LABOR

U.S. Avoids First Fight With Mexico Over Labor Rights: The Labor Department’s National Administration Office said it has decided not to take action against Mexico over workers fired in two Mexican plants. It said it had not found the government at fault. Two U.S. unions, the Teamsters and the United Electric Workers, in February filed protests to the NAO regarding 34 Mexican workers they said had been fired for organizing unions at U.S. subsidiaries in northern Mexico. The cases were the first under side agreements set up, mostly at union behest, under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Mexican workers were employed by General Electric Co. and Honeywell Inc. The U.S. unions had sought rehiring of the fired workers, as well as increased pressure on the Mexican government to uphold worker rights.