Local unions in a transnational movement: The role of Mexican unions in the making of international networks

Abstract

In recent decades, workers and their organizations have forged networked practices, performing contemporary forms of labor internationalism. This is the case of International Workers Networks and of the Global Frame work Agreements. At the same time, international solidarity practices play a relevant role in the configuration of the balance of power in local contexts. The global‐local dynamic emerges as a key topic in the understanding of the making and unmaking of the working‐class. I assess this dynamic through the analysis of the relationship between local unions and the international workers network of Techint Group created in 2014. In this article, I explore the Sindicato de Mineros, Metalúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana engagement to the network considering four mediations: productive branch and labor force features, political traditions, institutional frameworks, and local relationships. The Mexican unions' involvement allows the discussion of global‐local dynamic in a twofold perspective: the outcomes of global policies mediated by local contexts; and the consequences of local political dynamics over the labor movement power at the global level.