The Limits of Regionalism

This book assesses the effectiveness of the North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation by examining the operation of the core institutions (the Secretariat and National Administrative Offices) over the past seven years. It examines the main functions of these institutions in hearing public submissions on violations of labour laws, and in conducting research and cooperative activities. The analysis is based on interviews in each national labour department and at the Secretariat, interviews with trade union and business actors, and a study of public documents and correspondence of these agencies. It stresses the impact of the NAALC in creating trans-state bureaucratic interactions, and ties among non-governmental organizations, notably trade unions and allied actors in civil society. The strengths and weaknesses of the accord are reviewed to assess its contribution to a common labour relations regime in North America and its impact in creating new transnational communities of actors in government and civil society in the three countries.
The NAALC is compared briefly with the social dimension of the European Union system, to determine which provides a more viable model for promotion of labour rights in a free trade environment. Finally, an assessment is made as to whether the NAALC institutions live up to the promises of their founders, and whether these can be a model for labour relations in any future Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement.