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Workers
sit
outside
the
General
Motors
plant as
its
employees
are to
vote on
whether
to
reject
or keep
the
collective
bargaining
agreement,
marking
the
first
major
test of
labor
rules
under
the
United
States-Mexico-Canada
Agreement
(USMCA),
in Silao,
Mexico
August
17,
2021.
(REUTERS/Sergio
Maldonado/File
Photo) |
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GM says
'progress'
made in
wage
talks
with new
union in
Mexico
reuters.com
The new
GM logo
is seen
on the
facade
of the
General
Motors
headquarters
in
Detroit,
Michigan,
U.S.,
March
16,
2021.
REUTERS/Rebecca
Cook
Register
now for
FREE
unlimited
access
to
Reuters.com
MEXICO
CITY -
General
Motors
(GM.N)
made
"important
progress"
in wage
negotiations
with a
new
independent
union
representing
several
thousand
workers
at a GM
plant in
central
Mexico,
the auto
giant
told
Reuters
on
Thursday.
Reuters
reported
earlier
this
week
that the
union,
SINTTIA,
said it
initially
proposed
a 19.2%
raise,
which GM
countered
with an
offer of
3.5%.
read
more
The pay
negotiations
are part
of a
high-profile
test
case for
a new
trade
deal
that
seeks to
close
the vast
gap
between
U.S. and
Mexican
wages.
If
SINTTIA
lands a
big
raise
for the
workers
in the
central
Mexican
city of
Silao,
the
victory
could
usher in
similar
demands
at other
companies,
experts
say.
"The
meeting
was
productive,
both
parties
showed
the
commitment
we have
for the
workers
of GM
Silao,"
the
company
said in
a
statement
to
Reuters.
GM on
Thursday
did not
address
which
wage
proposals
were
under
discussion.
It said
talks
would
continue
on May 5
in an
effort
to reach
a deal
quickly.
Hector
de la
Cueva,
an
adviser
to
SINTTIA
from
worker
rights
advocacy
group
CILAS,
said the
company
took a
"less
aggressive"
position
and that
talks
moved
forward.
He
declined
to
discuss
specific
wage
proposals.
SINTTIA
and the
U.S.
automaker
began
talks
last
month
after
workers
ousted
their
powerful
long-time
union
and
elected
an
independent
group
led by
fellow
workers,
one of
the
first
such
elections
under
the new
trade
deal,
the
United
States-Mexico-Canada
Agreement
(USMCA).
The
provisions
in the
2020
deal
that
replaced
NAFTA
were
meant to
help
Mexican
workers
elect
unions
they
feel
will
best
fight
for
their
interests,
breaking
the grip
of
business-friendly
groups
that
operated
behind
workers'
backs
for
years as
cheap
labor
lured
companies
to
Mexico.
Reporting
by Daina
Beth
Solomon;
Writing
by Laura
Gottesdiener;
Editing
by
Sandra
Maler
and
Lincoln
Feast.
Our
Standards:
The
Thomson
Reuters
Trust
Principles.
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