Global Framework Agreements in a Union-Hostile Environment: The Case of the USA

Fichter, Michael; Stevis, Dimitris

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2383825

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In other words, it is still a contested space (Edwards and Bélanger 2009;Levy 2008). As empirical research has shown, management resistance to TNC subsidiaries having union recognition has been a constant barrier to implementation (Fichter and Stevis 2013;Fichter et al 2012).…”

Section: S66mentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing global framework agreements: the limits of social partnership

Fichter¹,

McCallum

2015

Global Networks

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Global Networks 15, supplemental issue (2015) S65-S85.Abstract Global framework agreements, negotiated between representatives of transnational corporations and trade unions, are a form of private regulation of labour relations on a global scale. Conceived and promoted by the global union federations, their numbers have increased considerably over the past two decades. However, as empirical research has shown, their record of implementation has been poor. We attribute this to them having been negotiated within the limits of a labour-management relationship based on 'social partnership'. This highly institutionalized setting of dialogue contrasts markedly with the widespread incidence of contested labour relations in subsidiaries of transnational corporations and in particular throughout their global production networks. Yet, workers and their unions at such sites, where global framework agreements are most needed, have mostly not been involved in their negotiation. Instead of relying on 'social partnership', we argue for unions to embrace a 'conflict partnership' approach, one that recognizes and addresses the tension between dialogue and conflict in labour relations. To highlight our arguments, we present two contrasting case studies from the service sector.

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Section: S66mentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing global framework agreements: the limits of social partnership

Fichter¹,

McCallum

2015

Global Networks

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“…At another Brazilian subsidiary of a major auto supplier, local management refused to bargain collectively in good faith until the union joined forces with the responsible GUF and the home country union and pressured the TNC's headquarters management into honouring the GFA at the local plant (Arruda et al, 2012). In the USA, we found a few cases in which there was a similar pattern of transnational union networking to put pressure on headquarters management (Fichter and Stevis, 2013). In our research in Turkey, we came across another example of such transnational union networking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Moreover, formal employment relations are only a small portion of the labour market as a whole, which is dominated by the informal economy. In such a situation, the implementation of a GFA requires different instruments and a different approach from that of a country such as the US in which internal plant Ersatz-unions are banned and the majority of employment relationships are in some way legally defined and regulated -but nevertheless reflective of local practices (Fichter and Stevis, 2013).…”

Section: Implementation Iii: Operational Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of Global Framework Agreements

Sydow

Fichter²,

Helfen

et al. 2014

Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research

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SummaryOver the past decade Global Union Federations have signed an increasing number of Global Framework Agreements, most of which -over 80 per cent -have been with European-based Transnational Corporations. But while Global Framework Agreements are slowly, but continually, increasing in numbers, the results of our empirical research reveal extensive deficits in their implementation. This article begins with a review of these implementation problems and challenges. Drawing on two exemplary case studies, we introduce our multi-organizational practice perspective to illuminate how the contents of Global Framework Agreements as negotiated are linked to implementation, conflict monitoring and resolution procedures. We conclude that there is a need for a systematic and integrated implementation procedure as a means of dealing with the complexity of the Global Framework Agreement process. Our proposal is built on three sets of practices -information dissemination and communication; training programmes; and operational

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“…As a result of the growing importance of MNCs, both in the United States and worldwide, American unions such as the Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers and others have participated in global organizing campaigns. 2 Conducted with the assistance of UNI Global Union, International Transport Federation, and other global union federations, these multifaceted campaigns have stressed corporate violations of core ILO conventions and have utilized soft law instruments such as the United Nations Global Compact and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Corporations. In response, large union avoidance law firms have not only internationalized their operations, but also proposed using global standards offensively against labor organizations, and attempted to use ILO jurisprudence to argue that employers have a right-and even an obligation-to oppose unionization.…”

Section: [L]arge Union Avoidance Law Firms Have Attemptedmentioning

confidence: 99%

The U.S. Union Avoidance Industry Goes Global

Logan

2019

New Labor Forum

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Global Framework Agreements in a Union-Hostile Environment: The Case of the USA

Cited by 10 publications

References 49 publications

Implementing global framework agreements: the limits of social partnership

Implementing global framework agreements: the limits of social partnership

Implementation of Global Framework Agreements

The U.S. Union Avoidance Industry Goes Global

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