WASHINGTON – The National Labor Relations Board today launched partnerships with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to build collaborations with their embassies and consulates in the United States to ensure that immigrant workers can freely exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo joined Salvadoran Ambassador Milena Mayorga, Guatemalan Ambassador Alfonso Quiñónez, and Honduran Charge d’Affaires Javier Efraín Bu Soto at a signing ceremony at the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington. Representatives of the three governments also signed letters of arrangement with the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“Today’s letters of arrangement are a crucial step toward achieving our shared goals of educating and protecting immigrant workers,” said General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. “When workers know their rights, they are empowered to protect themselves and their communities. They can exercise their rights to come together, and to transform their workplaces to make them safer and more sustainable. This in turn strengthens our communities and our economy.”
In September, the NLRB signed a similar letter of agreement with the Mexican government. Strengthening partnerships with embassies is part of the General Counsel’s broader initiative to ensuring rights and remedies for immigrant workers.
“Hispanic communities contribute to the economies of both America and their countries of origin,” said the Ambassador from El Salvador Milena Mayorga. “That is why it is important to use a variety of resources to educate workers and employers about enforceable labor rights.”
“The Government of Guatemala looks forward to this partnership on ensuring that Guatemalan migrants in the U.S. work in a safe and healthy environment, are aware of their rights, and those are respected while in the U.S. We hope that through these letters of agreement we can work together to foster positive and meaningful relationships between workers and employers, and continue building bridges between our peoples to create more prosperity for our countries,” said Guatemalan Ambassador Alfonso Quiñónez.
“This association is a clear example of good will, joint commitment and efficiency in the design of protection mechanisms in favor of the migrant population in the United States. The agreements that we sign today make this association operational, and have a clear focus on articulating efforts and aligning resources to promote respect for the rights of our migrant workers in this great country; it is fair and correct, and it means a well-deserved recognition of the effort and sacrifice of our workers to build a better future for their families and at the same time strengthen the economy of the United States,” said Honduran Charge d’Affaires Javier Efraín Bu Soto.
