Workers at a Mexican gold mine owned by a Canadian company faced challenges after raising concerns through the company’s ethics hotline, alleging collusion between local management and an organized crime group to influence a union vote. This information was shared by former union members from the Camino Rojo gold mine. A labor panel, initiated by the U.S. under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), recently determined that the mine’s management violated workers’ rights by exposing them to threats and coercion before a union representation vote in November 2024.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum disclosed that her security cabinet is investigating claims that a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, recognized as a terrorist group in Canada, coerced Camino Rojo workers to support the management’s preferred union. Despite numerous calls made to Orla Mining’s ethics hotline between July and December 2024, no substantial follow-up was seen by the workers who were part of the National Union of Workers for Mining, Metalworking, and Similar at Camino Rojo.
The Mineros Union, which had collective bargaining rights at the mine until the disputed 2024 vote, faced challenges as management allegedly collaborated with the Sinaloa cartel’s Operativa Flechas faction to intimidate workers during the union battle. The CUSMA labor panel highlighted severe denials of labor rights at the mine, attributing the situation to management’s interference and acquiescence to pressure and intimidation tactics.
Orla Mining, headquartered in Vancouver and owner of the Camino Rojo mine, reported that it was working with Mexican and U.S. authorities to address potential criminal activities at the site. The company also mentioned enhancing security measures in response to the labor panel’s findings. Following a U.S. government probe, it was discovered that a member of the Sinaloa cartel attended Mineros Union meetings with armed individuals, issuing death threats to union members.
The two former union members from Camino Rojo, who were forced to flee due to safety concerns, expressed the emotional toll and fear they experience daily. They emphasized the need for Orla Mining to acknowledge the issues at the mine and sever ties with individuals linked to criminal activities. The labor panel also recommended that Orla Mining issues an apology for the events that transpired at the worksite.