TORONTO – The United Steelworkers union, representing 800,000 workers in Canada and the USA, stands in solidarity with the members of Section 333 of the National Union of Mine, Metal, Steel and Related Workers of the Mexican Republic (Los Mineros), led by Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, who are on strike against Americas Gold and Silver, a Canadian mining company, at the San Rafael mine in Cosalá, Sinaloa, Mexico since Jan. 28.
The striking miners are demanding that the company recognize the national leadership of the union, which won control of the collective bargaining agreement in a government-certified election in 2020, and negotiate in good faith; pay back wages owed to the workers; and drop criminal charges against current and former workers at the mine.
“CUSMA [the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement] establishes strong labour obligations for Canadian companies in Mexico,” said USW National Director for Canada Ken Neumann. “Americas Gold and Silver must respect these laws, and Mexico must enforce them.”
“We urge Americas Gold and Silver to initiate a dialogue in good faith with Los Mineros and stop all threats to the safety of its members and any violent actions. We also support the union’s demand to pay all owed wages and the reinstatement of unjustifiably dismissed local union leaders.”
Ken Neumann, USW National Director for Canada, 416-544-5951
Kim Hume, USW Communications, khume@usw.ca, 416-544-6002
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