The Transnationalism Rooted in Production and the ‘Place’ of the Global Union

Abstract

In recent years, the idea of “new labor internationalism” has inspired controversy. The concrete developments emphasized by this debate (the emergence of “global unionism”) combined new strategies and traditional forms of union organization, confusing the established frameworks. In search of the nature of these hybrid arrangements, we explore what lies behind the “invention” of the global union as a new type of union organization, noting how the ideas of rooted transnationalism and network organization offered partial solutions to conflicts that permeate the relations between corporate and union powers. In particular, we discuss the emergence of global agreements and union networks in transnational corporations in manufacturing industries, and their adoption in Brazil. Our conclusion is that although the institutionalization of global unions has been hitherto precarious and contested, it has coherently articulated seemingly contradictory principles. However, given these hesitant compromises and tentative foundations, a critical and multiscalar sensibility is vital to unraveling the significance of the transnational practices of trade unions today.