Speaking to 125 people at the University of California December 5, Marcela Muñoz Tepepa discussed the labor battle. Muñoz, 23, a seamstress and strike leader, was on a two-week tour of U.S. campuses to thank those who supported the strike. Also touring with Muñoz were Huberto Juárez Nuñez and Catalina Gúzman Albafull from the Autonomous University in Puebla.

The Kukdong factory, a maquiladora, is in the heart of Mexico's textile industry 70 miles south of Mexico City. It is a principal supplier of college sweatshirts to Nike and Reebok, producing up to 500,000 of them a month. Students from 85 U.S. colleges joined in supporting the strike with boycotts, demonstrations, and pickets on campus. This helped pressure Nike and Reebok to force the company into negotiations. On September 21, the 900 workers won recognition of their new union and improved working conditions.

"The struggle began for three reasons," Muñoz explained. "Food was in very poor condition at the cafeteria. Workers faced verbal and physical abuse. Salaries were so low that workers were not able to fund education for their sons and daughters." Workers report earning only $5 a day, making it impossible to support themselves and their children.

The company's response to the cafeteria boycott was to fire workers last January. Muñoz said that the workers then organized a complete work stoppage. Their reaction at first, Muñoz said, "was 'OK, where do we go from here.' None of us ever experienced anything like this before."

On January 11 state police arrived at the factory and beat the workers. "Some still have scars from that night," Muñoz said. But the workers kept up the struggle, finding wide support from others in the area and internationally. "A majority of the factory were women," said Muñoz. "Many are single mothers and others are 13- to 15-year-old workers. Most asked their moms and dads if it was OK to do this. Parents showed up and supported the work stoppage. People arrived with food."

"We got an e-mail of support from Kukdong workers in Indonesia during the work stoppage," she reported. "They explained to us the steps they went through to win an independent union. It inspired us." Other Kukdong factories are in Brazil and Bangladesh.

"There aren't any more 13-year-olds working in the factory," Muñoz explained. "They did away with these workers. This was a difficult moment because we had to explain to these girls why it was harming them. They really needed a job. At the end, they understood the situation. So the day they are old enough, they will be the first to be hired.

"If we bring together international solidarity for workers struggles," Muñoz said, "we will all triumph--not just in Mexico but in the whole world. So let's move forward."

Bernie Senter is a garment worker and member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.  
 
 
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