Third round of NAFTA debates

Over the past couple of months, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have engaged in a series of talks relating to NAFTA’s standards and practices. During the most recent talk, Canada has made it clear that progressive labour standards are on the forefront of its mind. Some of the more notable points, that can be seen HERE, include increasing the wages Mexico pays their workers, as well as the abolition of right-to-work laws in the U.S.

When addressing Mexico’s wage issue Canada has harped on the automotive sector and its under $1 minimum wage. Although they have not recommended any specific minimum wage, they hope this particular issue will shed some light on the general treatment and conditions of their workers. On the U.S. side, Canada has argued that the right-to-work laws are crippling unions and thereby making it easier for their voices to be muffled.

Source:

Bryden, J., & Smith, J. (2017). Canada pushes inclusion of strong, progressive labour standards in NAFTA - Politics - CBC News. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nafta-labour-dias-union-1.4307099