The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States have signed a letter of agreement designed to strengthen their collaborative efforts to provide Mexican workers, their employers, and Mexican business owners in the United States with information, guidance, and access to education regarding their rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
The NLRB is the independent government agency responsible for enforcing the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between employers and employees in the private sector. The FLSA guarantees workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions, or to refrain from such activities. Employers and employees alike are protected from unfair labor practices.
Under the framework, the NLRB and the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., as well as NLRB Regional Offices and Mexican Consulates nationwide, will cooperate to provide outreach, education, and training, and to develop best practices. The agreement is an outgrowth of initial negotiations between the NLRB’s Chicago office and the Mexican Consulate in Chicago. The framework has been used by other federal labor agencies, including the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which have similar agreements with the Mexican Embassy and its consulates.