We are a tri-national coalition of religious, environmental, labor, Latino and women’s organizations that seek to pressure U.S. transnational corporations to adopt socially responsible practices within the maquiladora industry, to ensure a safe environment along the U.S./Mexico border, safe work conditions inside the maquila plants and a fair standard of living for the industries workers.

A central vehicle for achieving these goals is the establishment of the Maquiladora Standards of Conduct. This document provides a code through which we demand that corporations alleviate critical problems created by the industry.

Our efforts are grounded in supporting worker and community struggles for social, economic and environmental justice in the maquiladora industry. Moreover, by supporting these struggles, we believe that our efforts will serve the interests of workers and communities along the U.S./Mexican border.

We dedicate ourselves to democratic process and unity of action maintaining sensitivity to the diverse representation within our coalition.

The Coalition has developed the standards of Conduct to establish minimum standards which corporations must follow to alleviate the acute problems created by this industry The Standards are drawn from existing Mexican and US. laws and labor standards of the International Labor Organization of the UN and focus on these areas:

Environmental Contamination:
Pollution from the maquiladora industry threatens the health of citizens both in Mexico and the United States. illegal hazardous waste dumping pollutes rivers and aquifers and can contaminate drinking water along the US./Mexico border Corporations operating plants in Mexico should comply with PROFEPA (formerly SEOESOL) and EPA regulations

Health and Safety Practice:
Workers in maquiladora plants am exposed daily to health and safety risks associated with intense repetitive motion and chemical exposure In many cases, these workers have received inadequate training and education to minimize these risks. Corporations operating maquiladoras must comply with Mexican health and OSHA regulations.

Fair Employment Practices and Standards of Living:
In maquiladora plants, U.S. corporations must support basic workers’ rights. Workers must be provided with a fair wage, reasonable hours of work and decent working conditions Companies must comply with Mexican labor law and provisions within the Mexican Constitution that protect labor

Community impact:
U.S. Corporations must recognize the social responsibilities they have to the local communities in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. where they locate their facilities, including a commitment to community economic development and improvements in the quality of life. In Mexico, U.S: corporations need to explore options for supporting community infrastructure needs.