Earlier this month, over 5,000 workers participated in a historic union election at the General Motors facility in Silao, Mexico.
According to a Feb. 3 news release from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), around 5,400 workers – almost 90% of the plant's eligible workforce – participated in the Feb. 1-2 election meant to choose one of four unions to exercise collective bargaining rights.
“As workers, we are stronger when we can speak with one voice – and we are stronger when our fellow workers around the world can do the same,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said in the release. "The work of defending freedom of association never stops, but this historic election shows us that we can make progress toward the right of all workers to associate freely when we work together."
The preliminary results showed that the National Independent Auto Workers’ Union received more than 4,000 votes in the election. Official results are expected to be available soon. The vote was observed by Mexico’s National Electoral Institute and National Human Rights Commission.
The election was also overseen by the new Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registration. It was described in the release as "a positive step forward" after labor rights action was first introduced in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and collective bargaining rights were denied at the same GM facility in July 2021.
