Labor Expert Board looks to improve lives of Mexican workers

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Ben Davis

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Ben Davis, International Affairs Director for the United Steelworkers, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).

The USMCA created the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board, which Davis chairs.

He said the board's goal is to ensure Mexican employers treat workers fairly. Davis analyzes the progress of labor reforms in Mexico and said many employers create employer-run unions and mandate their employees join their union. This creates an unfair labor practice, as the average Mexican worker makes one-tenth of the wages of their U.S. counterparts.

A major component of the USMCA is the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism that enables Mexican workers to file complaints against their employers with the US Labor Department. Once a Mexican worker files a case, the Labor Department has 30 days to investigate. If the Labor Department finds a violation, Mexico must resolve the issue within 45 days or potentially face trade sanctions. Seven cases have been filed so far, and in nearly every instance, they resulted in democratic unions replacing employer-run unions.

Davis pointed out that the USMCA trade regulations do provide some loopholes. However, the Labor Expert Board can assess those loopholes and provide recommendations to close them. One loophole Davis mentioned was the increase in Chinese steel dumped in the U.S. through Mexico. He feels many countries take advantage of Mexico's low wages and the free trade agreement to gain access to the U.S. Market.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

Labor Expert Board looks to improve lives of Mexican workers

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