Canadian and Mexican unions call for improved labour rights protections in trade negotiations between Mexico, Canada and U.S.

Unions and labour activists from across Canada, Mexico and the United States are united in their demand that stronger protections for workers’ rights must be included in any new trade deal negotiated between the governments.

Multinational corporations continue to pit workers against each other in a race to the bottom across the three countries. Pro-employer protection unions remain prevalent in Mexico, obstructing the ability of workers to organize and collectively improve their conditions.

The rights of workers to freely form unions and negotiate with their employers continue to be routinely violated, despite the provisions of the Labour Chapter of the Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

CUSMA’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) is a unique, facility-specific enforcement tool that sets a new standard for the protection of workers’ rights. Yet its effectiveness has been increasingly compromised by flawed investigations or excessive delays in reaching decisions by the international panel.

Further, the scope of the RRM should be expanded to address violations of the Fundamental Labour Rights at Work of the International Labour Organization, which, in addition to the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, include rights to employment free from discrimination, prohibitions on child and forced labour, and rights to a safe and healthy working environment. The RRM must also be applicable to all export sectors between the three countries, including agriculture, digital platforms, energy and migrant workers, and be fully applicable to the United States and Canada.

The RRM has had an important role as a backstop to Mexico’s labour reforms, contributing to dozens of victories for workers joining genuine unions and negotiating strong collective agreements. However, we also support the calls of Mexico’s democratic unions for the strengthening of the Mexican government’s institutions, with both sufficient resources to conduct their work and effective sanctioning powers. Meanwhile, all countries must strengthen their prohibition on goods made with forced and child labour and enact mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation to stop corporations from allowing abuse in their operations and supply chains.

On behalf of workers across Canada, Mexico and the United States, we call on our governments to ensure that trade in North America raises standards for employment and working conditions in all three countries.