UAW Announces Project To Support Mexican Autoworkers

Though the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against Ford and its Detroit Big Three counterparts ended last fall following a six-week-long targeted walkout that culminated in a rather costly new contract, the union isn’t exactly resting on its laurels. Rather, the UAW is now working to try and organize non-union automotive plants in the U.S. as well, those that are operated by companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda, to name just a few, along with future EV plants. Now, however, the union is eyeing another country as well – Mexico – as it continues to aim to expand its reach.

The UAW announced that its International Executive Board has voted to establish a new solidarity project to support autoworkers in Mexico, one that will provide resources to workers and independent unions in that country. The union notes that since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented in 1994, wages and working conditions in the automotive industry there have reportedly “fallen dramatically.”

This news could potentially impact Ford, which currently operates two such facilities in Mexico – the Cuautitlan Assembly plant and the Hermosillo Assembly plant. Earlier this month, Ford CEO Jim Farley noted that the aforementioned negotiations with the UAW may prompt the automaker to think about where it builds vehicles in the future, which could signal that it’s considering expanding its Mexican operations.

This animosity stems from heated, oftentimes public jarring between Farley and UAW President Shawn Fain, who admittedly weren’t big fans of each other during the recent contract negotiations. However, back in 2021, the UAW also accused Ford of “corporate greed” for choosing to build next-generation EVs in Mexico rather than the U.S. Originally, the automaker planned to produce those models at the Flat Rock Assembly plant – and later, the Ohio Assembly plant – before settling south of the border.

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