The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), which represents about 600,000 members across North America, has urged the U.S. Trade Representative to take stronger action on labor enforcement and job protections during the ongoing six-year review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
In its submission to the USTR, the IAM Union highlighted concerns that weak labor enforcement in Mexico and insufficient rules of origin are putting union jobs in the United States and Canada at risk. The union opposed both NAFTA in the early 1990s and USMCA when it was adopted in 2019.
“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 union’s filing calls for expanding the Rapid Response Mechanism to cover more workers and improve labor rights in Mexico. It also seeks an extension of Labor Value Content rules to include aerospace, shipbuilding, and other manufacturing sectors. Additionally, it urges tightening rules of origin so non-USMCA content does not enter duty-free supply chains.
The IAM Union’s comments stated: “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.”
The IAM Union is one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions with members working in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive and other industries throughout the United States and Canada.
