Mexico Virtual Lecture Series

Democracy and Labor Law Reform in Mexico: Assessing international and domestic influences on the transformation of Mexico’s labor justice system
 

Tamara Kay, associate professor of Global Affairs and Sociology, University of Notre Dame

Mexican labor activists and their allies in North America have worked relentlessly to democratize Mexican labor regulations for over three decades, yet it was only in 2017 that a reform to the Mexican Constitution, and changes to the Federal Labor Law in 2019, sparked a profound transformation of the labor justice system in Mexico. The research project seeks to explain two interrelated empirical puzzles: First, why has the Mexican labor law regime changed so dramatically now, and not during the previous decades of intense domestic demands for labor reform? Second, how have international and domestic forces converged to drive that shift?

Kimberly A. Nolan García, associate professor, FLACSO-Mexico, Program in Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law

Professors Kay and Nolan locate the content and timing of the current Mexican labor law reform in the interplay of domestic and international variables that shifted Mexican authorities’ interest from violating labor standards to protecting labor rights, examining the reciprocal and dynamic relationship between the international and national realms of action and negotiation in forging new domestic policies. The work touches on the relationships between free trade agreements and shifts in domestic policies, and the international environment in which demands for domestic policy changes are constructed and mobilized.

The Mexico Virtual Lecture Series is a recurring online event intended to highlight the deep connections between Notre Dame and Mexico. Each lecture focuses on the current work of a Notre Dame faculty member or researcher, covering topics that vary widely from medical research to the social sciences and arts and culture.

The series is intended for a general audience and can be viewed via Zoom. Pre-registration for the session is requested and the Zoom link will be made available once registration is received. 

Register here

PLEASE NOTE: Indicated event times are Eastern Daylight Time (11:00am - 12:30pm CDMX).