The United States has asked the government of Mexico to investigate whether workers at a global manufacturer with a foundry in Mexico have been denied their right to unionize.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced May 31 that U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai "asked Mexico to review whether workers at a Draxton facility in Irapuato, Guanajuato are being denied the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining." 

The request was made using the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the release states. The petition was the ninth time the U.S. has officially utilized the RRM; the fourth time in 2023; and the second "self-initiated" request made by the USTR, according to the release. 

“This is only the second time the United States has self-initiated a request for review under the Rapid Response Mechanism,” Thea Lee, deputy undersecretary for International Affairs, said in the release. “We look forward to working closely with the Mexican government to protect union autonomy and workers’ rights to union representation free from external interference.” 

Draxton, a global manufacturer of cast and machined components primarily for automotive industries, has a facility in Irapuato, Guanajuato, where facility workers "are being denied the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining," according to the release. 

The USTR representative and the Secretary of Labor serve as co-chairs of the Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement, according to the release, and "engage with workers in Mexico and monitor their ability to exercise their freedom of association and collective bargaining rights."

USTR reports in the release that it received information seeming to indicate "several serious denials of labor rights" at the Irapuato facility. Actions include the firing of a union official; interference initiated to control the union; intimidation, surveillance and harassment of workers and the ousted official when they attempted to organize a new union; and threats and violence against the former official, according to the release.

Additionally, workers did not receive their collective bargaining agreement before voting on it in 2022, and it remains outstanding, the release reports. After conducting an extensive investigation, the United States made the decision to self-initiate the request, highlighting the need to protect workers' rights. The Government of Mexico has 10 days to agree to conduct the review, and if accepted, they have 45 days from the request date to complete the review process, the release reports.

“This second self-initiated request under the USMCA shows that the Biden-Harris Administration is laser-focused on using trade to empower workers," Tai said in the release. "The RRM is an effective enforcement tool to ensure that workers at the Draxton facility can freely exercise their rights without intimidation, harassment, or the fear of retribution. We look forward to working with the Government of Mexico to promptly address these concerns.”