<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/thousands-union-contracts-dissolve-mexicos-fight-against-pro-company-deals-2023-05-03/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/thousands-union-contracts-dissolve-mexicos-fight-against-pro-company-deals-2023-05-03/&source=gmail&ust=1683387840499000&usg=AOvVaw054d3REjCv0-yvEmokxw0d" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" class="">https://www.reuters.com/world/<wbr class="">americas/thousands-union-<wbr class="">contracts-dissolve-mexicos-<wbr class="">fight-against-pro-company-<wbr class="">deals-2023-05-03/</a><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Thousands of union contracts to dissolve in Mexico's fight against pro-company deals<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">By Daina Beth Solomon<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;" class="">5/3/23</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;" class=""><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><i class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Mexico committed to contract ratification votes under trade deal<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></i></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><i class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">After four years, unions have aimed to ratify 24% of contracts<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></i></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><i class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Remaining contracts will expire<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></i></li></ul><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Reuters) - Thousands of pro-business union contracts in Mexico are set to expire as Mexico ends a historic campaign to wipe out deals between employers and unions cozy with management that have kept wages low, a key commitment under a North American trade deal.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Of 139,000 collective contracts in Mexico, unions will ultimately aim to ratify 33,000, or about a quarter, via worker votes, a requirement to keep them active, Labor Minister Luisa Alcalde said on Tuesday, hours after a final deadline.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The remainder will dissolve, although workers will maintain the same pay and benefits.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Mexico committed to eliminating these so-called "protection contracts" under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact that replaced the 1994 NAFTA.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Labor authorities expected unions to forego holding votes for most contracts, largely because many were designed to protect company interests and had no worker backing or active unions.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">"This is historic, because we finally managed to rid the labor market of pretend contracts and fake unions," Labor Minister Alcalde said in an interview.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">"This is all about having good representatives to defend worker rights and obtain better benefits and salaries."<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Since the vote process began four years ago, workers have cast ballots on some 20,000 contracts in sectors spanning autos, retail and mining. The remaining 13,000 votes are scheduled through July, although some unions may pull out.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Only about 400 contracts have so far been voted down, which some experts see as a sign of conflict of interest in the union-run votes.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board, a U.S. advisory committee, said in March the small number of rejected contracts "raises serious doubts about the credibility" of the process.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The Labor Ministry last month accused a powerful union of stealing ballots during a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-orders-re-do-goodyear-worker-vote-after-union-meddling-2023-04-24/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-orders-re-do-goodyear-worker-vote-after-union-meddling-2023-04-24/&source=gmail&ust=1683387840500000&usg=AOvVaw1pIMcFspQ1RkO-uJHOxOFL" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" class="">vote at a Goodyear tire plant</a>, echoing similar allegations at automaker General Motors in 2021, which led to the first USMCA labor complaint.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Alcalde said she expects unions to aim to establish new contracts in place of ones that were canceled.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">"The first thing is they need to convince workers that they will represent them better," she said.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Stephen Coates</span></i></div><div style="margin: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><br class=""></span></i></div><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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