WASHINGTON—A joint U.S./Mexico/Canada labor committee has asked the Mexican government to investigate alleged breaches of labor rights at Goodyear's tire factory in San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico.
The request was made May 22 by the Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Labor.
This, it said, followed a petition by La Liga Sindical Obrera Mexicana alleging that the Akron-based tire maker was "obstructing workers' freedom of association and right to collective bargaining."
The Mexican workers' union league filed a complaint on April 20, invoking USMCA's "rapid response labor mechanism," the statement noted.
"In rejecting the collective bargaining agreement, the workers at the Goodyear rubber tire facility in San Luis Potosi have expressed their will," Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee said.
"We now look to Goodyear to treat their workers fairly and apply the sectoral agreement."
In response to the USMCA committee's inquiry, Goodyear said its San Luis Potosi plant is "a state-of-the-art facility with strong employee satisfaction, competitive wages and attrition of less than 1 percent."
Goodyear said it would work closely with Mexican and U.S. authorities to "protect our associates' right to select their own representation, freely and fairly, and we will cooperate with any review under the USMCA."