<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">International Labour Organization to observe GM union vote Aug. 17-18</b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">8/3/2021, Inside US Trade<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The International Labour Organization will send officials to observe a collective bargaining agreement vote at General Motors plant in Silao, Mexico, later this month as part of a remediation plan to resolve a labor complaint the U.S. raised under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to an announcement from the organization.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The U.S. brought the complaint under the USCMA’s novel rapid-response mechanism following a confidential tip that management at the plant was violating workers’ rights during an April vote to confirm a collective bargaining agreement. As part of the <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/171720" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">remediation plan</a> announced in July, Mexico’s Labor Ministry agreed to oversee a new vote by Aug. 20 and bring in representatives from the ILO as well as Mexico’s National Electoral Institute "to help ensure that any irregularity is noted and documented,” according to a <a href="https://insidetrade.com/sites/insidetrade.com/files/documents/2021/jul/wto2021_0311d.pdf" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">fact sheet</a> at the time from the Biden administration.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In a <a href="http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_815723/lang--en/index.htm?shared_from=shr-tls" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">statement</a> issued <b class="">l</b>ast week, the ILO said the new vote is scheduled for Aug. 17-18.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">“ILO officials will be at the factory both before and during the vote to observe conditions and actions that may either support or hinder a democratic environment free from harassment and intimidation,” the organization said. Officials will also “observe workers access to accurate information on the CBA,” it added.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The ILO is a United Nations agency that brings together governments and workers’ and employer’s organizations from 187 countries “to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men,” according to its website.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The organization will report to Mexico and the U.S about its observations of the vote, according to the statement. The results of the vote will be announced by the Mexican government “within a period of time yet to be determined,” and the ILO will release a public statement at the conclusion of the process, it said.</p><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
</div>
<br class=""></body></html>