Thread: American workers fear for their lives in Mexico

"Threat of kidnapping, drug violence put U.S. workers on alert in Mexico
BY TIM HIGGINS • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • April 19, 2009 JUAREZ, Mexico -- This is what it's like to work in a war zone.



Nearly 3,500 white-collar workers from El Paso, Texas, cross a fortified border each workday, some of them wearing body armor as they enter the drug-torn city of Juarez, home to more than 100 parts factories that are a critical cog in the U.S. auto industry.

They encounter military trucks loaded with armed Mexican troops throughout Juarez, which recorded an estimated 1,600 homicides in 2008.

This passes for improved conditions, because the show of force has, for now, calmed the violence after drug lords forced a police chief to resign by killing officers.......... "



Full story:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090419/B ... 904190495/

let me guess, Americans are to be blamed for this also

Nearly 3,500 white-collar workers from El Paso, Texas, cross a fortified border each workday, some of them wearing body armor as they enter the drug-torn city of Juarez, home to more than 100 parts factories that are a critical cog in the U.S. auto industry.

I'm a little confused. Why would American citizens cross the border to work in Mexico? Everyone knows that many of those businesses (home office in U.S.) outsourced their jobs to Mexico to take advantage of readily available 'cheap' labor. How can there not be enough labor in Mexico for the jobs in Juarez?

Could someone in the know please explain the situation to me? Thank you.

Let me just guess that many of the companies gave the workers the option of the short trot to Juarez or being totally unemployed, perhaps even losing their 401ks if the company stock went down, or even their pensions if the company went under due to faulty products by sloppy foreign workers.

Originally Posted by MW

Nearly 3,500 white-collar workers from El Paso, Texas, cross a fortified border each workday, some of them wearing body armor as they enter the drug-torn city of Juarez, home to more than 100 parts factories that are a critical cog in the U.S. auto industry.

I'm a little confused. Why would American citizens cross the border to work in Mexico? Everyone knows that many of those businesses (home office in U.S.) outsourced their jobs to Mexico to take advantage of readily available 'cheap' labor. How can there not be enough labor in Mexico for the jobs in Juarez?

Could someone in the know please explain the situation to me? Thank you.

there are good white collar jobs with american companies still in Mexico.
With some companies it still makes cents to have a company located in nearby Mexico. It aslo costs much less to ship from Juarez than from China....