Mexico: Workers at a GM plant vote to terminate their group contract, the first test of labour rules under the USMCA
“GM workers in Mexico defeat union in first test of U.S. trade deal”, 19 August 2021
...Workers at a General Motors Co pickup-truck plant in central Mexico have voted to scrap their collective contract, opening the door for them to oust one of Mexico's largest labor organizations as their union under a new trade deal. The vote, with safeguards agreed upon by Mexico and the United States to ensure a fair vote, was the first test of labor rules under an accord that replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The outcome marks a defeat for one of the most powerful unions in Mexico while representing an opening for workers to freely choose independent groups they feel will best fight for their interests...An initial vote in April was suspended after Mexico's labor ministry found irregularities in the process...Of 5,876 GM employees who cast ballots in the Tuesday-Wednesday vote at the plant in the city of Silao, 3,214 workers rejected the bargaining agreement while 2,623 workers voted to keep it, the labor ministry said...The ballot count was led by the plant's Miguel Trujillo Lopez union - part of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) - alongside observers from the Labor Ministry, Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) and the United Nations' International Labour Organization (ILO). GM said it respected the outcome and would continue production under the terms of the current contract until a new one is negotiated...GM workers and labor activists hailed the outcome, saying it could inspire workers at other auto plants or elsewhere to follow suit by ousting unions that have long held power...