The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement has urged the Mexican government to investigate a manufacturing facility operated by Servicios Industriales. The request comes in response to allegations of workers' rights violations at the facility, located in Nuevo León, Mexico.
According to a news release from the Department of Labor (DOL), a trade union known as Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores del Ramo de Transporte en General, La Construcción y sus Servicios (SNTTYC) filed a petition in February. The union requested that the committee examine their claims. It should be noted that the DOL and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative jointly chair this Interagency Labor Committee.
Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, Thea Lee, stated, "The right to form and join the union of their choice without fear of reprisals is a bedrock principle of worker’s freedom of association." Lee added, "We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the government of Mexico in addressing this matter."
The petition was filed under the agreement's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. It alleges that Servicios Industriales González interfered with workers' ability to bargain collectively and infringed on their rights to freedom of association. According to the news release, accusations include barring union access to facilities and using intimidation tactics against SNTTYC supporters through firings and threats. Upon reviewing these allegations, the committee found credible evidence supporting claims that workers' rights were being denied by the company. Consequently, it has asked for an official review by the Mexican government. The latter now has 10 days to decide whether or not to proceed with this review and 45 days to disclose their findings if they choose to do so.
Ambassador Katherine Tai remarked on this development: "Today’s action reflects the United States’ unwavering commitment to ensuring every worker has the right to freely associate with the union of their choice, guaranteeing their voices are heard, and requiring that their rights are protected." Tai also expressed her anticipation for working closely with the Mexican government to resolve this Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) issue.
