The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement has asked the Mexican government to review allegations that workers’ rights are being denied at a Goodyear plant in San Luis Potosí. The committee, which is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Trade Representative, received a USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism petition in April claiming that the workers’ freedom of association and right to collective bargaining was being denied. Specifically, the facility was refusing to “apply a sectoral agreement that covers the rubber industry in Mexico establishing wages and benefits and other terms and conditions of employment.”
In a proactive measure, Mexico’s Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registration stopped a vote at the facility in April because of irregularities before holding a second vote in May. This resulted in the rejection of the collective bargaining agreement. The committee then invoked the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, giving Mexico 10 days to conduct a review and 45 days to investigate the claims and to present its findings.
In a recent quote, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee said, “In rejecting the collective bargaining agreement, the workers at the Goodyear rubber tire facility in San Luis Potosi have expressed their will. We now look to Goodyear to treat their workers fairly and apply the sectoral agreement. The Mexican government has indicated its support for full implementation of the labor reform. Working together, we can address the issues in this case and make sure workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled by law.”