U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, Carlos Carranza reaffirm their commitment to the effective enforcement of labor laws by their respective departments.  The statement also discusses the responsibilities of both labor departments under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation

Abascal Carranza, Carlos

Chao, Elaine L.

English

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, Carlos Carranza reaffirm their commitment to the effective enforcement of labor laws by their respective departments.  The statement also discusses the responsibilities of both labor departments under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation.ILAB_JointStatement_USMex_2002.pdf: 21 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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U.S.-Mexico Joint Statement on Ministerial Consultations Under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation

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Joint Statement 
U.S.-Mexico Joint Statement on Ministerial Consultations 
Under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation 
The Secretary of Labor of the United States, Elaine L. Chao, and the Secretary of Labor and 
Social Welfare of Mexico, Carlos Abascal Carranza, reaffirm their commitment to the effective 
enforcement of labor laws by their respective labor departments. In order to strengthen U.S.-
Mexico labor relationships and to work collaboratively to address labor issues of mutual concern, 
the Secretaries have undertaken ministerial consultations pursuant to the North American 
Agreement on Labor Cooperation on Submissions U.S. 9901, U.S. 2000-01, and Mexico 9804. 
Based on a common desire to work together to improve the working conditions and living 
standards of all workers, the Secretaries have adopted a Ministerial Consultations Joint 
Declaration designed to collaboratively address the workplace issues raised by the submissions. 
These issues include freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, the right to 
bargain collectively, minimum employment standards, prevention of occupational injuries and 
illnesses, compensation in cases of occupational injuries and illnesses, and protection of migrant 
workers. As a result of the consultations, the Secretaries have made specific commitments. 
In order to address issues related to occupational injuries and illnesses, the Secretaries have 
established a Binational Occupational Safety and Health Working Group. This Working Group is 
composed of occupational safety and health experts from the two governments who will meet on 
an ongoing basis. The Working Group members will review and consider occupational safety 
and health issues raised by submissions, formulate technical recommendations for consideration 
by the governments addressing labor law enforcement practices, develop technical cooperation 
projects, and identify other occupational safety and health topics appropriate for bilateral 
collaboration. The Working Group will be headed by the U.S. Assistant Secretary for 
Occupational Safety and Health and the Mexican Director General for Occupational Safety and 
Health, and will hold its first meeting this summer in Mexico. The working group will report to 
the Secretaries or their designees for consideration of its recommendations. 
The Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico (STPS) will undertake outreach efforts to 
inform the public about legal advice and assistance by government entities available to all 
workers in cases related to prevention and compensation of occupational injuries and illnesses. 
The effort will include explanation of the actions undertaken by STPS, the Mexican Social 
Security Institute (IMSS), and the Mexican Department of Health in response to any claims or 
complaints of workers regarding occupational safety and health. The Mexican Secretariat of 
Labor and Social Welfare will provide information about free legal counseling services offered 
by the Office of the Federal Attorney General for the Defense of Workers (PROFEDET) and 
about other public services available in Mexico concerning how to file for compensation and the 
means available to appeal decisions. Information about pending claims of disability and 
workplace risks can be obtained from IMSS (53-38-81-45). 
The labor departments will address issues raised in Submission U.S. 9901 related to the 
formation and representation rights of craft or guild unions in a trilateral public seminar. This 
issue will be joined with the public seminar previously agreed to on freedom of association 
issues as part the May 2000 ministerial agreement on Submissions U.S. 9702 and 9703. The 
revised seminar will be held in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The seminar will provide for 
dialogue on the structure and role of labor boards, the role of labor boards in the process of 
obtaining the right to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, and the structures that 
guarantee the impartiality of labor boards. The governments will share views on their systems, as 
well as best practices and procedures concerning labor boards and their practices. Time will be 
allotted for public questions and participation. 
In order to address issues related to the protection of migrant workers raised in Submission 
Mexico 9804, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will develop informational materials 
addressing work place rights of migrant workers. The materials (such as brochures, videos and 
flyers) will be produced in Spanish and will be disseminated in various geographic areas 
throughout the United States by a variety of parties including the U.S. Government, the Mexican 
Consulates, the States, and community and non-governmental organizations. Additionally, the 
DOL and STPS will continue to work together to develop model cooperative efforts for the 
purpose of replication throughout the country. Current efforts underway include a program in 
California whereby Mexican Consular staff receive training on the various laws enforced by 
Federal and State agencies that have application to workers in the U.S. to enable Consular staff 
to refer workplace issues to the proper authority for review and resolution. Additional efforts are 
underway in Houston, Texas, where the U.S. and the Mexican Consulates, together with the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the local mayor’s office, the State, and non-
governmental organizations, organized a local program to raise public awareness and educate 
workers about their rights and remedies for abuse. The program’s resources support a toll-free 
telephone number for workers to call to receive assistance with work place issues, seminars, 
radio programs, and other outreach efforts. The U.S. Department of Labor also has formed non-
traditional partnerships with community and non-governmental organizations to raise awareness 
about work place protections and invites Mexican Consulates to participate in that process. 
 


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U.S.-Mexico Joint Statement on Ministerial Consultations Under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation

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