Millions of mexicans are in the US illegally because there isn't any work in mexico. This means that it's a buyers market for labor in mexico, and those ford plant workers stayed with a 50% pay cut because no one else will hire them. A unionized strike only works in a tight/sellers labor market, then the management must pay. A paying job is better than being unemployed and starving, and is an improvement for most mexicans(lifting their boat).