Steelworkers plan parallel trip to Mexico during labour-excluded “Team Canada” trade mission

TORONTO – With the federal government bringing a “Team Canada” trade delegation to Mexico this week – excluding any labour representation – members of the United Steelworkers union (USW) are making a parallel trip to join Mexican and American allies in advocating for trade policies that put workers first.

The Canadian-American labour delegation to Mexico includes representatives of the USW, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center. They will hold meetings with allies from several Mexican unions over several days, from Feb. 18 to 24.

The unions will hold meetings in Mexico City and will visit the city of Aguascalientes to meet with workers organizing at several multinational corporations. They will discuss the challenges Mexican workers face in forming unions, and the need for stronger protections for labour rights under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

“Unions in our three countries are committed to building cross-border solidarity to fight for fair-trade rules that raise working and living standards for all workers,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director for Canada.

The union representatives also will discuss the impacts of the Trump administration’s tariffs and trade war on workers and communities across North America, the pending review of the CUSMA and reinforcing solidarity among workers at multinational corporations that operate in all three countries.

The labour groups also are seeking to meet with officials of the Mexican, American and Canadian governments and the International Labour Organization (ILO) while in Mexico.

“We need a worker-centred trade strategy,” Warren said. “The Canadian government must engage with unions and bring them into trade negotiations. Workers need a seat at the table.”

Warren reiterated the USW’s warning that the Canadian government must not agree to a bad deal in any renegotiation of the CUSMA.

“Workers don’t want the government trading away their jobs, livelihoods, or economic future just to renew a flawed deal,” he said.

“We want to see trade policies that deliver good union jobs, fair wages and long-term economic security, not short-term fixes that leave working people behind.”

The union representatives from the three countries will hold a joint news conference in Mexico City on Friday, Feb. 20, at 12:30 p.m., Mexico City time (1:30 p.m. EST). The news conference will be held in the Teatro 11 de Julio at the Los Mineros union headquarters, located at C. Dr. José María Vértiz 668, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez.

The news conference will be livestreamed to allow for participation by journalists unable to attend in-person. A link to the livestream will be shared in advance of the event.

About the United Steelworkers union

The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter