The WTO And Labor And Employment

‘. . . this “reader” is a most welcome reference collection for a broad range of stakeholders – governments, employers’ organisations, trade unions, international organisations and academics. Containing some 30 academic papers by well-known scholars published between 1996 and 2006, it provides a comprehensive coverage of the issues at stake. . . This voluminous book contains a treasure of knowledge that could help all stakeholders in industrialised and developing economies to devise better policies related to a more socially acceptable globalisation and improve the understanding of the underpinnings and roles of the ILO and the WTO.’
– Hedva Sarfati, Transfer (European Review of Labour Research)

‘This volume focuses on two key public concerns related to globalization. Does the freer international flow of goods, services and capital worsen working conditions for social groups most deserving of economic protection such as child labor and low-wage workers generally? Does introducing mandatory labor standards in international trade agreements improve the economic welfare of these groups? Brown and Stern have brought together an outstanding set of readings that inform these issues at both the analytical and empirical levels. Their volume will be a standard reference not only for formal courses covering international economic matters but for individuals interested in becoming knowledgeable about one of the most important international economic policy issues of our times.’
– Robert Baldwin, University of Wisconsin, US

The steady progress of global economic integration and trade-policy liberalization facilitated by the GATT and WTO over the past half-century has been accompanied by persistent warnings of the consequences for wages, employment and working conditions. Indeed, over the last decade, labor interests in the west have sought to slow the pace of international trade negotiations, seeking some protections in the WTO Charter itself and in individual trade agreements.

The central focus of this collection is to provide the reader access to the seminal papers analyzing the accommodation of labor interests within the WTO. This comprehensive volume establishes an understanding of the interaction between global goods, capital and labor markets and the national government institutions that regulate their function. In selecting papers for this volume, the editors have identified the most important contributions to the debate.

Contents:

Acknowledgements

Introduction Drusilla K. Brown and Robert M. Stern

PART I INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
1. Alan V. Deardorff and Robert M. Stern (2002), ‘What You Should Know About Globalization and the World Trade Organization’

PART II TRADE, WAGES AND LABOR MARKETS: HISTORICAL EVIDENCE AND CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCE
2. Kevin H. O’Rourke and Jeffrey G. Williamson (2005), ‘From Malthus to Ohlin: Trade, Industrialisation and Distribution Since 1500’
3. Robert C. Feenstra and Gordon H. Hanson (2003), ‘Global Production Sharing and Rising Inequality: A Survey of Trade and Wages’
4. Sandra E. Black and Elizabeth Brainerd (2004), ‘Importing Equality? The Impact of Globalization on Gender Discrimination’
5. Eric V. Edmonds and Nina Pavcnik (2006), ‘International Trade and Child Labor: Cross-Country Evidence’
6. Ann Harrison and Jason Scorse (2004), ‘Globalization’s Impact on Compliance with Labor Standards’

PART III INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM IN CORE-LABOR PROTECTION
7. Will Martin and Keith E. Maskus (2001), ‘Core Labor Standards and Competitiveness: Implications for Global Trade Policy’
8. Matthias Busse (2002), ‘Do Labor Standards Affect Comparative Advantage in Developing Countries?’
9. Drusilla K. Brown, Alan V. Deardorff and Robert M. Stern (1996), ‘International Labor Standards and Trade: A Theoretical Analysis’
10. Dani Rodrik (1998), ‘Why Do More Open Economies Have Bigger Governments?’
11. Michael Huberman and Wayne Lewchuk (2003), ‘European Economic Integration and the Labour Compact, 1850–1913’
12. David Kucera (2002), ‘Core Labour Standards and Foreign Direct Investment’

PART IV LABOR PROTECTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
13. Drusilla K. Brown (2001), ‘Labor Standards: Where Do They Belong on the International Trade Agenda?’
14. Stanley L. Engerman (2003), ‘The History and Political Economy of International Labor Standards’
15. Kyle Bagwell and Robert W. Staiger (2001), ‘Domestic Policies, National Sovereignty, and International Economic Institutions’
16. Nuno Limão (2005), ‘Trade Policy, Cross-Border Externalities and Lobbies: Do Linked Agreements Enforce More Cooperative Outcomes?’
17. Josh Ederington (2002), ‘Trade and Domestic Policy Linkage in International Agreements’

PART V MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS PROTECTING LABOR RIGHTS
18. Kimberly Ann Elliott and Richard B. Freeman (2003), ‘Vigilantes and Verifiers’
19. Dara O’Rourke (2003), ‘Outsourcing Regulation: Analyzing Nongovernmental Systems of Labor Standards and Monitoring’

Name Index

http://www.Fordschool.umich.edu/rsie/