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EXPERIENCE LIFE on
the U.S.-Mexico Border
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Come
join us on the border for an eye opening experience you will never forget!
COALITION FOR JUSTICE
IN THE MAQUILADORAS (CJM)
CJM is a tri-national multi sectoral coalition striving to improve the living and working conditions
of Mexican maquila workers. We support workers and community struggles for social, economic and environmental justice.
CJM-sponsored delegations make visible the social consequences of free trade policies such as the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for maquiladora workers and their communities on Mexico’s northern border.
Delegates tour a number of cities: Rio Bravo, Reynosa, Matamoros,
Valle Hermoso, Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Juarez, and Tijuana, witnessing firsthand the local realities of NAFTA.
What
are the maquiladoras and what do they have to do with NAFTA?
Signed in 1994 by the U.S., Canadian and Mexican governments,
NAFTA allowed the further relocation of foreign farms and factories south of the border. U.S. and other foreign corporations
were attracted to Mexico by large tax incentives, cheaper labor force, and labor and environmental policies that often are
not enforce. As a result, the maquiladora (assembly for export) industry of northern Mexico saw tremendous growth in
the years immediately following NAFTA’s signing.
Frequently overlooked in the scope of the expansion
of free trade is the average Mexican worker, subject to low pay and hazardous working conditions. Women maquiladora
workers in particular are vulnerable to sexual harassment by supervisors, termination due to pregnancy, and other gender-based
discrimination.
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CJM fights the violence
of free trade
In response to NAFTA,
CJM has been highlighting the negative international impact of free trade, especially as it has affected workers and their
communities. The coalition is also heavily involved in the struggle against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which
essentially proposes an expansion of NAFTA to all of Latin America. Since its inception in 1989, CJM has blossomed into a
diverse 150-member network of labor, religious, religious, grassroots, and environmental organizations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, emphasizing
worker-to-worker ties across borders. The coalition provides the tools for maquila workers to learn about their rights, and
educates the international community about the economic, social, and environmental injustices taking place in the maquiladoras
and their surrounding communities. The goal is linking workers across borders and communities to face this economic model
and develop alternatives.
What delegates do
CJM delegations visit
the shantytowns or colonias where families live and labor. They meet face to face with maquiladora workers,
hear their reports and testimonies, ask questions and discover common interests. Witnessing,
listening, and learning bring people together to confront the impact of free trade on people’s lives and build international
solidarity. Working men and women share with CJM delegates their personal triumphs
and travesties inside and out of the workplace. Delegates learn how the maquila industries are dumping toxic wastes
into the communities, rivers and streams, yet ironically many of the factories are situated inside well-groomed industrial
parks that promote a favorable public image. They meet with local activists, educators, and community leaders to get a fuller
perspective on the local results of short-sighted economic policies.
CJM delegates to the border come home transformed
Activated
fired up
Understanding the world in a new way
Are you willing to have your eyes opened?
COME JOIN US ON OUR NEXT DELEGATION!
For more information, dates and
details contact cjm_mojeda@igc.org , log onto www.coalitionforjustice.net or give us a call at 210-732-8957.
Delegates will spend from 3 to 5 days on the border, timeframes vary. CJM schedules hotel accommodations, local transportation,
and food. All expenses are included in your quoted price, including administrative expenses. Airfares may or may not be included
in that price. CJM coordinates a planned agenda with local worker and/or community groups on the border. In addition, CJM
sends delegates educational materials and fact sheets prior to the trip, prepares on-site educational materials, and provides
expert translators and guides.
Coalition For Justice In The Maquiladoras
4207 Willow Brook
San Antonio, TX 78228
PH (210) 732-8957 Fax (210) 732-8324
Last updated on
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