USW files labour rights complaint under CUSMA to protect workers at Canadian-owned mine in Mexico

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2024 – The United Steelworkers union (USW) has filed a complaint under the Canada United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on behalf of workers at a Canadian-owned mine in Mexico who have faced assaults and death threats after they joined an independent union.

This complaint calls for an independent panel to investigate and address violations of workers’ rights at the Camino Rojo gold and silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, which is owned by Vancouver-based Orla Mining Ltd.

The complaint, filed under CUSMA’s Rapid Response Labour Mechanism (RRM), cites the continuous and systematic denial of the workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The USW has filed the complaint in partnership with the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalúrgicos, Siderúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana, known as the Los Mineros union. The complaint is only the second of its kind made from Canada using CUSMA’s RRM process since the trade deal came into force in 2020.

The USW has a long-standing relationship of solidarity with Los Mineros, an independent union that contrasts sharply with employer-friendly “protection” unions in Mexico.

The Mexican government has formally recognized Los Mineros as the legal bargaining agent for workers at the Camino Rojo mine. However, the mine’s Canadian owner, Orla Mining, has pressured workers to instead join a pro-employer “protection” union.

Over the summer, workers at Camino Rojo reported being intimidated with violence, threats of dismissal and eventually death threats due to their membership in Los Mineros. In the most-recent escalation, armed gunmen broke into the home of Jaime Pulido Leon, a local union leader at the mine.

“Mexico has seen a history of corrupt corporations using violence, intimidation and even murder to quell workers’ resistance,” said Marty Warren, United Steelworkers Canadian Director.

“It would be unacceptable for a Canadian mining company to be associated with these tactics. Workers must be able to organize and join unions without fear,” Warren said.

“This is why we are very hopeful that an independent panel under the CUSMA RRM can adequately investigate the situation, take the required steps to address it, and meet its stated objectives to raise labour standards and protect workers’ rights across North America’s supply chains.”

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