Contact: Jess Kamm Broomell, (412) 562-2444, jkamm@usw.org
USW International President Tom Conway issued the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s initiation of action regarding violations of workers’ rights at a General Motors plant in northern Mexico:
“The USW welcomes the Biden administration’s action to protect labor rights in Mexico and specifically those of workers at the Silao GM plant.
“These workers are being denied their right to choose whether they want to keep the current collective bargaining agreement, which was negotiated without their approval, in a classic case of a protection contract being imposed upon workers by a company-aligned union.
“Democrats recognized that if we’re serious about lifting wages and ensuring our trade deals help workers, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) must include provisions to strengthen and enforce labor laws in Mexico.
“Now, thanks to their efforts, the U.S. government, for the first time, self-initiated action to flag specific labor concerns and will consult with Mexican officials to investigate and remedy the situation so that workers can be certain their votes will be counted and their union is one of their choosing.
“Coming on the heels of the petition the AFL-CIO and others filed Monday involving labor rights violations at Tridonex in Matamoros, Mexico, today’s action demonstrates that the USMCA’s rapid response labor mechanism is a much-needed tool for leveling the playing field and arresting the race to the bottom on wages.
“The USW commends the Biden administration for employing the new trade deal’s enforcement mechanism to benefit workers across North America.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.