The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), which represents more than 600,000 members across North America, has urged the U.S. Trade Representative to take stronger measures on labor enforcement and job protections in the upcoming six-year review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
In comments submitted for the mandatory joint review, the IAM Union highlighted concerns that weak labor enforcement in Mexico and insufficient rules regarding where products are made continue to threaten well-paid union jobs in both the United States and Canada. The union previously opposed both USMCA during its adoption in 2019 and NAFTA in the early 1990s.
“The USMCA promised to lift standards for workers across North America, but too many companies are still chasing low wages and weak enforcement,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “It’s time for a trade policy that defends North American manufacturing, protects our workers, and ensures that every product bearing the USMCA label is truly made under fair conditions.”
The IAM Union’s submission calls for several changes: expanding the Rapid Response Mechanism to cover more workers in Mexico; extending Labor Value Content requirements to include sectors such as aerospace and shipbuilding; and tightening rules so non-USMCA content does not enter duty-free supply chains.
The union also noted ongoing issues since USMCA was enacted: “Unfortunately, our concerns about USMCA have proven to be accurate: Mexican industrial wages remain lower than those in China, and offshoring of well-paid U.S. jobs continues, including many in the aerospace sector. Indeed, since USMCA was enacted, we have seen further erosion of good, middle-class, union jobs in the United States. In order to prevent this from continuing, we need to take vigorous action on a number of fronts during the upcoming review.”
IAM Union is recognized as one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions with members working across industries such as aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroads, transit systems, healthcare, automotive manufacturing and more throughout the United States and Canada.
