Lesson-101335-25

Capitalizing on emerging opportunities. The project opted to team up with organizations/workers with whom Solidarity Center had a previous working relationship (Federation of Independent Unions of Auto, Auto parts, Aerospace, and Tire Industries) and used opportunities that arose from conflict situations in the project’s context to establish relationships with emerging workers’ organizations. For instance, this included Sindicato Independiente de Trabajadores de Goodyear Mexico (Independent Workers Union of Goodyear Mexico) in San Luis Potosí, along with Generando Movimiento and Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de la Industria Automotriz (National Union of Workers in the Automotive Industry) in Silao (Guanajuato). On other occasions, the project was also able to capitalize on specific situations that arose, for example, when the Orden Mexicana de Profesionales Marítimos y Portuarios (Mexican Order of Port and Maritime Professionals) was fighting for representation in negotiating the collective bargaining agreement in several Mexican ports. However, this being considered a good practice, it should be noted that flexibility/re-emerging opportunities should still be discussed with U.S. Department of Labor before implementation, and approvals should be sought as required (because, for example, the sector may be outside the scope of the project, and to consider the flexibility the project grants).