By Sergio Villalobos
(courtesy of Micelio Rojo)
Fifteen years ago, José Luis Solorio was fired for union organizing at the Honda plant in El Salto, Guadalajara, Jalisco, and later even arrested and imprisoned on charges that were proved false. At that time, workers who felt they were treated unfairly filed cases with the Labor Relations Board, controlled by employers, charro unions, and the PRI. It took fifteen years for the case to rise to the top of the pile. Six months ago, the Board finally decided — in Solorio’s favor.
But Honda was not finished. It filed an amparo, an injunction, to stop his reinstatement. However, with a push from Solorio’s supporters, the STPS brokered a reinstatement date of Nov. 12, 2026.
While Solorio’s case is older than the 2019 Labor Reform and is not covered by it, STPS can prove that it is truly a worker’s advocate, and not simply a mediator between an individual employer and employee. It must recognize that this case affects all those organizing independent, democratic unions, and to follow Solorio into Honda to make sure his rights are upheld.
The worry of the big coalition of groups which see this case as a potential watershed in labor relations, is that once Solorio is reinstated, Honda will find a pretext to fire him again. That’s why a press conference is being called. Honda needs to know that it is being watched.
There are 9 other fired worker/organizers who are still waiting reinstatement. The Honda case must set an example to other corporations that new new labor rights promised in 2019 are not just words on paper.
