When NAFTA went into effect in 1994, many feared it would intensify animosity among North American unions, lead to the scapegoating of Mexican workers and immigrants, and eclipse any possibility for cross-border labor cooperation. But far from polarizing workers, NAFTA unexpectedly helped stimulate labor transnationalism among key North American unions and erode union policies and discourses rooted in racism. The emergence of labor transnationalism in North America presents compelling political and sociological puzzles: how did NAFTA, the concrete manifestation of globalization processes in North America, help deepen labor solidarity on the continent? In addition to making the provocative argument that global governance institutions can play a pivotal role in the development of transnational social movements, this book suggests that globalization need not undermine labor movements: collectively, unions can help shape how the rules governing the global economy are made.

Received an Honourable Mention for the ASA Sociology of Law Outstanding Book Award 2013

“In the bourgeoning interdisciplinary field of transnational studies, Professor Kay once again has demonstrated that she is the leading sociologist of transnationalism of her generation with this pathbreaking book. A must-read!”
—Sanjeev Khagram, University of Washington

“Challenging the conventional wisdom that economic globalization has left national labor movements isolated and defenseless, Kay argues — almost heretically in the case of NAFTA — that regional economic integration at the top can also spark transnational solidarity from below. In a classic case of unintended consequences, we see how NAFTA, through its governance institutions and side agreements, provided an opening for savvy organizers to build a more inclusive and unified North American labor movement to resist global capital’s unrelenting ‘race to the bottom.’ NAFTA and the Politics of Labor Transnationalism is a superb study that offers important lessons for scholars and activists alike.”
—Howard Kimeldorf, University of Michigan

“Anybody concerned with social movements in the 21st century, and especially the prospects for labor transnationalism, needs to read this book. Tamara Kay shows why and how a few U.S. and Mexican unions were able to turn NAFTA, which they had viewed as a threat, into an opportunity for new cross-border strategies. The results point to promising ways forward for global movements.”
—Chris Tilly, Director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Los Angeles