ABSTRACT
United States (US) business associations argued that North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC) only allowed consideration of whether Mexico effectively enforced its laws. The US National Administrative Office (NAO) argued that there was a lack of mutual understanding of the other countries' laws governing rights to association and organization. In US NAO 940003 human and worker's rights groups complained about the Sony subsidiary, Magneticos de Mexico, in Nuevo Laredo, whose 5 plants produced computer disks, audio tapes and video cassettes. The Communication Workers of America initiated US NAO 9602 involving, Maxi-Switch, which made computer keyboards and computer game equipment in Cananea. US officials defended the accord and pointed to 'successes' such as secret ballot elections in the GE and the fisheries department union cases, and registration of the independent union at Max-Switch. From a neo-institutionalist perspective, the early cases showed limited potential for NAALCs institutions and processes to create regionalization in labour affairs.
