US Wins USMCA Labor Case Against Amphenol Plant in Mexico
Nine workers reinstated with back pay after US enforcement action found union rights violations at an Amphenol facility in Nogales, Mexico.
The United States has resolved a labor enforcement case against Amphenol Optimize México, a manufacturer of automotive and aerospace connectors in Nogales, Sonora, under the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, the Department of Labor and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced. The resolution follows confirmed violations of workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively at the facility.
The case originated with a petition filed April 11, 2025, by a Mexican labor union, the Sindicato Industrial Operaciones y Manufacturas, which alleged that Amphenol coerced workers during a union vote, discouraged membership in an independent union, and dismissed employees in retaliation for their union preferences. The Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement determined within its 30-day review window that the allegations were sufficiently credible to trigger enforcement proceedings, prompting the U.S. Trade Representative to formally request a review from Mexico on May 9, 2025.
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Under the agreed remediation plan, Amphenol reinstated nine dismissed workers with full back pay and benefits, adopted a neutrality statement on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and installed an internal complaint mechanism for workers to report future violations. The Mexican government complemented those steps by conducting in-person training for all company personnel and establishing anonymous reporting channels, including a dedicated email address, an online platform, and a telephone hotline.
With remediation confirmed, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Greer directed the Secretary of the Treasury to resume liquidation of previously held entries of goods from the facility — a trade measure that had been suspended during the review period. Officials described the outcome as consistent with an America First trade posture that aims to prevent weak labor enforcement abroad from giving foreign manufacturers an unfair competitive edge over U.S. workers.
The Rapid Response Labor Mechanism was first developed during the initial Trump administration and allows the U.S. to move quickly against specific facilities, rather than pursuing lengthy government-to-government dispute panels. Continue reading at DOL News Releases and Briefs.
