I’ve been working on the line at GM since 2010, and right now I’m a painter of the Sierra and Cheyenne trucks that we produce. About 7,000 workers here in Silao work in two 12-hour shifts, four days — or nights — a week. We churn out 65 vehicles an hour. One hundred percent of the vehicles go for export, mostly to the US.

Our pay, for working in tough conditions on the line, amounts to the equivalent of US $2 an hour. We can’t afford cars. We rely on public and GM bus transportation.

After years of seeing all this injustice, I had to do something. The representative from the former CTM union used to tell me, “Stay out of our union!” They weren’t interested in protecting workers. I realized that we needed our own independent union to fight for better working conditions, better salaries, and to keep the bosses from harassing and threatening us.

As a woman working at GM, what problems do you face?

At GM, 35 percent of all the workers are women, and, yes, we face discrimination from the bosses and sometimes from men on the line. The machismo outside doesn’t stop at the plant gates. Most of the women who work here have children, and getting time off when a child comes down sick, or during pregnancy, can be difficult or impossible.

You were elected general secretary of the independent union SINTTIA. How do you balance family time and union responsibilities while working 48 hours a week?

First of all, I feel honored to have been elected by my fellow workers. And it’s true that life isn’t easy, especially when you’re poor and have kids. We know that US auto workers own cars. Why can’t we be paid enough to own a car? Some of us can hardly pay the rent, and our houses don’t even have sewage! We know that the GM millionaires with their mansions and big cars could easily pay us well. Organizing for our union gives me strength. It would be selfish not to talk openly about what SINTTIA can do for us if we stick together. There’s so much to do!

Does your work for SINTTIA put you at risk of being forced to resign, something that’s happened to other workers who’ve dared to organize against the CTM and GM?

It’s possible, but I’m less likely to be fired now because management knows where I stand and that I have support. SINTTIA was only just formed last July. Our membership still remains small, but many workers who aren’t members yet quietly support us. And many who voted against ending the contract with the charro CTM now support SINTTIA and aren’t as afraid about losing their jobs. This shows that we’re getting stronger!

We don’t know yet when we’ll have a date for the vote. That’s up to labor officials to decide. Inside the plant, activists with Generando Movimiento — our worker organization — talk with the compañeros on the line all the time. 

We both give and receive support. For example, two years ago young students and feminists organized a strike at the University of Guanajuato to denounce men accused of sexual attacks against women. Members of our Generando Movimiento went to the students to offer moral support.

Since the “no” vote against CTM at GM Silao, automotive industry unions and other labor organizations from several countries have sent us letters of support. We’re working hard to build awareness of our fight for justice and a decent contract. We know how critical the support we can get from community organizations, students, and the church will be for our union. It’s not going to be easy to win, but we have what GM doesn’t have: unity!