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International and Comparative Labor Relations

2011

United States

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Business

Another Look At Nafta, Lance A. Compa Jan 2011

Another Look At Nafta, Lance A. Compa

Lance A Compa

"Weak," "toothless," "worthless" and "a farce"—these were some of the epithets applied to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) labor side accord negotiated by the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 1993. Trade unionists and labor rights supporters were upset, first by the text of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) when it appeared, then by early experiences after it went into effect on January 1, 1994. But those wanting progress on labor rights and standards in international trade should be careful of making some idealized “best” the enemy of the good.


The Art Of Ignoring Impatient Elephants, Lance A. Compa Jan 2011

The Art Of Ignoring Impatient Elephants, Lance A. Compa

Lance A Compa

[Excerpt] Migrant labour was the elephant in the room when American, Mexican and Canadian negotiators hammered out the North American Free Trade Agreement last year. The elephant is still in the room, as negotiators now try to work out a "side agreement" on labour rights and labour standards to fulfill a campaign promise by President Bill Clinton. They never mention migrant worker rights, the single biggest issue affecting labour standards and labour conditions on the North American continent.