Teamsters and CONATRAM Opposed to Pilot Cross-Border Trucking Plan

The following was originally published in the January issue of Hombre Camion, the official publication of the Confederacion Nacional de Transportistas Mexicanos (CONATRAM; National Confederation of Mexican Carriers). En Espanõl / PDF

With the objective of exchanging views regarding the entry of trucks into Mexico and the United States under the Pilot Cross-Border Trucking Plan, Tim Beaty, Director of Global Strategies in the Strategic Research and Campaigns Department of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, present in representation of Teamsters President Jim Hoffa, and Elías Dip Rame, national president of CONATRAM, engaged in a working session.

Tim Beaty provided assurances that the Teamsters have no interest in seeing their trucks cross over into Mexico and that it is the large carrier services of the industry that are pressuring the United States government. Nor are the Teamsters in agreement with Mexican truckers entering the United States. Even with full prior knowledge that CONATRAM has always expressed its opposition to opening the border, Beaty questioned Elías Dip on actions taken by Mexican truckers to convince the government with regard to this issue.

"We are aware of the response given by your compañeros in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, with their protest, lasting several hours, in which hundreds of trailer rigs participated in a stoppage. Our organization eagerly awaits the results of that stoppage," said Beaty.

"I remember that ten years ago in the United States, the Teamsters held a protest in the city of El Paso, Texas, while at the same time on the Mexican side of the border CONATRAM member truckers also rallied, placing the slogan "NO to the FTA" on their rigs, thus making it possible to prevent the opening of the border."

"There were thousands of trucks expressing the sentiments of Mexican truckers. Subsequently, we called a national stoppage throughout the entire country, and one of the issues for which we demanded a solution was that of 'NO to the FTA,'" said Dip Rame.

The CONATRAM President affirmed that, given the success achieved by [their] compañeros in Reynosa, he is confident that Mexican senators and congressmen will bear in mind that it is far from nonsensical to say "NO to the FTA."

"The Pilot Plan is of no interest to our country. It is of interest [only] to a small group of business associates in the United States that get the Mexican President all wound up. However, when they stop to think about the consequences of the damage that would be caused to our economy, perhaps they will consider doing an about-face. At present, both CONATRAM and CANACAR are opposed to the Pilot Plan, as a result of which we now hope to convince the senators that if we don't achieve [our goal] through dialogue, we will have no other option than to carry out a protest along all of the country's borders. We cannot stand by with arms crossed, waiting from the worst to happen," said Elias Dip.

Tim Beaty noted that things are going quite well in the U.S. Congress. "It is my feeling that authorization of the FTA as regards trucking will involve spending several million dollars, with the result that there exists the possibility that President Bush will veto the measure."

Following their exchange of views, Dip Rame received greetings from Teamsters President Jim Hoffa, with a second meeting now pending for the purpose of discussing several issues involving the Pilot Plan. That meeting could take place in early 2008, once the U.S. Congress has made known its stance and once we in Mexico have secured the support of the Mexican Senate.