--- title: The USMCA can revolutionize Mexican unions through Rapid Response description: United Steelworkers (USW) Director of International Affairs Benjamin Davis joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about how the Rapid-Response Labor Mechanism under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) empowers Mexican workers to reformulate their unions in order to … Continue reading → image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/Imported_Blog_Media/awf-blog-featured-image-Americas-Workforce-Apr-29-2022-03-08-59-19-PM.jpg --- 1 min read Season 3, Episode 77 # The USMCA can revolutionize Mexican unions through Rapid Response [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) April 22, 2022 [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) ![AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_USW](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_USW.png?width=400&name=AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_USW.png)   Guest Name: --- Benjamin Davis Guest Website: --- [www.usw.org](https://www.usw.org/) Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/steelworkers) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/@steelworkers) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/steelworkers) Supportive Documents: --- United Steelworkers (USW) Director of International Affairs Benjamin Davis joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about how the Rapid-Response Labor Mechanism under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) empowers Mexican workers to reformulate their unions in order to better fight for worker rights. Signed under President Trump, the USMCA replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement allows for Rapid Response, which can revolutionize organizing in Mexico, Davis said. Historically, many Mexican unions were controlled by the employer and did not advocate for the rights of workers, he explained. Under the USMCA’s Rapid Response mechanism, workers can vote to disband the unions that protect the business and form a new union, which is hopefully more worker focused, he added. Davis said the first step to improve labor rights in Mexico is to disband the existing unions and form independent labor unions. The second step is to raise wages for Mexican workers, as the standard starting rate for autoworkers is currently $2.50 per hour, he said. If wages can be improved in Mexico, it will serve to protect wages in the U.S., which compete against Mexican wages, he added. 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. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... 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