Ministerial Meetings

The NAALC prescribes that at least once a year the Council shall convene in regular session. The Council can be composed of either the Ministers in person, or their designees. The Ministers have met in person annually since the establishment of the Commission. More frequent meetings of the designees of the Ministers have been held to deal with operational aspects of the Commission. 

A. Ministerial Council Meetings 

This inaugural session of the Council of the Commission for Labor Cooperation was hosted by U.S. Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich and attended by Canadian Minister of Human Resources Development, Lloyd Axworthy, and Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Arsenio Farell. The Ministers reviewed progress on the setting up of National Administrative Offices within each of their ministries. They discussed how to achieve NAALC objectives and measures required to launch the Council and its supporting Secretariat, including: 

• a trinational cooperative work program for 1994
• an organizational structure for the Secretariat, to be situated in Dallas, Texas.
• a process for hiring Secretariat staff, with salary scales, budget guidelines and financial procedures. 

Following their meeting, the Ministers held a press conference and issued a press release.

April 28, 1995
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 

The Ministerial Council met for the second time in Ottawa on April 28, 1995. The meeting, which took place in the Parliament Buildings, was hosted by Canada's Minister of Labour, Lucienne Robillard, and included Robert B. Reich, U.S. Secretary of Labor and Santiago Oņate, Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare.

Ministers had an opportunity to exchange views on the latest developments in labor law in the three countries. Their discussions covered a number of current topics such as Canada's legislative review of Part I (Industrial Relations) of the Canada Labour Code, the U.S. effort to promote high performance workplaces and reform labor market programs, and the devaluation of the Mexican peso and its implications for the Mexican labor force.

Ministers also had an opportunity to meet the Executive Director of the Labor Secretariat, Mr. John McKennirey, for the first time since his appointment in April, and discussed priorities and directions for the Secretariat for 1995. They also reviewed and approved a number of items, including the 1995 Commission budget and summary work plan. A report entitled "Highlights of the 1994 Cooperative Work Program" was approved for public distribution. The 1995 Cooperative Work Program was also approved. 

A press release was issued. 

The next meeting of the Council of the Commission for Labor Cooperation was planned for Spring 1996 in Mexico. 

B. Meetings of Council Designees 

During 1994, Council Designees met frequently for the purpose of setting up and making operational the institutions created under the NAALC. 

February 24-25, 1995
Mexico City, Mexico

Council Designees met in Mexico City, Mexico on February 24-25, 1995, to discuss the appointment and official offer of employment for the Executive Director, and to discuss candidates for other staff positions. In addition, the Designees discussed the proposed budget for the Commission and related financial arrangements for opening the Secretariat offices in Dallas.

March 8, 1995
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A 

On March 8, 1995, Council Designees met in Dallas with the recently-named Executive Director to agree on a staffing process for the Secretariat. They also reviewed the criteria and the candidates for the two senior Director positions. Agreement was reached on the key positions to be filled in order to enable the Secretariat to open its doors as soon as possible after the Executive Director assumed his position in April. In addition, Council Designees held a preliminary discussion on the agenda for the April meeting of the Ministerial Council.  

April 19, 1995
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Council Designees met in Toronto, Canada on April 19, 1995, to discuss matters concerning the operations of the Secretariat for the Commission for Labor Cooperation and the preparations for the Council Meeting to be held in Ottawa, Ontario, on April 28, 1995. The agenda for the meeting of the Council, the report of the 1994 Cooperative Work Program, the draft 1995 Cooperative Work Program, and the press release for the Council Meeting were reviewed and recommended for presentation to the Ministers. 

This meeting accorded the Council Designees and the newly appointed Executive Director their first opportunity to discuss in detail the work plan for the Secretariat for the remainder of 1995 and into 1996. These discussions led to the formal submission of the Secretariat work plan, which was approved at the September meeting. 

An important aspect of these discussions was approval of the arrangements for the provision of information by the governments to the Secretariat, in conformity with the NAALC, in support of the Secretariat's studies. The Designees also discussed the participation of the Secretariat in the program of cooperative activities being undertaken by the three countries under Article 11 of the NAALC. 

September 26-27, 1995
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A

This meeting coincided with the official opening of the Secretariat's offices in Dallas. The Designees approved a revised and detailed budget, based upon the estimate as approved by the Ministers in April. The budget called for expenditures of approximately $ U.S. 1.4 million in 1995 based on contributions totaling $ U.S. 1.8 million. Arrangements were also made for external audits and other financial and administrative procedures. 

The key element of the meeting was the approval of the Secretariat's workplan, which is described in detail below. A press conference was held following the meeting and a press release was distributed.