International Labor Organizations, 1864-1997: The Weight of History and the Challenges of the Present

Authors

  • Dimitris Stevis Colorado State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.1998.161

Abstract

Deepening neoliberal integration, the end of the Cold War, and the decline or compromise of communist and socialist parties, offer a window of opportunity for international labor politics. Why is it, then, that the comprehensive network of global and regional labor organizations continues to play a marginal role, even though they are clearly conscious of these developments, and have sought to respond to them? The answer to this question has important practical and theoretical implications. My general goal, therefore, is to situate the contemporary predicament of international labor organizations within its historical context. Activists would like to know whether labor organizations are basically sound but need to be reformed or fundamentally unsuitable for a vital international labor politics. Theoretically, international labor organizations provide us with a rich record through which to investigate cross-border relations at the level of society and state-society relations.

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Published

1998-02-26

How to Cite

Stevis, D. (1998). International Labor Organizations, 1864-1997: The Weight of History and the Challenges of the Present. Journal of World-Systems Research, 4(1), 52–75. https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.1998.161

Issue

Section

Global Labor Movements