The Launching of NAFTA and the Change of America's Capital-Labor Relations

Abstract

The international strategies of America in the post cold-war period have the apparent objective that America will open a new pax-Americana age, by leading the unequal developmental situations among every countries in the world. This objective is propelled through holding the initiative in the field of information and communication in terms of technology and industry, and is developed by the establishment of the WTO and NAFTA in terms of the world trade order. Here, NAFTA has two implications; first, preparing for a regional platform so that America will be able to re-establish its global power; second, the overall free-trade between advanced countries and developing countries is begining. With regard to the change of America"s capital-labour relations, we need to call our attention to the second aspect. But it seems that the change of America"s capital-labour relations in progress is more affected by the competition with other advanced countries than by NAFTA. That is, the recognition of the limits of the New-Deal capital-labour relations and business unionism which have represented America"s capital-labour relations up to the present is necessarily emerging in the process of criticizing and replacing Fordism which is regarded as a basis for both. Accordingly, NAFTA is strengthening its position on the necessity for labour in the US to actively pursue solidarity with unions in developing countries, taking off its old protectionist cloat. As for unions in America, how to cope with the transition from business unionism to participatory unionism which America"s capital and government are leading in the back-ground of post-Fordism will be closely related with how actively to pursue a new international solidarity