 and has received 150,000 visitors who sampled products and could initiate negotiations.

Secretary of Agricultural and Cattle Promotion (Secretario de Fomento Agropecuario), Genaro López Bojórquez noted that Baja California must take advantage of its free-trade agreement with Europe, and its more than 11 years of experience in promoting investments.

Juan Antonio Martínez Zaragoza, of the Department of  Economic Development (Secretaría de Desarollo Económico, Sedeco), commented that with these expos it is hoped that European countries will take advantage of the free-trade agreement between Mexico and Europe to make investments in Baja California. 

Baja California Dairy Industry Seeks Alternative Use of Excess Product

According to the Secretary of Agriculture, Cattle, and Rural Development, (Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganadería, y Desarrollo Rural, Sagar), one problem facing the Baja California dairy industry is what to do with excess product.

Manuel Real Lizardi of Sagar explained that the industry produces 230 million liters of milk per year, of which 22 million are destined to be dried, and 17 million are used for the production of cheese products, with its respective commercialization problems.

Groups like Fares Rural have proposed that the industry construct a plant to create cheese for export out of excess milk.

Real believes that BC has the ability to comply with the necessary handling and sanitary regulations to fabricate export cheese.

He added that management, professionals, and academic institutions come together periodically to analyze safety and hygiene issues for dairy-industry consumers. Evidence of this was the recent "Milk Health 2000" (Sanidad Lechera 2000) conference held in Mexico City where export requirements were discussed.

Day-by-Day Account of Baja Evictions

As FNS reported previously, residents of the Tijuana-Ensenada area Punta Banda were evicted from their seaside homes after a court order returned the land to its rightful owners.  La Crónica of Méxicali released a day-by-day account of the happenings.

Monday October 23, 2000
The Mexican Supreme Court (Suprema Corte de Justicia, SCJN) orders the Secretary of Agrarian Reform (Secretario de la Reforma Agraria, SRA) to reinstate 18 hectares of land in the Punta Banda area to its rightful owners within ten days.  The SCJN also orders the arrest of former delegates Juan José Flores González and Ruth Medina Alemán. The SCJN also orders charges to be filed against Gilberto Hershberger Reyes, director jurídico.

Tuesday, October 24, 2000
The former President of the Ejido Colonel Esteban Cantú, Fransisco González Acosta, and other members of the ejido assure people that the SCJN resolution will not become a problem for home owners.

Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Home owners place a sandbag and vehicle barricade at the entrance of their community. While they state that they have been informed of the SCJN decision they hope to stop the execution of the restoration of the land to the SCJN-decided owners.

Thursday, October 26, 2000
Stephen B. Morisseau, a United States Embassy spokesperson, said that the U.S. government will watch to make sure that US citizens' rights are respected during the eviction process.

Ramiro Moreno Quintero, president of the Colonel Cantú Ejido, declares that state and municipal CNC leaders abandoned them.  50 landowners from different agrarian groups manifested their solidarity.  Arely Madrid Tovilla, President of the Agrarian Reform Commission expresses her disapproval of the court order and asks for alternative measures to be taken.

Friday, October 27, 2000
US Consul Phil Egger and Leiht Zaremba, President of Punta Banda Homeowners Association join forces with those affected and express their concern about the situation.

State police announce that there are 40 agents ready to respond to requests for aid by the Secretario de la Reforma Agraria.

Saturday, October 28, 2000
Stephen B. Morisseau and Consul Phil Egger preside at a meeting with Punta Banda residents and listen to their proposals, recommending only prudence.

Carlos Terán del Rios, President of the Koster Group, and representatives from Alfonso Ríos y Valles, head of a Purúa Activist Group, announce a private agreement that would end the conflict and guarantee that residents can stay in their homes.

Sunday, October 29, 2000
Cruz López, representative from the national CNC office, and Heladio Ramírez, meet with landowners at a demonstration and condemn the use of violence and demand a substitute order be implemented.  Landowners advise that they are willing to defend themselves against the eminent eviction, they have spent five days protesting.  Rumors about an early Monday morning eviction circulate though out.

Monday, October 30, 2000
Approximately 450 federal, state and municipal agents break the barricade.

Source: La Crónica, October 31, 2000. Article by Arturo López.

Note: See the FNS, November 6, 2000 Tijuana News article about similar problems that may occur in the future in BC.

Baja Coast is a Real Estate Time Bomb

According to Luis Serrano Macías, president of the Tijuana Real Estate Professionals Association (APIT), the Baja California coast is a time bomb and the US citizens expelled from Punta Banda are just the tip of the iceberg. Serrano believes that there are hundreds of similar situations along the coast.

Serrano maintains that one of the most curious aspects of the bad land deals being made on the coast is that it is US real estate people who are setting up Baja land deals with other US citizens. For a few years now APIT has been questioning the presence of US citizens involved in Baja real estate. Many of the US real estate people in BC have been investigated in the US for real estate matters, Serrano told La Crónica.

Serrano blames US citizens for not properly investigating the status of the land they build on. He said that they should know that much of the land is only rented and that eventually the owners may want the land returned to them.

Source: La Crónica, November 2, 2000. Article by César Moroyoqui.