US Department of Labor, Office of the Trade Representative announce resolution of alleged labor rights’ denials at Mexican garment factory

WASHINGTON – The U.S. and Mexico have resolved a Rapid Response Mechanism petition under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that alleged INISA2000 — an Aguascalientes, Mexico, denim garment facility — denied freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.

To reach the successful conclusion, the government of Mexico collaborated with INISA2000 to hold trainings on freedom of association and collective bargaining. The Mexican government also oversaw company efforts to remediate workers’ claims, which included the following:

• Issuing a statement on employer neutrality with respect to worker organizing. 
• Creating zero tolerance policies to support the realization of these rights.
• Training workers and managers on these new policies. 

“The U.S. Department of Labor welcomes the efforts by the government of Mexico, the petitioners and INISA2000 to address the issues at this plant, the garment sector’s first Rapid Response Mechanism case,” said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. “The case demonstrates the value of our commitment to partnering with Mexico to resolve cases, regardless of covered sector. We believe it will lead to positive outcomes for workers and serve the core interest of both governments.”

“This matter marked the first time the United States invoked the RRM outside of the auto sector and the 10th time the RRM was invoked overall, exemplifying this administration’s continued commitment to ensuring our trade tools serve to defend workers’ rights across sectors,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “We commend the Government of Mexico and INISA for their efforts to generate positive outcomes for workers.”

The announcement follows a U.S. request for review of a petition filed in May 2023 by the Frente Autentico de Trabajo and the Sindicato de Trabajadores de Industrias del Interior. An investigation by the department and USTR centered on claims of employer interference in union activities, including attempts to impose a collective bargaining agreement on the workforce outside of the established legal process. 

Before filing its petition, the Frente Autentico de Trabajo, a confederation of labor unions, and the union engaged with state labor authorities in Aguascalientes through new channels established by Mexico’s labor reform to resolve collective disputes. The negotiations reached by the union and employer through conciliation formed the basis for the U.S.-Mexico agreed-upon Course of Remediation completed on Nov. 10, 2023. 

The department and USTR co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement. 

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