No new NAFTA: Vigil on Nov. 13 in Seattle for Mexican miners

SEATTLE — The AFL-CIO and the rest of the labor movement have been saying NO to NAFTA 2.0, known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, because of the deal’s multiple shortcomings, including the lack of teeth for enforcement of basic labor rights.

One example of why this is so important is the fate of Media Luna miners in Mexico who have disappeared or been murdered since going on strike to form an independent labor union Los Mineros. The family of Oscar Hernández Romero continues to search for him since he vanished in September, but they fear the worst. His disappearance and the previous murders of at least three other pro-union Los Mineros activists remain unsolved.

In solidarity with these Mexican miners and to highlight why NAFTA 2.0 is not ready for a vote in Congress, the Washington Fair Trade Coalition is organizing a vigil outside the Mexican Consulate, 807 E. Roy St. in Seattle, on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at noon. All union members and other supporters of fair trade policies are invited to attend. For more information, visit the Facebook event page or email Hillary Haden of the WFTC.

As part of the effort to pass the new NAFTA, Mexico passed labor reforms over the summer of 2019. They were supposed to ensure that U.S. companies wouldn’t continue to outsource jobs to Mexico and ensure that workers could form unions in Mexico. Despite that spotlight on labor rights and the assurances from Mexico’s president, workers are still disappearing and being killed.

Join the WFTC to show your solidarity with Los Mineros in Mexico, the family of Oscar Hernández Romero, and all workers in the U.S., Mexico and Canada by attending the Nov. 13 lunchtime vigil outside the Mexican Consulate.