WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bill Pascrell, Jr, (D-NJ), along with Committee member Dan Kildee (D-MI), released the following statement after workers at the Tridonex auto parts plant along the U.S. border in Matamoros Mexico voted resoundingly to reject the incumbent protection union and replace it with a new democratic organization. This follows last month’s vote for an independent union at General Motors’ Silao auto plant.
"Once again, we applaud the bravery of factory workers in Mexico who exercised their voice on the job and voted against powerful interests to elect their own new independent union. This marks another significant step forward for workers’ rights in México.
"This achievement was only possible because we secured an effective labor rapid response mechanism in the USMCA for workers on both sides of the border to utilize, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai robustly enforced it.
"Yesterday’s election further proves the power of effective trade enforcement to protect workers’ rights internationally and support workers at home. We look forward to working with Ambassador Tai and President Biden on continued robust enforcement of our trade tools that ensures more democratic workplace elections, and promotes better wages and working conditions for workers at home and abroad."
