Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers

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CROM

Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers
Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana
Founded	12 May 1918
Founded at	Saltillo
Headquarters	C. Juan Aldama 75, Col. Buenavista, Delg. Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06350 Ciudad de México
Location	Mexico
Secretary General	Rodolfo Gerardo González Guzmán
Website	cc.crom.org.mx

The Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (Spanish: Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana, CROM) is a federation of labor unions in Mexico, whose power was at its height between 1918 and 1928.^[1] CROM was an umbrella organization for both industrial workers as well as agricultural workers and peasants. Industrial unions of railway workers, petroleum workers, and textile workers were strong enough on their own that they could function without CROM's support.^[2]

It was founded in

position.

From its inception, the CROM was controlled by a small group of union leaders, Grupo Acción ("Action Group") which supported the post-revolutionary Mexican government.

After supporting Carranza, who was overthrown in 1920, the CROM was a key base of support for two of his successors,

, to arbitrate labor disputes, since they felt that their interests were represented in the government.

Radical elements of the labor movement, horrified by the cooption, formed their own federation, the Confederación General de Trabajadores (CGT), in 1921. The result of the split was disorientation within the movement, and workers became disillusioned with both the CROM and the CGT. Nonetheless, workers won some rights but gradually and threatening neither the revolutionary government nor the growth of capitalism.

In 1921, in a prelude to the

declared membership in the CROM a mortal sin. That proclamation failed to deter Mexicans from joining the federation or participating in its street demonstrations.

Under Calles, the government gained even greater control over the CROM by its grip over Grupo Acción. The CROM essentially monopolized union membership, claiming over one million workers and five hundred organized peasants among its members. In reality, there were only about twenty thousand dues-paying members. Calles wielded influence over the CROM through Morones, whom he appointed the

.

By 1928, however, Calles had become distrustful of Morones, who had presidential ambitions. He was also wary of labor's

illegal. The CROM's leadership had become so corrupt that it had lost its influence with the rank and file and was thus unable to organize action in its favor.

Calles's successor,

Party of the Mexican Revolution

. In the following years, the CTM eclipsed the CROM.

The CROM continues to exist, and is the third largest labor federation in Mexico, supporting the PRD.

References

Further reading

• Carr, Barry. El movimiento obrero y la política en México, 1910-1929. Mexico City: Secretaría de Educación Pública 1976.
• Guadarrama, Rocío. Los sindicatos y la política en México: La CROM (1918-1928). Mexico City: Era 1981.
• Leal, Juan Felipe. Agrupaciones y burocracias sindicales en México 1906/1938. Mexico City: Terra Nova 1985.
• Reyna Muñoz, Manuel. La CROM y la CSUM en la industria textil (1928-1932). Mexico City: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana 1988.
• Tamayo, Jaime. La clase obrera en la historia de México: En el internato de Adolfo de la Huerta y el gobierno de Alvaro Obregón (1920-1924). Mexico City: Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de UNAM 1987.
• Trejo Delarbe,Raúl. "The Mexican Labor Movement: 1917-1975," Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Winter 1976), 133-153.
• Velasco, Miguel A. Del magonismo a la fundación dela CTM. Mexico City: Ediciones de Cultura Popular 1990.