Appendix A

MINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS – SUBMISSION 9501 (SPRINT CASE)

AGREEMENTS ON IMPLEMENTATION

The Secretary of Labor of the United States, and the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, in accord with the provisions of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation, have agreed to carry out consultations regarding labor law related with the effects of the sudden closing of a plant on the principle of freedom of association and the right of workers to organize. Both governments lend the greatest importance to such issues, and therefore have reached the following agreements:

1. The Secretary of Labor of the United States agrees to continue to keep the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico fully informed of developments related to submission 9501 (Sprint case) as appeals are considered under the United States legal system. The Department of Labor of the United States will present an appropriate report to the Secretariat of Labor and Welfare of Mexico within 120 days of final adjudication of the case by United States competent authorities.
2. The Secretaries of Labor of the United States and Mexico, after consultations with the Minister of Labor of Canada, will instruct the trinational Labor Secretariat, located in Dallas, Texas, to conduct a study on the effects of the sudden closing of a plant on the principle of freedom of association and the right of workers to organize in the three countries.
   
   • The study shall be completed within 180 days.
3. The U.S. Department of Labor will organize and conduct a public forum in San Francisco, California to allow interested parties an opportunity to convey to the public their concerns on the effects of the sudden closing of a plant on the principle of freedom of association and the right of workers to organize. Mexican and Canadian tripartite delegations will be invited to attend.
   
   • The forum shall take place within 120 days.
     
   • The proceedings of this event shall be recorded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
4. The outcome of each of the agreed actions shall be promptly made available to the public. The Secretary of Labor of the United States and the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico shall decide on the form and timing of the public announcements.
5. Completion dates are effective from the date of the agreement.

The aforementioned is agreed to and becomes effective on Feb/Fev 13, 1996.

The Government of Canada endorses the agreements on implementation reached by the United States and Mexico in the Ministerial Consultations and agrees to participate, as appropriate, in follow-up activities it contains.