US, Mexico Settle Garment Workers Case

The United States and Mexico announced yesterday they have agreed on steps to address worker rights violations at a Mexican denim factory that is one of Levi’s largest suppliers.

The course of remediation will address denials of rights at the Industrias del Interior facility in the state of Aguascalientes.

This is the sixth time the United States and Mexico have agreed on a formal course of remediation under the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism and the first case taken against a garment factory.

The remediation agreement follows a request the United States sent to Mexico in June asking Mexico to review whether INISA workers were being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Mexico accepted the request and found workers at the garment facility are experiencing a denial of rights.

“We will closely monitor this remediation plan to ensure workers at the INISA facility can freely exercise their freedom of association and collective bargaining rights,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said. “Today’s announcement reflects how continued collaboration between the United States and Mexico leads to concrete and effective measures to address existing labor violations and prevent new ones.”

Remediation

The course of remediation details a plan to remedy violations of Mexican law at the facility, and it includes measures aiming to prevent violations in the facility moving forward.

Under the course of remediation, the government of Mexico will ensure that INISA posts, disseminates and abides by a public, written statement in which

INISA commits to:

• ensure respect for the rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining; affirm its neutrality on workers’ union choices, and guarantee its non-interference in all union activities; and refrain from attempts to influence workers’ views on unions or union officials in any way;
• ensure INISA issues transparent guidelines that govern the conduct of personnel at the Facility, implement the commitments of the neutrality statement, and establish the rights provided to workers, union representatives and union advisers at the Facility;
• ensure INISA implements a zero-tolerance policy for violations of the guidelines and neutrality statement;
• ensure INISA trains all company personnel and union representatives on the company guidelines and neutrality statements;
• offer a telephone line and/or direct email address for workers to anonymously report any intimidation, coercion, or threats with respect to their selection of a union or union activities, or non-neutrality, or interference in internal union affairs;
• conduct in-person workers’ rights training for all company personnel during normal working hours and post and distribute informational material at the facility regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining and
• initiate sanctions proceedings, according to Mexican law, if Mexico has information that shows violations of Mexican law, and impose appropriate sanctions against individuals, labor organizations, or companies that have been found to violate Mexican law.

The United States and Mexico agreed to establish a deadline of November 10 to complete the course of remediation.