ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC) institutions on such transnational regionalism and processes on transborder unions and social movements, on transnational bureaucracies and labour practices, and the potential for expansion to hemispheric dimensions. Transborder labour regionalism has been assisted by new social movements and transnational advocacy groups which have augmented, or substituted for, union actions. Activism surrounding the trade-labour connection in North American Free Trade Agreement, in part utilizing the NAALC, reveals an evolution in the contemporary context of political alliances. The NAALC created new institutions which could foster transnational networks of officials, and perhaps even shared norms or a shared labour culture. While evidence of integration of cultural norms and standards is limited, there are signs that the NAALC introduced new parameters to policy which could lead to significant adjustments. The willingness of developing states to commit to such arrangements appears to be remote, given their concerns about competitiveness and protectionism.
