FESIIAAAN Prepares for Legitimization of Automotive Unions

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of the Automotive, Auto parts, Aerospace and Tire Industries (FESIIAAAN) is entering a new phase to work in the legitimization of collective bargaining agreements before the deadline on May 1, 2023. That is the expiration date for workers to legitimize their collective bargaining agreements under the new provisions created by the USMCA. 

FESIIAAAN named Pedro Luévano as its new head. Luévano, who is also the General Minister of the Union Workers in the Metal, Steel, Iron, Iron Related and Similar Industries (STIMACHS), urged workers to organize and generate new collective contracts. “We are for the workers' struggle. We are not going to look for the annulment of CCTs contracts. We will advise workers to support unions that want to democratize. We are not going to replace bosses; we want the workers to have democratic organizations,” said Luévano

The federation will provide interested workers “solidarity and support with training in the legitimization processes that will take place in the coming dates, because we know that there will be many collective bargaining agreements that will not comply with this process,” said Juan Pablo Hernández, General Secretary, National General Tire Workers Union in Mexico, during a virtual press conference. He also highlighted the progress made in the independent unions despite the enormous challenges. 

Labor rights challenges have been more frequent during past months, following the Rapid Labor Response Mechanism created by the USMCA. “The Facility Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (FRRLM)1 is an unprecedented dispute resolution procedure in trade agreements. Its purpose is to reinforce compliance with the labor commitments assumed in the Mexico-U.S.-Canada Agreement (T-MEC),” according to Mexico’s Ministry of Labor. 

FESIIAAAN is also participating in the legitimization of a collective contract between over 2,000 workers and the French company Saint Gobain, which is expected to take place on July 5 and July 6, 2022. 

Over 4,592 collective bargaining agreements have been legitimized to date, involving over 1.5 million workers who voted freely, in secret and directly.