U.S. Support for the Labor-Trade Linkage in the WTO: Analyzing Success and Failure of the AFL-CIO's Efforts to Set the U.S. International Trade Agenda
ISBN
978-3-531-16236-2
Type
book section
Date Issued
2009
Author(s)
Hoffmann, Friederike
Editor(s)
Ehmke, Ellen
Fichter, Michael
Simon, Nils
Zeuner, Bodo
Abstract
Past administrations of the United States of America (U.S.) are known for hav¬ing liberalized their domestic market, as well as for pushing the liberalization of international markets in bilateral trade relations and since 1995 in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Thus, it is surprising that past U.S. administrations also emphasized their support for the international enforcement of Core Labor Standards (CLS).1 Generally, the argument on labor standards in the U.S. is twofold: “Americans show a strong concern for maintaining international labor standards (ILS). An overwhelming majority favors the U.S. requiring compli¬ance with international labor standards as part of international trade agreements. This is prompted by a sense of moral obligation to foreign workers as well as concern that low labor standards in other countries create unfair competition for U.S. labor” (Americans and the World 2005). These two lines of reasoning – protectionist and rights based – are paramount in every debate on the linkage of CLS and trade in the U.S., as will be shown in the remainder of this article2 (Greven 2003; Hoffmann 2006). Other lines of argumentation applied by U.S. administrations to the support of linking international trade agreements and CLS include the alleged universality of CLS and the fostering effect of CLS on the development of markets.3
Language
English
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
No
Book title
Internationale Arbeitsstandards in einer globalisierten Welt
Publisher
VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften
Publisher place
Wiesbaden
Start page
131
End page
152
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
55961