Maquiladora Links
Organizations
AFSC and its grassroots partner, the CFO, cooperate with many of the other groups working on maquiladora issues and cross-border solidarity. Key organizations are listed below.
Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) http://www.maquilasolidarity.org. Bilingual (Spanish-English) Canadian website. Good on activism using codes of conduct to target clothing companies. In their own words: MSN “is a labor and women's rights advocacy organization promoting solidarity with grassroots groups in Mexico, Central America, and Asia working to improve conditions in maquiladora factories and export processing zones.”
Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network (MHSSN) http://mhssn.igc.org. Excellent e-mail newsletter. In their own words: MHSSN is a “volunteer network of 400 occupational health and safety professionals … on a resource list [to] provide information, technical assistance and on-site instruction regarding workplace hazards in the [maquiladoras].”
United Electrical Workers (UE) International Solidarity http://www.ueinternational.org. Thorough articles on Mexican labor developments in the monthly Mexican Labor News & Analysis. In their own words: “UE believes that more than ever, unions must act and think globally. UE has built relationships with labor organizations in a variety of countries.”
National Labor Committee (NLC) http://www.nlcnet.org/news. Information on working conditions in maquiladoras and sweatshops from Southeast Asia, Mexico and Central America. In their own words: NLC “helps defend the human rights of workers in the global economy. The NLC investigates and exposes human and labor rights abuses committed by U.S. companies producing goods in the developing world.”
U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (US/LEAP) http://www.usleap.org/index.html. This group maintains an active network of Central American-US labor solidarity efforts. In their own words: “US/LEAP is an independent nonprofit organization that supports economic justice and focuses especially on the struggles of workers who are employed directly or indirectly by U.S. companies such as Starbucks, Chiquita Banana and Gap.”
Campaign for Labor Rights (CLR) http://campaignforlaborrights.org. Very current information and calls to action on workers’ struggles in Mexico and other countries, plus news from local groups in other countries not often covered by other outlets. In their own words: CLR “mobilizes grassroots support throughout the United States to promote economic and social justice by campaigning to end labor rights violations around the world. Its campaign strategies are designed in collaboration with workers struggling to gain the right to organize, the right to earn a living wage in a clean, safe work environment, and the right to bargain collectively with their bosses.
Global Exchange (GX) http://www.globalexchange.org/index.html Gateway to fair trade activism, women’s rights advocacy, and trade and globalization movements. In their own words: “Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.”
Globalization Bulletin http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbensman/bulletin.html Comprehensive webpage of links with recent news divided by sections. In their own words: Globalization Bulletin is “a publication written by the Globalization Task Force of the New Jersey Division of the United Nations Association. It is printed with the help of Rutgers University’s Department of Labor Studies.”
Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (FAT; Authentic Labor Front) http://www.fatmexico.org. Spanish language only. FAT and CFO are the two most consistent and strategic independent labor projects in Mexico. Both of them have existed for more than 20 years. In their own words: “FAT is an independent and democratic national workers organization who are committed to the defense of the working class, on the fight for better living and working conditions, and involved in the process of moving Mexican society in the direction of democracy.”
Voces de la Maquila (Maquila Voices) http://www.lasvoces.org. Mexican website with an artistic aim. Bilingual. Good black & white photos. In their words: “This project aims to [describe] the daily lives of female workers through images and interviews and [to contribute] to their fights.”
Statistics and Databases
INEGI (National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information) http://dgcnesyp.inegi.gob.mx/cgi-win/bdieintsi.exe
/NIVJ150002000300050005#ARBOL?c=1414 (for fastest access to maquiladora statistics) and http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est
/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=emp75&c=1811 (maquiladora statistics and link to INEGI homepage). Hard data collected every month by this Mexican government agency through a survey that each maquiladora factory must complete and submit to INEGI. Data is reliable but still between 10-20% of all factories fail to submit their info—figures can be adjusted after first release. Does not include names of companies. INEGI is the equivalent of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Solunet http://www.solunet-infomex.com. Complete maquiladora database in three different CDs or in just one for the whole country. Does not include statistics, but has names, descriptions and contact information of maquiladoras. Still not accurate enough but good if you can afford paying US $895 for the complete CD.
Industrial Location Maps
The best maquiladora maps we have found. They include industrial sectors, as well as corporation names in Mexican states.
Area Development Online http://areadevelopment.com/FrameMexicoFlash.html. This detailed “flash” presentation provides many names of U.S. corporations located in Mexico.
Mexican Association of Industrial Parks (AMPIP) http://www.ampip.org.mx/Maps.asp. Impractical to print out with standard printer, a good source of detailed information on company names and locations. AMPIP affiliates more than 145 industrial parks in Mexico and 1,861 established companies. They say more than 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies have operations in AMPIP industrial parks.
Maquiladora Industry Web Gateways
Maquila Portal http://www.maquilaportal.com/cgi-bin/public/index.pl.
Maquila Market http://www.maquilamarket.com.
MaqGuide http://www.maqguide.com
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