Working Life

    You can’t hardly turn on the boob tube or read a newspaper or look at a mainstream website without hearing the clamor about the benefits of “globalization” and “increased trade” blah, blah, blah…if you try to contest that nonsense, you’re just a dumb protectionist (trust me, I have the scars to show it…oh, sorry, […]

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    As I said the other day, though the environment is the best it has been in a long time for those of us who are advocating for a saner, fairer trade policy, no one should think that so-called “free trade” is off the table. Now, Japan may be stepping up to the trough, according […]

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I was just going to spend a nice Sunday just reading, and not blogging and even avoiding the computer but leave it to The New York Times to mess all that up. As I flipped the page, tucked neatly in the lower part of the next page was an article that warned all those unsuspecting […]

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   If you are among the enlightened group of many millions of people who have spoken up (either in elections or real organizing) for a world where people can expect a decent standard of living and trade takes place under conditions that values communities first, you can pat yourself on the back for sending the […]

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If only we could organize workers here at this rate: China’s government-sanctioned trade union has strengthened its foothold in McDonald’s Corp., a move that illustrates the increasing involvement by the All-China Federation of Trade Union in the work forces of multinational companies doing business in China. About 80% of the McDonald’s work force in China […]

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    Here is another piece of evidence, from today’s Wall Street Journal, that the Doha global trade talks are in a state of permanent collapse: BRUSSELS — Brazil’s exploration of a free-trade deal with the European Union highlights an important shift in the trade agenda of emerging economies: They are drifting away from a comprehensive […]

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    A whole lot of people love to heap praise on the way the Japanese auto companies do business. Unfortunately, the mainstream press rarely looks at the seamier side of what happens to workers for Toyota. Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation, is continuing to deny reinstatement to 136 illegally dismissed workers–even though the Supreme Court of […]

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One of the things that is always curious, and maddening, is the way in which analysts or regulators who are supposed to be watching out for the public, are asleep at the wheel. Not to mention the pontificators in the media who are just flat out wrong. To wit: I’ve always wondered–where the heck were […]

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Last year, I wrote about a debate over a new labor law in China, and, not surprisingly, the attempt by international corporations to undercut the law. This just in, via the Associated Press,–the law has been enacted BEIJING, June 29 (AP) China enacted a labor law Friday meant to improve workers’ rights amid complaints about […]

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    I was on a plane today so just catching up…This was kind of a bizzaro vote–from the Wall Street Journal… WASHINGTON — The Senate fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to end debate on immigration overhaul, dealing a near-fatal blow to the landmark bill and one that could very well dash President […]

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