WOMEN
ON THE BORDER
Interview
with Juan P. H. (real name in separate file)
October
23, 2000
PIEDRAS
NEGRAS, COAHUILA, MEXICO
32
yrs. Old - DOB 28 february - 1972
Moves
from small village - Monclova, Coahuila - around 1987
18
years old begins to work in muebleria (furniture factory)
also
job as secretario (direccion de teatro)
-
short time as librarian
-
fairly young (not out to parents)
-
has three brothers and three sisters - He is fifth in family order
-
Mother - Ma. Elena Hernandez- father is Jose Hernandez
-
Working
history?
(first
factory job) (at the furniture store )
-
he was "ensamblador del norte"
Had
to attach hundreds per day (labels?)
Glues
all day long and sat all day long
\would
get very sleep - worked at night
then
want to Carrizo factory -
probationary
employees for 30 days
he
made jeans
didn't
last -
went
from there to Ceramica Creativa
Had
to remove the "defects" - earned very minimum pay
Was
there for 9 months - low pay
Then
went to Productos Naturales - removed shrimp shells
Very
short time - less than one month
Bartender
for 2 l/1 years - Copacabana - en la Zona Rosa (bars, clubs)
From
the cabaret (as bartender)
Went
to Century - factory that made baby seats - paid fairly well.
1993:
- meets "husband" #3 -
2
years - relationship broke down - lived together (he got night shift, other had
day shift - difficult) - separated.
"Paola"
left after -
95-96
- goes to Dallas Texas - stays about one-half years
got
job in paint factory that produced thinner, near Love Field (airport) -
probably about 6 months there
also
got job as busboy (no legal residence) - got to know other (gay?) guys
(yes)
they put on shows in Latino bars; dressed in drag
act
as "Paola" - fun and earned tips
Not
safe - one time saw murder in that bar
Another
time he got assaulted by two black men
Bought
a bike
The
danger makes him decide to leave Dallas
Around
96
That's
when he starts at Dimmit Industries (w/others who fired with him? - yes).
Starts
there about July 1996
Conflicts?
Working
conditions at Dimmit -
He
worked on steamers - 15 days - vapors too hot and excessive no coolants - he
got lots of burn accidents - requests transfer
**
Moves to reparaci—n (detailed repairs of finished pants - finishing department)
- earns "good money" $1100 Pesos per week/205 per day
Better
than other workers?
Yes,
that job paid better - other average ($400 pesos per week).
-
Organizing -
-
Very open to message of the CFO
-
Had relationship that was "neutral" with CTM
-
(CTM -more established union in Mexico _ corrupted by power politics)
New
union elections come up - with others starts pushing for clean (not corrupted)
elections, clear demarcation of authority
Officials
(in CTM positions) start hearing that Juan pablo hanging out with the CFO (they
say "hanging out with Julia" -
[Julia
Gonzalez - long time "coordinadora" (like executive director) of CFO
- former maquiladora worker who is amazing organizer - the unions don't like
her because she is good trainer]
-
Julia advises Juan pablo (and others) about how to bring about democratic
changes - Juan Pablo "very open"
-
gets suspended; walked out of factory
Problems
that led to firing by Dimmit:
Plantas
No. 2 and 4 (out of approximately 2000 workers(?) (nee4d to check this)
Workers
called to general assembly (of CTM Union) (to justify suspension?)
Dissident
workers refused to support - wanted the changes
150
(other employees) marched out with of assembly and went to front gate of the
factory to get the 8 workers back into the factory (were standing outside with
signs protesting the suspension).
One
week out -
Employees
from Plants 2, 4, 3 and 1 (1500 employees) (out of totwl of 6 plants)
Bring
out the 1500 workers - just demand
All
1500 workers to go the Centro de Convencion -
Lleg—
el de la Conciliaci—n de Arbitraje (like labor Board? )
They
tell the confidential employees to leave
They
wanted a vote on the new union rep in the plant - wanted a guy named Julio.
800
voted for Julio - won
Interviewers
notes:
(Julia
and others let me know that he is "paola" - they seem comfortable
with his being gay. - Juany andAmparo and Juan pablo took me to Ciudad Acu–a to
look for workers - we ate tacos at big mall type store - I paid).
Return
trip to Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
May
23, 2002 - Trip with Austin Tan Cerca de la Fronter (ATCF)
My
observations -
Juan
Pablo - looks totally different - his case settled with Dimmitt - they got
money. Saw his photo in short article by AFSC - looked totally transvestite in
photo
He
died his hair black; masculine. No make-up.
Jorge
- former boyfriend - (he must have been "husband" no. 3) - they're
freiend now - Juan Pablo is teaching Jorge how to become CFO organizer in Nuevo
Laredo - no union presence in the city.
They
"came out" to the people from Austin rather comfortably; one of the
visitors asked why Juan pablo here in Laredo -
Wanted
to help friend - what divided them then was the work, the organizing?
Now
they healed relationship
Not
out to people this weekend
We
chatted on the bus - told him about "Paul/Paula" in Austin Texas
-
Juan Pablo - laughed, doesn't understand -
-
Not into gay rights - no gay consciousness per se - "skimpy outfits"
(politicized gays) - not for him
-
Organizing is more important -
Close
Window