USMCA has shifted into fifth gear as it races to address the fifth Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRLM) case.
On June 21, 2022, the Interagency Labor Committee received a petition filed under the USMCA by Mexican labor union La Liga Sindical Obrera Mexicana and worker advocacy group Comité Fronterizo de Obreras. In the petition, the groups claim that the workers’ ability to organize with a union of their choosing was infringed upon, a direct violation of workers’ rights to free association and collective bargaining as protected by the USMCA Labor Chapter.
One month after the petition was filed, USTR officially requested for Mexico to review whether the denial of rights occurred at the automotive components supplier facility, and Mexico agreed. The U.S. further requested that Mexico attempt to remediate the issue by September 4, 2022 — 45 days from the initial request.
This is the fifth time the RRLM has been triggered in response to a labor complaint.
More recently, USTR announced the resolution of a prior labor complaint that originated at the Teksid facility in Frontera, Mexico. As part of the remediation plan, Teksid has agreed to the following actions:
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