US Department of Labor, Office of the Trade Representative seek review of alleged labor rights denial at Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, auto parts facility

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement's Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested that the government of Mexico review an alleged denial of workers' rights at Akwel Juarez, an automotive component manufacturing facility in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua, Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Trade Representative co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee.

The request follows an Oct. 24, 2024, petition filed by the Mexican union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores y Empleados Especializados C.T.M. Filed under the USMCA's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, the petition alleges Akwel Juarez refused to recognize the union as the workers' representative or negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. The petition also alleges the employer interfered with workers' ability to freely choose their union and fired workers for engaging in union activities.

After the Interagency Labor Committee found sufficient and credible evidence supporting the petition's allegations, the U.S. government submitted a request to review to Mexico using the RRM.

"Mexican law and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement clearly stipulate that companies must recognize and not interfere with the selection of a workers' union. What Akwel Juarez did is an egregious violation of these standards," said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. "We look forward to working with the Mexican government to address this matter and safeguard workers' rights at the plant."

"The Rapid Response Mechanism is once again delivering on the Biden-Harris administration's promise to hold companies accountable for violations of workers' labor rights. With over 40,000 workers who have directly benefitted from this tool, today's action signals to the workers at Akwel that they are not alone in the face of employer interference," said Ambassador Katherine Tai. "This is how we are empowering workers through the USMCA, and we look forward to collaborating with the government of Mexico to address the ongoing denials of rights at this facility."

The Mexican government has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review and 45 days to investigate the claims and present its findings.

Akwel Juarez specializesin structural parts for electric cars and employs 1144 workers, 850 of which are in the bargaining unit.

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