Dear Friends,

As the review of the trinational trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico is getting underway, in this issue of the Update, we profile MSN’s most recent publication on freedom of association (FOA) in Mexico and a specific case of FOA violations at a Canadian-owned mine that has been the subject of a Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) complaint under the trade agreement.

Although the focus of MSN’s work continues to be on the garment sector, we have been closely monitoring RRM cases on FOA violations in multiple sectors in Mexico, including, the mining, auto and garment sectors.

This issue of the Update also includes links to recent publications of partner organizations working on critical labour rights issues.

Lynda Yanz and the MSN team

MSN’s most recent publication, the Resource Kit on Freedom of Association in Mexico (available in English and Spanish), includes a series of educational materials on the obligations of employers and rights of workers under Mexico’s reformed Federal Labour Law, as well as International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and recommendations.

Many of the policies promoted in the Kit are based on remediation plans adopted by employers as a result of RRM complaints.

While the Kit’s FOA Guide and seven Fact Sheets focus specifically on the Mexican reality, a number of the issues and policies profiled are also relevant to other countries, such as Fact Sheets on Employer Neutrality, Blacklisting, Grievance Procedures, and a Model FOA Policy. The Kit is relevant for work in all sectors.

We hope these educational resources will be useful for your advocacy and educational work.

On March 26, the three-member expert panel in the RRM case against Canadian Orla Mining company released its findings confirming worker allegations that management at its Camino Rojo mine in Mexico’s Zacatecas state had interfered with their associational rights.

The panel of experts also confirmed that the employer had failed to respond to urgent requests for help from workers who had received death threats because of their support for Los Mineros union, rather than a protection union favoured by the employer. The report was released almost two years after the complaint was filed by Los Mineros.

The Mexican government challenged the panel’s findings, arguing that the threats of violence were a criminal matter beyond the scope of the RRM, and that the mine was not a covered facility under the trinational trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Under the trade agreement, interested parties can file complaints against employers when workers’ associational rights are violated. While most RRM complaints have been resolved relatively quickly with corrective action plans adopted by the employers who violated workers’ rights, the Camino Rojo case demonstrates the urgent need for improvement in the process.

Recent publications from MSN partners on critical issues impacting garment workers and the industry.

• Fashioning a Just Transition Manifesto – After months of consultation, the Clean Clothes Campaign published their manifesto for a just transition to a more equitable and sustainable fashion industry, endorsed by over 200 organizations.
  
  
• Squeezed Dry – This report by Public Eye, with the cooperation of the Clean Clothes Campaign, analyzes the price of producing cotton t-shirts in Bangladesh, arguing that garment companies’ pressure to keep sourcing prices low is hurting workers and the planet.
  
  
• Commercial priorities, human costs: fashion brands' purchasing practices during the US tariff crisis – This Business and Human Rights Centre report highlights the negative impact on factories and workers when brands quickly changed sourcing strategies and orders in response to the sweeping tariffs in 2025 and includes guidance for brands and buyers for future crises.
  
  
• Haitian workers receive wages owed after months of campaigning and engagement with Gap Inc. and Gildan Activewear – Partners for Dignity and Rights celebrates this campaign victory after months of broad coalition support pressuring Gap and Gildan (owner of Hanesbrands) to ensure workers at the Wilbes factory in Haiti would receive remedy for workers rights violations at the factory. The Worker Rights Consortium also engaged with both brands and provided key reporting throughout the process.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance): Garment factory in Mexico - Gabino Jiménez; Autoparts factory in Mexico - El Economista, 15 February 2026; Members of Los Mineros call for respect for their associational rights - Voz Minera Radio.

The Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) is a labour and women's rights organization that supports the efforts of workers in global supply chains to win improved wages and working conditions. Please consider supporting MSN's important work by making an online contribution or by sending a cheque to the address below.