Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom
While the prospects for a global labor movement are ripe, working people and their supporters may fail to take full advantage of this historical opening. A potential barrier is the existence of a strategic myopia when it comes to the role of preexisting labor organizations at the national and intern...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of World-Systems Research |
| Online Access: | http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/160 |
| _version_ | 1817968598312812544 |
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| author | Bradley Nash Jr. |
| author_facet | Bradley Nash Jr. |
| author_sort | Bradley Nash Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While the prospects for a global labor movement are ripe, working people and their supporters may fail to take full advantage of this historical opening. A potential barrier is the existence of a strategic myopia when it comes to the role of preexisting labor organizations at the national and international levels. Specifically, these higher-tier institutions are often viewed by labor activists and the rank-and-file as inherently autocratic and imperialistic, and are thus deemed to have little value for efforts at fostering global labor solidarity. A consequence is that many in the labor movement concentrate their energies solely at a local or community level, with the idea that it is only here that true progressive change can result. In terms of broader solidarity and resistance, it is felt that cross-regional and cross-national linkages will eventually develop to expand the struggle to a truly global level. In effect, it is presumed by many that a global labor movement will, and in fact must, be built strictly from the "bottom-up" ( e.g. Brecher and Costello, 1994). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:11:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d104dc8bb8ee485a8e0c63c3478245d4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1076-156X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:11:10Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of World-Systems Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-d104dc8bb8ee485a8e0c63c3478245d42022-12-22T02:31:51ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghJournal of World-Systems Research1076-156X2015-08-014110.5195/jwsr.1998.160154Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and BottomBradley Nash Jr.0Appalachian State UniversityWhile the prospects for a global labor movement are ripe, working people and their supporters may fail to take full advantage of this historical opening. A potential barrier is the existence of a strategic myopia when it comes to the role of preexisting labor organizations at the national and international levels. Specifically, these higher-tier institutions are often viewed by labor activists and the rank-and-file as inherently autocratic and imperialistic, and are thus deemed to have little value for efforts at fostering global labor solidarity. A consequence is that many in the labor movement concentrate their energies solely at a local or community level, with the idea that it is only here that true progressive change can result. In terms of broader solidarity and resistance, it is felt that cross-regional and cross-national linkages will eventually develop to expand the struggle to a truly global level. In effect, it is presumed by many that a global labor movement will, and in fact must, be built strictly from the "bottom-up" ( e.g. Brecher and Costello, 1994).http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/160 |
| spellingShingle | Bradley Nash Jr. Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom Journal of World-Systems Research |
| title | Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom |
| title_full | Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom |
| title_fullStr | Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom |
| title_short | Organizing a Global Labor Movement from Top and Bottom |
| title_sort | organizing a global labor movement from top and bottom |
| url | http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bradleynashjr organizingagloballabormovementfromtopandbottom |