An ABC approach to handling a strike

A strike triggered by religious holidays and summer breaks nearly brought ABC Consumer Electronics’ flagship maquiladora plant at Juarez to its knees. But it ultimately forced revisions in labor laws which improved the workers’ lot across the consumer electronics industry in Mexico. The dispute over consolidating religious holidays into a “Holy Week” soon escalated into a strike at the end of January 1995, with workers and administrative staff leaving before being blockaded inside the works. A further grievance was the decision to keep the factory running throughout July rather than shutting down for its usual two‐week break. But there were deeper underlying causes, and fanning the flames was maquiladora itself, as a case study by Dowlatshahi reveals.