“There couldn’t be a clearer case,” said Mary Kay Henry, the international president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents Cardone workers in Philadelphia.
In a statement, Cardone said it was “committed to leading labor practices, fostering constructive relationships with employees and respecting the universal principle of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.”
“We do not believe that the allegations in the complaint are accurate and welcome a full inquiry so that the facts can be disclosed,” the statement said. “We fully support our Tridonex workers being represented by a union and are committed to compliance with all applicable labor laws and regulations. We will be transparent in addressing requests for information and proactive in addressing any concerns identified through the process.”
A spokesman for the Tamaulipas state government declined to comment, and a spokesman for Mexico’s Labor Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The rapid response mechanism in the trade deal allows for the United States to take action against an individual factory in Mexico if workers there are being denied their rights to free association and collective bargaining. It was among the provisions that Democrats highlighted as improvements in the final agreement compared with the Trump administration’s original version of the trade deal.
If the United States decides there is sufficient evidence of workers’ rights being denied, it would then request that Mexico conduct a review of the allegations. After that step, a panel could be established to investigate the matter. Under the rapid response process, the factory could face penalties, and repeat offenders could even have their goods blocked from entering the United States.
Mexico approved an overhaul of its labor laws in 2019, but it is being phased in over several years, and the implementation of the changes remains a major question mark.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/business/economy/mexico-trade-deal-labor-complaint.html
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