Nafta And The Politics Of Labor Transnationalism (cambridge Studies In Contentious Politics)

How Did Nafta Catalyze Solidarity Among U.s., Canadian, And Mexican Unions? By Showing How Transnational Laws And Governance Institutions Constrain And Expand Transnational Social Movements, This Book Argues That, Collectively, Unions Can Help Shape How The Rules Governing The Global Economy Are Made-- When Nafta Went Into Effect In 1994, Many Feared It Would Intensify Animosity Among North American Unions, Lead To The Scapegoating Of Mexican Workers And Immigrants, And Eclipse Any Possibility For Cross-border Labor Cooperation. But Far From Polarizing Workers, Nafta Unexpectedly Helped Stimulate Labor Transnationalism Among Key North American Unions And Erode Union Policies And Discourses Rooted In Racism. The Emergence Of Labor Transnationalism In North America Presents Compelling Political And Sociological And Puzzles: How Did Nafta, The Concrete Manifestation Of Globalization Processes In North America, Help Deepen Labor Solidarity On The Continent? And Why Did Some Unions More Readily Engage In Transnational Collaboration And Embrace Internationalism Than Others? In Addition To Making The Provocative Argument That Global Governance Institutions Can Play A Pivotal Role In The Development Of Transnational Social Movements, This Book Suggests That Globalization Need Not Undermine Labor Movements: Collectively, Unions Can Help Shape How The Rules Governing The Global Economy Are Made-- Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction: Nafta And Labor Transnationalism; Part I. The Emergence Of Transnationalism: 2. Labor Nationalism: Diplomacy And Distance Among Unions Prior To Nafta; 3. Nafta As Catalyst: Constituting Transnational Actors And Interests; 4. Constituting Transnational Labor Rights; 5. Seizing The Opportunity Nafta Provided; Part Ii. Variations In Transnationalism: 6. Missing The Opportunity Nafta Provided; 7. Explaining Variation In The Emergence Of Labor Transnationalism; Part Iii. Conclusions: 8. Global Governance And Labor Transnationalism. Tamara Kay. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction: Nafta And Labor Transnationalism; Part I. The Emergence Of Transnationalism: 2. Labor Nationalism: Diplomacy And Distance Among Unions Prior To Nafta; 3. Nafta As Catalyst: Constituting Transnational Actors And Interests; 4. Constituting Transnational Labor Rights; 5. Seizing The Opportunity Nafta Provided; Part Ii. Variations In Transnationalism: 6. Missing The Opportunity Nafta Provided; 7. Explaining Variation In The Emergence Of Labor Transnationalism; Part Iii. Conclusions: 8. Global Governance And Labor Transnationalism. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Series Copyright Contents List of Tables List of Figures Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction: NAFTA and Labor Transnationalism A Historic Shift NAFTA as Catalyst? Alternative Economic Explanations NAFTA’s Effects on Transnationalism Variations in NAFTA’s Effect Transnational Institutional Fields: Connecting the Global and Local National and Transnational Political Opportunity Structures Developing Collective Interests: The Constitutive Effects of International Law NAFTA and Governance Research Focus, Strategy, and Book Organization I. The Emergence of Transnationalism 2 Labor Nationalismpp: Diplomacy and Distance among Unions Prior to NAFTA The Cold War: Labor Fighting Communism The AFL-CIO and CLC Mexico: Anticommunist Ally Constructing the “Other” in North American Labor Movements Economic Nationalism and the “Foreign Worker” Myth From “Other” to Ally 3 NAFTA as Catalyst: Constituting Transnational Actors and Interests Initial Contacts: Mexico-U.S. Dialogos NAFTA’s Threat Constituting Transnational Actors and Interests An (Unofficial) Break with the CTM The Emergence of Transnational Coalitions during Fast-Track Reauthorization From Wetback to Compa ̃nero and Yanqui to Estadounidense: Labor Federations Counter Racism Electronics Industry Unions: UE, FAT, and CUSWA North American Telecommunications Unions A Historic Shift 4 Constituting Transnational Labor Rights Prepassage Contestation: Building Coalitions to Strengthen the NAALC (1992–1994) Developing a Transnational Labor Rights Agenda The NAALC and Transnational Rights Nation-States and Transnationalism Testing the NAALC under the Clinton Administration (1994–2001) Building a Continent-Wide Campaign The NAALC Process as Catalyst Building a Transnational Labor Rights Network Nonparticipants in the NAALC Process and Transnational Labor Rights Network NAALC under the Bush Administration (2001–2008) Measuring the NAALC’s Effects 5 Seizing the Opportunity NAFTA Provided A Fully Developed Relationship: The UE, FAT, and CUSWA Creating Cooperative Complementary Identities A Partially Developed Transnational Relationship: Telecommunications Unions North American Labor Federations Explaining the Shift to Transnationalism II. Variations in Transnationalism 6 Missing the Opportunity NAFTA Provided Differences in Union Structure across the Continent Relations in the Pre-NAFTA Period with Official Mexican Unions NAFTA and Contention with the CTM and Its Unions The Teamsters’ Cross-Border Trucking Campaign NAFTA and Relationship Building with Independent Mexican Unions U.S. and Canadian Unions: A Mixed Record of Transnationalism NAFTA: Necessary but Not Sufficient 7 Explaining Variation in the Emergence of Labor Transnationalism Pathways to Transnationalism Explaining Transnationalism: Vulnerability to Foreign Trade Explaining Transnationalism: Progressive Leadership Progressive Mexican Unions Progressive U.S. and Canadian Unions How Does Progressivism Matter? III. Conclusions 8 Global Governance and Labor Transnationalism Global Governance Institutions and Transnational Fields Transnational Institutional Fields and Political Opportunities The Local versus the Transnational Labor Transnationalism and the Primacy of Political Catalysts The Consequences of NAFTA and Labor Transnationalism Implications for Transnational Social Movements NAFTA’s Enduring Legacy Appendix: Data and Methods Bibliography Index