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: