News Release
US Department of Labor, Office of the Trade Representative find denial of labor rights in Piedras Negras at Fujikura auto parts plant
WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested the government of Mexico conduct a review based on its finding that a denial of workers’ rights has occurred at the Fujikura auto parts plant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila.
The request follows a Nov. 13, 2023, petition filed by the Comité Fronterizo de Obreros alleging Fujikura Automotive Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. violated workers’ freedom of association rights. Comité Fronterizo de Obrerosby is a grassroots organization that supports union democracy.
Filed under the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, the petition alleges Fujikura blacklisted otherwise qualified workers from employment and engaged in illegal employment discrimination based on the workers’ previous union activity. A U.S. government investigation found evidence supporting a denial of freedom of association rights and determined a request for review was merited.
“The practices of blacklisting and discrimination in hiring for engaging in protected union activity undercut workers’ right to organize and choose a union freely. They are also a direct threat to the historic labor progress in Mexico,” said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. “We appreciate the Government of Mexico’s responsiveness in conducting labor inspections related to issues raised in the petition and look forward to continuing our close collaboration to resolve this matter.”
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee, co-chaired by the department and the Office of the Trade Representative, found sufficient and credible evidence supporting the denial of workers’ rights and the request for review as allowed by the RRM.
“Mexican law and the USMCA are both unequivocal regarding protecting workers from unlawful blacklisting and hiring discrimination on the basis of union activity,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “We look forward to working closely with the Government of Mexico to resolve the issues present in this matter.”
Mexico’s government has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review and 45 days to investigate the claims and present its findings.
The Fujikura facility in Piedras Negras produces wire harnesses and cables for automobiles with about 5,000 employees across three plants.
