Labor Rights and NAFTA: A Case Study

Mexico, the United States, and Canada broke new ground in January 1994 when they brought into force a labor rights side agreement to accompany the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Officially called the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), the labor side accord exists to promote what the signatories termed their "resolve" to "protect, enhance and enforce basic workers' rights." Never before had labor rights standards been so explicitly included in the framework of a trade pact. While highly supportive of labor rights on paper, however, the new and largely untested accord provides weak mechanisms for ensuring their respect.