Mexican Autoworkers Faced Down Tariff Threats and Won Double Digit Raises—Plus, Labor Notes May Issue Preview! episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 25, 2025 · 12 MIN

Mexican Autoworkers Faced Down Tariff Threats and Won Double Digit Raises—Plus, Labor Notes May Issue Preview!

from The Labor Notes Podcast · host Labor Notes

Workers at GM’s Silao, Guanajuato plant had a salary review period right in the midst of Trump’s tariff threats. It would have been easy for the company to extract concessions in the face of widespread uncertainty, but workers held the line and won double-digit raises for the second time in recent years. Their winning streak is also forcing pro-boss, company unions to wake up and deliver for workers—if only for fear of a union election they’d likely lose.  They’re also hard at work building a new union culture—moving workers from a mindset of “Everyone steals, but hopefully you guys steal less” to feeling a sense of ownership over their union. Their fight demonstrates that militancy is the answer to navigating turbulent times—and the whims of bosses and billionaires everywhere.

Workers at GM’s Silao, Guanajuato plant had a salary review period right in the midst of Trump’s tariff threats. It would have been easy for the company to extract concessions in the face of widespread uncertainty, but workers held the line and won double-digit raises for the second time in recent years. Their winning streak is also forcing pro-boss, company unions to wake up and deliver for workers—if only for fear of a union election they’d likely lose. They’re also hard at work building a new union culture—moving workers from a mindset of “Everyone steals, but hopefully you guys steal less” to feeling a sense of ownership over their union. Their fight demonstrates that militancy is the answer to navigating turbulent times—and the whims of bosses and billionaires everywhere.

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Mexican Autoworkers Faced Down Tariff Threats and Won Double Digit Raises—Plus, Labor Notes May Issue Preview!

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This episode was published on April 25, 2025.

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Workers at GM’s Silao, Guanajuato plant had a salary review period right in the midst of Trump’s tariff threats. It would have been easy for the company to extract concessions in the face of widespread uncertainty, but workers held the line and won...

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