In a joint press release, Canadian union Unifor and the US-based United Autoworkers (UAW) unions said they want to focus the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on a balanced outcome for workers in all three partner countries. Unifor and the UAW said that participation in drafting the statement from Mexican workers was not possible due to the lack of independent unions representing auto workers in the country.
The statement, entitled Fair Trade and Shared Prosperity: UAW-Unifor Statement on Auto and the Re-negotiation of NAFTA, says that “Workers cannot allow themselves to be divided while corporations reap the benefits of such division. NAFTA renegotiations will only be successful if it leads to higher wages in all three countries, reverse crippling trade deficits with Mexico, and create new manufacturing jobs in the US and Canada.” UAW President Dennis Williams added, "The time has come to make major changes to NAFTA. Little tweaks, or a do-nothing approach, won’t cut it."
Priority improvements affecting the auto industry, the press release stated, include the urgent need to raise wages and labor standards in Mexico; ensuring that autos and auto parts granted tariff-free access are actually made in North America and meet high enough content rules; structuring the agreement to achieve greater trade balance, and to ensure that workers in each country get a fair share of the benefits of the industry.