The mines at Real del Monte are an example of the diverse specialization within the silver industry, as Real del Monte had thirty different specialized tasks carried out by different skilled laborers (Ladd 7). Real del Monte was ethnically diverse, with whites, mestizos, and indigenous peoples working alongside one another. By 1766, one hundred and thirty three black slaves also worked in the mines—a much larger number than the average among the mines of New Spain. Mexican Indians also continued to be forced into labor there for many years, even after mandates attempted to limit forced labor in favor of the Jesuit and Franciscan Reductions. The workers within Real del Monte were divided into barras, work gangs of five or six men. The majority worked in the trenches and were tasked with filling a roughly one hundred pound bag each twelve-hour shift and carrying it up 1800 notched steps steeply built into the side of the mine (Ladd 11). Workers were paid in cash as well as partidos, half of the higher-grade silver ore they mined each day outside of the quota bag. Many workers reported serious ailments and injuries resulting from working in the mines, specifically heart and lung trouble. The most cited issue was "excessive toil and fatigue" (Making of a Strike 14). Ladd, in her analysis of the working conditions during this period, states that the continued danger workers faced was their primary bargaining ground for demanding fair wages (Ladd 20). In 1765, the Count of Regla suffered economic losses after attempting to drain the water and rehabilitate mines in Veta Vizcaina after severe flooding. Ultimately unsuccessful and costing him over one hundred thousand pesos, he aimed to make up the loss through cost-cutting measures in the other mines. His first reform, enacted in June 1765, was the cutting of all workers' wages to slave wage level. As to be expected, this sparked initial outrage amongst the workers (Ladd 24). Other reforms introduced throughout the rest of the year were taken more gradually. Workers claimed the daily quota sack size gradually increased before finally reaching double its initial size, making it near impossible to fill in a standard twelve-hour shift. Larger, and therefore heavier, sacks also made the trek up from the bottom of the mine more dangerous. The count also began changing the partido system. The partido bags the workers split with management and then were allowed to take home had always contained higher-quality ore than the quota bags, and the count now decided half of the workers' share would now be exchanged with half of the quota share.