Proposals, Not Protests, says Tereso Medina, New Leader of CTM
This article by María del Pilar Martínez originally appeared in the February 24, 2026 edition of El Economista.
With 99 votes out of the 103 who were entitled to participate in the election of the general secretary of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Tereso Medina Ramírez became the new leader of the labor union for the period 2026-2032 , with the commitment not only to incorporate more women and create new portfolios, but also guaranteeing “that the new face of the CTM will be one of proposal, not of protest,” saying goodbye to corporatism.
During the 17th Ordinary General Assembly, with the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), Marath Bolaños, as a guest —who called on CTM members to be allies in the reform to reduce the workweek from 48 to 40 hours—Medina Ramírez stated that their first priority would be “unity, institutional order, and transparency. We are going to get our house in order with discipline, coordination, and respect for the bylaws. We will give the CTM a face of transparency and approachability to strengthen trust, especially with the new generations of workers.”
“Mexico needs us united; business leaders and unions are complementary.”
Following the official ceremony, attended by hundreds of workers, the new leader made it clear at a press conference that “corporatism has run its course,” and stated that he will not remain indefinitely in the CTM like his predecessors. “I plan to leave on my feet… and no, not for reelection,” he emphasized.
The CTM’s new project includes the creation of new portfolios such as the Secretariat of Urban Development; the Secretariat of Institutional Liaison and Multilateral Affairs; the Secretariat of Linkage and Social Governance; and the Secretariat of Sports.
Furthermore, he stated that “from now on we will strive for gender equity, ensuring that future appointments are made with 50% men and 50% women, or proportionally, because if we are talking about a union, for example, in the mining industry, where there are few women, well, that’s why I’m also speaking in terms of equity, yes, and in terms of proportionality as well. And to that same extent, the CTM will revitalize unionism, promoting women and young people in the country, because, moreover, that is what Mexico’s productive sector demands.”
New Unionism?
Interviewed at the event, Congressman Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar, vice-coordinator of Morena, said that with the arrival of Tereso Medina, “I hope there will be a much more forceful action to unionize, organize, and defend millions of workers who still have no organization, who are totally helpless, overexploited, and without recognition.”
He stressed that an important task will be to continue insisting on strengthening family income, and this “is something that has the full support of the President of the Republic.”
Juan José Sierra, president of Coparmex, stated that business leaders hope to maintain dialogue during this new phase for the CTM. “In his speech, he emphasized the importance of maintaining social dialogue, of fostering the unity the country needs to better face these challenges, both externally and internally. Mexico needs us united; business leaders and unions are complementary, and this tripartite dialogue—between unions, government, and employers—must exist.”
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