Cooperativa Trabajadores Democráticos de Occidente (TRADOC) is a tire manufacturing cooperative outside of Guadalajara. The cooperative launched in 2005 the company now has more than 1,000 workers, and around 600 members. When the factory was built in 1970 it was the most advanced in Latin America. During the 2001 global economic slowdown, the German multinational owner demanded concessions in pay and working conditions, and when the unionized workers refused the owners retaliated by shutting down. Striking workers occupied the factory, led caravan marches, made legal appeals, and pressured international shareholders. In 2005 federal courts found in favor of the workers and ordered the owners to pay $40m in back wages. Instead of paying, the owners gave up the factory, but in an unusual way. A cooperative of workers received 50% and would oversee operations, while a distributor was sold the other 50% and would guarantee access to the international market. By 2008 a new distributor had made investments and taken a majority share of the company. Workers have 3 of 7 seats on the board. In 2018 a long-term director was expelled in a corruption scandal.
Research
- Díaz Muñoz – La cooperativa Trabajadores Democráticos de Occidente (2022)
- Rojas Herrera – Avatares de la lucha obrera en la época neoliberal: la experiencia de la Sociedad Cooperativa Trabajadores Democráticos de Occidente (2020)
- Torres Urbina – La cultura del trabajo en la cooperativa llantera TRADOC (2018)
- Pacheco y Anguiano Luna – El estudio a empresas recuperadas y cooperativas de trabajo en México (2017)
- Macdonald – TRADOC Cooperativa de Trabajadores de la historia del oeste (2016)
- Quiterio Cruz – El legado sindical en las cooperativas (2014)
- Atilano Uriarte – Sustento de la dignidad trabajadora en la huelga de Euskadi (2008)
Video
- Coperacha – Serie TRADOC, la cooperativa forjada en la lucha (2017)
- SSE – Los neumaticos vuelven a rodar. Cooperativa Tradoc (2016)
Origins and growth
- Milenio – radoc demanda a llantera internacional por venta irregular de planta en Jalisco (2023)
- La Jornada – Denuncian despojo ilegal de empresa del ‘Canelo’ en predio de cooperativa Tradoc (2022)
- La Izquierda – Debate sobre Cooperativa Tradoc a partir del despido de 350 socios (2018)
- Ideas Online – La Cooperativa Tradoc De México Recupera Con Éxito Una Fábrica De Llantas (2016)
- Milenio – 10 años de una cooperativa que ha vendido millones de llantas (2015)
- La Jornada – Señalan anomalías en la cooperativa Tradoc (2014)
- Revista Nomada – Rodando Por La Autopista Del Capitalismo En Crisis: Tradoc (2012)
- Grito del Pueblo – Presentación del libro “Ellos sí pudieron mirar al cielo” (2010)
- La Jornada – Cooperativa de ex trabajadores de Euzkadi, premiada en Davos (2005)
Corruption scandal
- Audiencia – Cooperativa Tradoc sale afectada tras corrupción de exlíder (2023)
- Informador – Ex dirigente sindical de Cooperativa Tradoc rechaza señalamientos de fraude (2023)
- SDP Noticias – Expulsan a exlíder de cooperativa TRADOC en GDL y Consejo avanza (2022)
In English
- Macdonald – TRADOC Workers Co-operative of the West Story (2016)
- Socialist Worker – A Decade Of Solidarity In El Salto (2015)
- Labor Notes – Mexican Workers Win Ownership of Tire Plant with Three-Year Strike (2013)
- Labor Notes – Can Worker-Owners Make a Big Factory Run? (2013)
- Real News – Mexican Worker-Run Tire Factory a Success (2013)
- Ideas Online – The Cooperative Tradoc: Recovering A Tire Factory In Mexico (2016)
- Tire Business – Cooper to acquire stake in Mexican tire plant (2008)