General Motors workers at Silao plant to vote on union February 1-2

Mexico’s government said that a trade union vote at the General Motors plant located in the central city of Silao will be held on February 1-2 after workers voted in 2021 to scrap their collective contract.

Within the Mexican labor reform that underpinned the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, employees are now supposed to be able to freely choose groups they feel will best fight for their interests.

A defeat for one of the most powerful unions in Mexico, the August vote was the first test of labor rules under an accord that took place of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

GM workers will be asked to select from four unions aiming to win the contract.

One, SINTTIA, is an independent group that grew out of the efforts in 2021 among workers to scrap their collective contract.

The union that earlier held the Silao plant’s collective contract will not try to win back its representation.