IAM Union International Affairs Director Peter Greenberg testified before the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), urging for enforceable labor standards in the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The union stated that weaknesses in the current agreement contribute to outsourcing, weaken labor protections, and threaten economic security for workers in North America. Greenberg explained that USMCA has not led to significant improvements in Mexican labor conditions or protected U.S. and Canadian manufacturing and aerospace jobs.
“Unfortunately, our concerns about USMCA have proven to have been accurate: Mexican industrial wages remain lower than those in China, and offshoring of well-paid U.S. jobs continues, including many in the aerospace sector,” said Greenberg. “Since USMCA was enacted, we have seen further erosion of good, middle-class, union jobs in the United States. In order to prevent this from continuing, we need to take vigorous action during the upcoming review.”
The IAM Union called for stronger rules of origin, an expansion of Labor Value Content requirements, and measures to ensure that goods moving duty-free under USMCA are truly produced within North America. The union noted that its members are involved in building and maintaining advanced aircraft and engines for both commercial aviation and national defense.
According to the union, weak provisions have allowed products with significant non-North American content—especially from China—to enter the U.S. duty-free, which has undermined domestic aerospace manufacturing and affected the integrated supply chain between the U.S. and Canada.
Greenberg referenced findings by the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board (IMLEB), which reported ongoing failures by Mexico’s government to enforce core labor rights or penalize employers who violate them. The union argued that without better enforcement, increased funding for monitoring through the U.S. Department of Labor, and real penalties for violators, Mexican workers will not gain access to a democratic labor system.
“The IAM Union message is simple: If we strengthen labor standards, they must be enforced. And if we enforce them, companies must not be allowed to undermine them by seeking cheaper labor elsewhere,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “Working families deserve a trade agreement that works for them and not against them.”
During the same series of hearings by USTR on USMCA issues, testimony was also given by IAM’s Maine Lobstering Union. The group highlighted inequities in the agreement affecting Maine lobstermen such as unequal conservation requirements and inconsistent enforcement across borders. These issues continue to impact working families and coastal communities dependent on fair fishing practices.
The IAM Union submitted formal comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative regarding its position on strengthening labor enforcement mechanisms within USMCA as well as raising wage standards and closing loopholes that facilitate job offshoring throughout North America.
