Democrats Call For Tougher Labor Standards in NAFTA Renegotiation

House Democrats today asked U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to negotiate tougher labor standards for Mexico in NAFTA.

"Mexico's policy of suppressed low wages, combined with increased protection investment, became a magnet for its industrial growth," Democrats wrote in a letter. "A key factor has been the maintenance of very low labor costs, ingrained in a structure that eliminates any voices for workers in the workplace. The current objectives in the NAFTA renegotiation, and recent administrative statements, do not do nearly enough to address this basic structural problem."

The Democrats said Mexico must take up labor reforms, including strengthening independent unions, before Congress takes a vote on NAFTA.

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