USMCA Labor Rapid Response Complaint Targets Mexican Auto Parts Factory

The U.S. has asked Mexico to review a new USMCA rapid response labor complaint against a Teklas automotive parts plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the Labor Department said in a Sept. 25 news release. The request from DOL and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative follows a complaint filed in August by a Mexican labor union that claims Teklas is violating workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.

The Aguascalientes plant employs 600 workers, DOL said. The Turkish-owned Teklas “supplies global automotive fluid circulation systems for original equipment manufacturers,” the agency said.

According to the underlying petition, filed by Mexican labor union Liga Sindical Obrera Mexicana, the plant’s operator, Teklas Automotive Mexico, dismissed four union delegates “as retaliation for their support of the union’s effort to obtain collective bargaining rights,” DOL said. “The U.S. government’s investigation found evidence to support the allegations and determined a request for review under the USMCA was merited.”

The Mexican government now has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review and 45 days to investigate the claims and present its findings, the news release said.

“Once again, we are utilizing the Rapid Response Mechanism to address a serious violation of workers’ rights: an employer terminating workers for engaging in union activity,” USTR Katherine Tai said in the news release. “Today’s action underscores the United States’ commitment to using the tools established in the USMCA to protect workers’ rights to organize for and join the union of their choice. We look forward to working closely with the government of Mexico to resolve the issues present in this matter.”