Abstract

LOPEZ SALAZAR, Ricardo  and  CARRILLO, Jorge. Industrial Upgrading and Labor: The Case of Tijuana's Electronics Industry. Frontera norte [online]. 2010, vol.22, n.43, pp.81-102. ISSN 2594-0260.

This article analyzes the implications of industrial upgrading for labor conditions in three electronics maquiladora plants in Tijuana. The evidence shows that, thanks to the momentum of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the growth of in-house capabilities, and the support from their respective parent companies, the three factories upgraded both in terms of products and functions. For their part, skilled employees (engineers and managers) experienced a revalorization, the result of knowledge acquired over long careers in these companies. Consequently, industrial upgrading in the three plants that we analyzed is associated with labor improvements due to the high levels of job stability, which make it possible to implement in-house career plans, high levels of training, and labor certifications.

Keywords : Industrial upgrading; maquiladoras; technological change; labor; electronics.

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