Mexico NAO Submission 9802 (Apple Growers)

This submission was filed with the Mexican NAO on May 27, 1998. The submission concerns migrant workers in the State of Washington employed in the apple industry and raises issues of freedom of association, safety and health, employment discrimination, minimum employment standards, protection of migrant workers, and compensation in cases of occupational injuries and illnesses. The submission was filed by the National Union of Workers (UNT), the Authentic Workers' Front (FAT), the Metal, Steel, Iron and Allied Industrial Workers Union (STIMAHCS), and the Democratic Farm Workers Front (FDC). The Mexican NAO accepted this submission for review on July 10, 1998 and met with submitters and workers on December 2, 1998. The Mexican NAO reviewed the submission and issued a public report on August 31, 1999, recommending ministerial consultations to gain further information on the following rights of agricultural sector workers: freedom of association and the right to organize, minimum conditions of work, work discrimination, prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses, and protection of migrant workers. On May 18, 2000, the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare signed a ministerial agreement for Mexican NAO Submissions Nos. 9801, 9802, and 9803. Under this agreement, a public outreach session was held in Yakima, Washington, on August 8, 2001. This event provided women migrant farm workers and their employers the opportunity to learn about the workers' legal protections and employer obligations concerning minimum conditions of employment, occupational safety and health, and the elimination of gender and ethnic discrimination. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Mexican Department of Labor and Social Welfare held a government-to-government meeting to discuss the application of U.S. law on the following topics: union organizing and bargaining rights; elimination of employment discrimination; minimum conditions of employment, including inspection programs and systems for determining violations of employment conditions for migrant workers; occupational safety and health, including inspection of migrant worker camps; and protection of migrant workers' rights. The United States also conducted a public forum in Maine with migrant workers, community groups, and government officials regarding migrant agricultural issues. All activities agreed to under the consultations have been completed.

• Report of Review
• Original Submission
• Ministerial Agreement