Behind Ciudad Juarez’s New Labor Movement

FNS News: In a virtually unprecedented development, labor protest is widening in the maquiladora industry of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. While worker dissatisfaction or protest is nothing new in the foreign-owned border factories that produce goods for export to the United States, previous manifestations of discontent in the generally union-free industry have usually been confined to one company at a time.

But recently, movements for better pay and working conditions- and union representation- have emerged at four different companies-Foxconn, Lexmark, ADC/Commscope and Eaton. Hundreds of workers have participated in street protests, hunger strikes and leafleting. Read more.

Mexico overtakes Brazil as top car manufacturer in Latin America

El País: Asian and European car brands are investing heavily in Mexican-based assembly plants, catapulting the country’s auto industry to unknown heights.

A few days ago, Mexico became Latin America’s leading car maker, ahead of Brazil. In the first half of 2014, the country’s plants produced1.59 million automobiles, a 7.4-percent rise from the same period in 2013. Meanwhile, Brazil’s production in the first six months of this year fell back to 1.57 million units. Read more.