The Comité de Defensa del Migrante (Migrant Defense Committee or Comité) wrote a letter urging the Mexican and U.S. National Administrative Offices (NAO) of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) to pursue consultations between the Mexican and U.S. Departments of Labor. The Comité wrote the letter on September 14, the 20th anniversary of the NAALC, the labor side accord to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Last December, the Mexican NAO issued an opinion stating that worker protections under the NAALC had potentially been violated. The Mexican NAO called on representatives from both countries to discuss regulatory and policy changes that will guarantee the rights of H-2 workers. The decision was in response to a petition filed by CDM, the Comité, and other organizations on behalf of H-2B workers in the fair and carnival industry. These workers were paid well below minimum wage and were not reimbursed for travel, visa, and recruitment costs.
Since the Mexican NAO issued the opinion in this case, the ministerial consultations have not advanced. Both CDM and the Comité are calling on representatives of the U.S. and Mexican NAO offices to plan and structure the ministerial consultations and to develop outcomes that ensure the rights of H-2 workers are respected.
Read the full letter from the Comité de Defensa del Migrante here.