Repeats calls to remedy Mexican labor suppression at General Motors Silao plant
Tags: Labor & Trade
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) continued his call for addressing the rampant labor violations at General Motors (GM) plant in Silao.
“Real labor reform was the promise of NAFTA 2.0 and now we must demand real results. All reports of intimidation and harassment of workers at the General Motors Silao plant by the corrupt protection union, including accusations of trying to buy votes, is unacceptable and must be addressed and investigated,” said Rep. Pascrell. “Any threats, acts of violence and bribes must be publicly and forcefully denounced from all corners of society. I support requiring independent labor inspectors from the Mexican Government and observers from United States Government and Federación de Sindicatos Independientes de la Industria Automotriz Autopartes Aeronáutica y del Neumático to begin ending the corrupt and undemocratic union practices of the past.”
On May 12, 2021, Rep. Pascrell hailed the second complaint filed under the new NAFTA’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. On May 11, 2021, Rep. Pascrell and his Ways and Means colleagues sent a letter General Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra regarding reports of serious labor violations at a GM plant in Mexico. Rep. Pascrell also praised the first rapid response complaint filed to address labor violations at Mexico’s Tridonex.
Rep. Pascrell was the first member of Congress to raise the case of Susana Prieto Terrazas to then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the 2020 U.S. trade agenda. Pascrell also highlighted the need for strong enforcement mechanisms to ensure Mexico honors agreed-upon labor reforms, echoing the many calls Pascrell has made in the past. Rep. Pascrell opposed NAFTA 2.0 due to its lack of enforcement mechanisms, stating that “the big questions on Mexican labor laws, enforcement mechanisms, American wages, and scope of environmental standards, among others, remain unanswered.” He has also led House efforts to end the outsourcing of American jobs with his Bring Jobs Home Act, which would close tax loopholes for companies who ship jobs overseas and provide tax relief for American companies that move jobs to the U.S. from another nation.
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