Labor Internationalism: Volume 27

By Michael Hanagan

Over the last twenty years, the worldwide expansion of markets has taken a toll on trade unions, dramatically changing the nature of the world's workforce and significantly weakening labor's political influence. Globalization has increasingly exposed workers to highly competitive global markets while weakening the consolidated political state on which labor unions have traditionally relied for support and protection. Acknowledging the unprecedented challenges facing trade unions and traditional labor movement, Labor Internationalism , a special issue of Social%20Science%20History ,%20explores%20the%20new%20potential%20of%20one%20of%20the%20oldest%20tools%20in%20labor#39;s%20repertoire:%20international%20labor%20solidarity.%20 While%20drawing%20on%20the%20established%20social%20science%20explanations%20of%20labor%20solidarity,%20the%20contributors%20to%20this%20collection%20also%20modify%20and%20adapt%20these%20paradigms%20in%20new%20and%20innovative%20ways,%20presenting%20a%20stimulating%20example%20of%20how%20historical%20social%20scientists%20can%20respond%20to%20new%20problems.%20Focusing%20on%20labor%20solidarity%20case%20studies%20in%20the%20United%20States,%20Europe,%20and%20Latin%20America,%20these%20essays%20move%20beyond%20narrow%20immiserization/proletarianization-based%20explanations%20of%20solidarity%20that%20are%20increasingly%20inadequate%20in%20an%20era%20of%20globalization%20to%20consider%20labor%20solidarity%20as%20a%20by-product%20of%20interaction%20with%20other%20mechanisms%20and%20as%20part%20of%20a%20larger%20process%20that%20generates%20transnational%20collective%20action.%20 One%20essay%20explores%20how%20workers%20capitalized%20on%20changes%20in%20production%20processes%20during%20the%201998%20General%20Motors%20strike%20in%20Flint,%20Michigan,%20prompting%20an%20unconventional%20show%20of%20transnational%20labor%20solidarity%20that%20echoed%20throughout%20the%20global%20factory.%20Another%20essay%20examines%20present-day%20cross-border%20solidarity%20actions%20involving%20U.S.%20and%20Latin%20American%20workers%20to%20emphasize%20that%20labor%20identity%20and%20solidarity%20are%20themselves%20products%20of%20public%20negotiation%20among%20differing%20groups%20of%20workers.%20Another%20contributor%20investigates%20the%20ways%20in%20which%20free%20trade%20agreements%20such%20as%20NAFTA%20have%20been%20critical%20in%20promoting%20the%20growth%20of" transnational="" activist="" that="" have="" united="" trade="" unionists="" across="" north="" america="" and="" social="" movement="" organizations.="" other="" essays="" utilize="" case="" studies="" to="" investigate="" the="" tactical="" differences="" similarities="" between="" labor="" union="" a="" complicated="" relationship="" can="" either="" hinder="" or="" encourage="" solidarity.="">

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822365979
• ISBN13: 9780822365976
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Duke University Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"