ABSTRACT

Since the 1970s, labor has confronted the twin challenges of globalization and neoliberalism, which have substantially undermined established political accommodations, while introducing new challenges as a result of integrated global production systems. Labor standards are an important issue in the agendas of international organizations, and in the boardrooms of global companies. This chapter assesses the contemporary challenges facing labor and its status in global governance. It provides a context for contemporary labor and analyzes briefly the modes and practices of global governance as they engage with labor before addressing the institutional and political approaches adopted by labor in the modern period. The chapter shows whether the continuing defense of labor's interests requires a major institutional and political reorientation. It illustrates supranational regional dimension of labor and governance with three contrasting arrangements—the EU's "social dialogue" model, NAFTA's "labor clause" model, and APEC's refusal to address labor issues in any serious fashion.