The National Labor Council (Conlabor) proposed including binding labor parity indicators in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Conlabor represents numerous trade unions in Mexico, emerged with the 2019 Mexican labor reform, and is a member of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Binding labor parity indicators

This suggestion is part of a series of proposals arising from discussions during Conlabor’s national plenary sessions for the 2024-2025 period, with the aim of contributing arguments for the revision of the USMCA from a Mexican social and labor perspective. 

This group defines its commitment as follows: to further integrate North America as a region that combines competitiveness with justice, economic growth with human rights, and effectiveness with decent work. 

Conlabor’s National Labor Council suggested: 

• Including binding labor parity indicators in the USMCA. 
• Create a Trilateral and Tripartite Observatory on Labor Equality and Non-Discrimination, with union and employer participation. 
• Ensure gender parity within the trilateral labor committees of the USMCA. 
• Create a mandate to incorporate clauses in collective bargaining agreements that address equal pay, harassment prevention, and shared family responsibilities. 

Labor mobility 

By 2030, Mexico will have the highest concentration of young people in the region. Based on his vision, this represents an opportunity for orderly, legal, and rights-based labor mobility, particularly in economic sectors with high demand in the United States and Canada, such as health care and agriculture. Three related facts: One: The United States has a deficit of 1.2 million health care workers. Two: every year there are 2.4 million job vacancies in that country, but there are not enough workers to fill them. And three: 75% of agricultural workers in the United States are from Mexico and Los Angeles. 

Other proposals from Conlabor:

• Harmonize key labor, education, and health policies in the three countries, inspired by the European model.
• Create more types of work visas and regulated temporary migration programs, especially for the agricultural, service, and healthcare sectors.
• Create a trilateral and tripartite working group on workforce development to promote the development of skilled workers.