Article
A Cooperative Conundrum - The NAALC and Mexican Migrant Workers in the United States
Law and Business Review of the Americas
(2011)
Abstract
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its supplemental labour pact, the North American
Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC), reflect the uneven advances of labour rights advocacy in
connection with international trade. NAFTA provides extensive rights and protections for multinational firms
and investors in such areas as intellectual property rights and investment guarantees. The NAALC only
partially addresses labour rights and labour conditions. But within its limits, it has shown itself to be a viable
tool for crossborder solidarity among key actors in the trade union, human rights and allied movements. The
NAALC’s principles and complaint mechanisms create new space for advocates to build coalitions and take
concrete action to articulate challenges to the status quo and advance workers’ interests. Cooperation,
consultation, and collaboration among social actors have brought a qualitative change to transnational labour
rights networks in North America.
Keywords
Keywords
- North American Free Trade Agreement,
- NAFTA,
- NAALC,
- labor rights,
- international trade
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring 2011
Citation Information
Robert M. Russo. "A Cooperative Conundrum - The NAALC and Mexican Migrant Workers in the United States" Law and Business Review of the Americas (2011) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert_russo/4/