LABOR SECRETARY CHAO ATTENDS NORTH AMERICAN AGREEMENT OF LABOR COOPERATION MEETING IN OTTAWA

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000767



SIPDIS



STATE FOR WHA/CAN, EEB/IFD/OIA and EEB/DCT



STATE PASS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR CRISPIN RIGBY AND CHARLOTTE

PONTICELLI



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ELAB, ECON, ETRD, PREL, CA

SUBJ: Labor Secretary Chao Attends North American Agreement of

Labor Cooperation Meeting in Ottawa





1. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Canadian Labor

Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, and Mexican Secretary of Labor and

Social Welfare Javier Lozano Alarcsn attended a Ministerial meeting

of the North American Agreement of Labor Cooperation (NAALC) in

Ottawa on April 23-23. The meeting provided the three NAALC

Ministers the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the NAALC

and NAFTA, to discuss future priorities for the Secretariat of the

Commission for Labor Cooperation, and to sign a joint declaration

resolving a public communication filed in 2003 concerning freedom of

association and collective bargaining rights in Puebla, Mexico. END

SUMMARY.



2. (U) The U.S. Secretary of Labor and her Canadian and Mexican

counterparts held the Eighth Regular Session of the North American

Agreement of Labor Cooperation (NAALC) Council of Ministers in

Ottawa, Canada on April 23-24. The meeting took place in a very

positive atmosphere. The Ministers reached consensus on all matters

under discussion and provided concrete guidance to the Secretariat

staff, which was represented by incoming Executive Director Daniel

Bernier and Director of Administration Gabriel Jimenez. The

Ministers agreed to hold these meetings annually in the future. The

Seventh Session of the Council of Ministers was held in Washington

on November 13, 2003.



3. (U) Secretary Chao reaffirmed the United States' commitment to

the NAALC and emphasized the benefits that each of the three North

American countries have enjoyed as a result of NAFTA.



4. (U) Scott Streiner, the Council Designee from Canada, delivered a

presentation on future priorities for the Commission of Labor

Cooperation. He presented the Ministers with possible topics for

cooperative activities and research to be undertaken by the

Secretariat and proposed an increased commitment to more efficient

handling of public communications under the NAALC. In addition to

approving current plans to pursue cooperative activities on youth

employment and mine safety, the Ministers expressed interest in

activities focusing on workplace protections for vulnerable workers,

addressing the employment challenges of new and emerging

technologies such as biofuels, and producing materials on the

benefits of trade. There was also discussion on the topic of labor

law reform, which is of particular relevance in Mexico.



5. (U) The Ministers agreed that they would make every effort to

resolve public communication cases within one year of the filing of

a complaint with the National Administrative Offices. The meeting

concluded with the signing of the joint declaration resolving the

"Puebla case." The declaration mandates the Secretariat to develop

a variety of reports and informational materials concerning

procedures to resolve unjust dismissal complaints, processes for

registration of unions, and access to collective bargaining

agreements. The Mexican authorities committed to host a

government-to-government session in Puebla with federal and state

authorities to exchange information on best practices on the

subjects noted above. This session is to be followed by a seminar,

which will include other relevant stakeholders. The joint

declaration calls for a plan of action to be developed within 90

days (July 2008) and to complete planned activities within 15 months

(July 2009).



6. (U) The Secretary said that private ballot elections in union

formation and the selection of collective bargaining representatives

Qformation and the selection of collective bargaining representatives

is an important protection for workers. Mexico and Canada provided

their views on this issue and the Ministers agreed to charge their

Council Designees to hold discussions on the issue, with the

possibility of requesting further examination of the topic by the

Secretariat in the future.



BREESE