SALT LAKE CITY — Labor Day, intended as a tribute to the U.S. workforce, takes place next Monday.
But Eduardo Baca Cuenca, consul general of the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City, and the heads of 52 other consulates are focusing this week on the labor rights of Mexicans across the United States.
“It is important to educate the Hispanic population about their rights and the benefits they are entitled to,” Baca Cuenca said in a statement to KSL.com. They have the right to a minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, sick leave and more, he continued.
This week marks Workers’ Rights Week, an annual event created by the Mexican government in 2009 to raise awareness about Mexican workers in the United States. To mark the occasion, a series of events, including lectures and panel discussions, are being held in Utah and at other Mexican consulates across the country.
“Over 10 million Mexicans work and contribute to the U.S. workforce and economy. We must protect their rights, regardless of their immigration status. Their well-being and dignity are essential to the common progress and prosperity of our countries,” said Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, in a statement. The diverse activities began Monday in Utah and across the country and will continue through Friday.
A particular focus for Baca Cuenca and his colleagues in the U.S. is identifying cases where Mexican workers’ labor rights have been violated, he said, “and providing consular assistance to Mexicans who need it.” The assistance can include informing people about their labor rights, acting as intermediaries on their behalf with local authorities and helping them obtain legal advice and representation.
The main problems facing Mexican workers in the U.S., according to Baca Cuenca, include language barriers, discrimination, lack of training in how to use machinery and tools, and ignorance of their legal rights and protections. In Utah, he said, he has noticed an increase in cases of workers entering on special work visas “and not receiving the promised benefits.”
In addition, the debate over immigration has become more heated in the United States, and many are critical of immigrants living in the country illegally. Regardless, Baca Cuenca said he and his colleagues will continue their efforts to educate victims of labor abuse about their rights.
Public activities marking Labor Rights Week include lectures, presentations and panel discussions on labor rights and other topics. Workplace safety was the focus of a panel discussion Monday, while representatives from the Ogden Police Department, the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the U.S. Department of Labor, to name a few, also gave presentations. A job fair is planned for Wednesday in West Valley City, while additional presentations by legal experts, the Utah Highway Patrol and others are planned for Thursday and Friday at the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City.
While Moctezuma Barragán put the number of Mexican workers in the United States at 10 million, Baca Cuenca said he did not have concrete figures on the Mexican workforce in Utah. Of the estimated 546,948 Latinos in Utah in 2023, 338,842 – 62% of the total – are Mexican or of Mexican descent, he said.
Ahead of this week’s activities, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Moctezuma Barragán and Thea Lee, assistant secretary of state for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, renewed a number of binational labor agreements.
“These cooperation agreements are designed to ensure that Mexican workers enjoy fair and safe working conditions regardless of their immigration status,” the State Department said. “The renewed commitments include a joint statement designed to improve Mexican workers’ and their employers’ understanding of U.S. labor laws.”
