Organized Labor and Politics in Mexico

Labor Relations in Mexico (1988-2012): Explaining Continuity across Regime Types and Economic Models

“…160, 177–8). Still, available research indicates that state‐labor relations were not significantly democratized after the transition, and that the essence of pre‐transition state‐labor relations remained by‐and‐large intact during the period under analysis (Bensusán and Middlebrook, ; Cook, , p. 152–158; Selee and Peschard, ; Zapata, ). In fact, even the mild labor reform that took place in November 2012 did not jeopardize the major elements of the corporatist framework found in the LFT, such as the state's right to deny union registration, control the composition of union executive committees, and limit the right to strike (Alcalde, ).…”

“…Also, the open unemployment rate averaged 3.8% yearly –a rather high rate by Mexican standards—for the same period (see Table ). Real average wages between 1994 and 2000 declined by 25% (Bensusán and Middlebrook , p. 26).…”

“…The unionization rate under Fox remained relatively steady around the 10% mark –a rate corresponding to the numbers seen between 1994 and 2000. By contrast, the unionization rate increased slightly at 10.6% during the first year of Calderón's mandate, but was then characterized by near constant decline, closing at 8.8% –the lowest rate recorded rate in decades (Bensusán and Middlebrook, , pp. 54–6).…”

“…As indicated above, corporatist union leaders thus generally collaborated with successive federal administrations, insuring labor peace and allowing the relatively unimpeded implementation of their economic program. This often occurred to the general detriment of their unions’ membership, which suffered reductions in real salaries, de facto flexibilization, deteriorating work conditions, and job losses (Bensusán and Middlebrook, , p. 52). In exchange, ex‐official union leaders sought (and obtained) the preservation of LFT articles, such as the exclusion clause, that allowed for the continuation of their political and socioeconomic privileges.…”

“…In a 2007 poll, 52% of respondents expressed distrust towards union leadership. Perhaps most troubling was that a majority of unionized workers believed that unions hurt the interests of workers, rather than help them (Reforma 2007 in Bensusán and Middlebrook , p. 180). These perceptions suggest that years of union demobilizing and compromising with the state and private employers –generally to the detriment of workers—, added to the overall negative socioeconomic impacts on Mexican workers of the neoliberal policy agenda espoused by successive federal administrations since 1988, greatly undermined the legitimacy of unions as well as their leaders, who were widely seen as willing to sell out the interests of workers in return for protecting and advancing their own privileges.…”