News Release
US Department of Labor, Office of the Trade Representative seek review of alleged denial of labor rights at glass facility in Matamoros, Mexico
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’ at Vidrio Decorativo Occidental, a manufacturer of decorative glass in Matamoros, Mexico.
The U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Trade Representative co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee.
The request follows an Oct. 10, 2024, petition filed by Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadores de Industrias y de Servicios and several other unions and organizations in Mexico and the U.S.Filed under the USMCA’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, the petition alleges VDO took actions to dissuade workers from supporting SNITIS by retaliating against union supporters and interfering with the workers’ right to strike by providing incentives to workers who did not participate in a May 2024 strike. The petition also alleges that VDO retaliated against workers who participated in the strike and illegally attempted to replace SNITIS with a company-controlled union.
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.
“Company interference that undermines the standing of workers’ duly selected representative union is a serious violation of both Mexican labor law and the labor provisions of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. “We look forward to working with the Mexican government to resolve this matter.”
“This is the 30th time the United States has invoked the RRM, and the first time we’ve done so in the glass manufacturing sector. This is how the Biden-Harris administration continues to hold corporations accountable and uses trade to drive a race to the top, across a wide range of sectors,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “The RRM has been instrumental in bringing real, tangible benefits to workers and their communities. As in previous matters, we look forward to collaborating with the government of Mexico to address the denial 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.
Vidrio Decorativo Occidental manufactures decorative door glass for sale in the U.S. and other international markets. It employs 450 workers.
