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WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2019 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest aerospace union in North America, today sent a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging a “no” vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“USMCA does not fulfill the promise that was made to U.S. workers to negotiate an agreement that dramatically replaces the current trade template that continues to cost U.S. workers hundreds of thousands of jobs,” writes Martinez. “While it contains some improvements, the outsourcing of U.S. jobs to Mexico will continue at an alarming rate under USMCA. This is not the renegotiated agreement that was promised to U.S. workers and their communities.”
“Since NAFTA came into force over 25 years ago, the number of U.S. manufacturing jobs has significantly decreased,” continued Martinez. “While there are many reasons for the decrease, one major factor is the continued corporate outsourcing of work to Mexico under NAFTA. During the same period we have been losing manufacturing jobs at home, manufacturing in Mexico is increasing. In the aerospace sector alone, Mexico has created over 40,000 jobs. Many of these jobs were once performed by U.S. aerospace workers.
“Instead of the dramatically improved agreement that was promised to workers, USMCA represents only a modest improvement to the current trade template. As we have repeatedly said, to win the support of the IAM, the USMCA must make fundamental changes to NAFTA in order to curtail the massive outsourcing of work in aerospace and other manufacturing sectors to Mexico. These changes include robust labor standards, effective enforcement, and stronger rules of origin that do not leave out major sectors of manufacturing.”
The IAM represents 600,000 active and retired members in the North American aerospace, defense, airline, manufacturing, transportation, woodworking, the federal sector and other industries. Visit goIAM.org for more information.
