Department of Labor, Office of the Trade Representative announce rights denial remediation, reinstatement of union leaders at Minera Tizapa

WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor and Office of the Trade Representative today announced the successful resolution of a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Rapid Response Labor Mechanism matter at the Tizapa mine facility, known as Minera Tizapa in Zacazonapan.  

On March 4, 2024, the National Union of Mining, Metal, Steel and Allied Workers of the Mexican Republic filed a petition alleging Industrias Peñoles S.A.B. de C.V. violated workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights at the company’s Minera Tizapa operations. Specifically, the petition claimed the dismissal of union leaders and supporters for participating in union activity and the withholding of bonus payments to union supporters.  

In response to its finding that a denial of workers’ rights occurred, the U.S. government  requested the Mexican government conduct a review of the petition by the union, also known as Los Mineros. The review resulted in an agreement between the Mexican government and Minera Tizapa’s operators in which they took several steps to remediate the concerns, including the following: 

• Reinstated 11 workers dismissed allegedly for engaging in protected union activity with more than $60,000 in back wages in total for seven workers. 
• Paid $140,400 in bonuses denied previously to 249 workers affiliated with Los Mineros. 
• Paid dues to Los Mineros the employer failed to collect. 
• Issued an employer neutrality statement and provided guidelines on freedom of association and collective bargaining. 
• Trained workers and managers on freedom of association rights and company guidelines. 

“The U.S. Department of Labor commends the government of Mexico for its investigation at  Minera Tizapa and for promoting company actions in response to anti-union discrimination,” said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. “The actions taken set a strong foundation for democratic union representation and more collaborative labor relations.”  

“Activating the Rapid Response Mechanism at the Minera Tizapa mine not only allowed eleven unlawfully dismissed workers to get their jobs back, but also ensured that they returned to a changed environment free from employer interference and discrimination,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai.  “We commend the government of Mexico and Minera Tizapa for their commitment to swiftly remediating the denials of labor rights that occurred.  The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to standing up for workers denied their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining and, to date, the Rapid Response Mechanism has benefited nearly 30,000 workers, including the workers at this mine.”

Co-chaired by the department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the USMCA’s Interagency Labor Committee authorized the RRM petition. 

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