Email this page

One Stitch at a Time

In Maquiladora Dignidad y Justicia, workers are learning to be the bosses

by Willie Colón Reyes

Juanita López and Matilde Gonzalez. Photo: Ricardo Hernández

The newly painted, bright yellow walls of the cinderblock warehouse dwarf the six antiquated sewing machines that sit in one corner. The warehouse is, without a doubt, much too big for its current occupants.

But all that extra space hints at a sense of cautious optimism. The ability to double or even triple the number of sewing machines if—or hopefully, when—more workers are hired is a tantalizing lure to succeed for the AFSC-supported Maquiladora Dignidad y Justicia (Dignity & Justice Maquiladora Company).

Based in Piedras Negras, Mexico, the small-scale clothing production company makes organic cotton T-shirts and tote bags for bulk orders. It is a rarity in this border town: a worker-owned cooperative begun by a group of maquiladora employees after they were fired or laid off by apparel factories. (Maquiladoras are foreign-owned factories along the Mexico-U.S. border. Most are subsidiaries of U.S. companies.)

Treacherous terrain

Now in its second year of operation, the company is trying to navigate the treacherous terrain of any small, start-up business, which includes cost control, increasing production without sacrificing quality, and finding new customers.

Then there’s the struggle of changing the mindset of the company’s worker/owners so they truly believe that they’re in control—and accept the extra time and effort that entails.

“There’s still a perception among the workers that they’re just employees,” noted Ricardo Hernández, director of AFSC’s Mexico-U.S. Border Program, who has worked closely with Dignidad y Justicia since its inception. “They want to do the work and go home, not have after-hours meetings to talk about import/export issues, for example. They’re not used to being the owners and what that means.”

False accusations

Dignidad y Justicia was launched in March 2004 with help from the Comité Fronterizo de Obrer@s (CFO, or Border Committee of Women Workers), a long-time AFSC partner organization. The CFO organizes and educates workers on their human and labor rights. It’s a part-owner of Dignidad y Justicia and shares office space with the company.

The label is Justicia! Photo: Terry Foss

For the CFO, helping the fledgling company get started was, in part, a bold repudiation of some hurtful and false accusations.

“When we started the D&J maquiladora, it flew in the face of charges made by company-friendly unions and government officials that the CFO was a gringo puppet trying to destabilize the work force and drive away jobs,” said Julia Quiñonez, the high-energy coordinator of the CFO. “How could they say that? We’re Mexican. We don’t want to drive away jobs.”

The CFO’s support of Dignidad y Justicia is very much in keeping with its efforts to empower workers. Its work clearly threatens the status quo in Piedras Negras and the five other Mexican border cities where the CFO operates.

“Knowledge is power,” Julia said. “With our work, we see workers becoming more conscious of their rights and power.”

Continue story >