From Varieties of Capitalism to Varieties of Activism: The Anti-Sweatshop Movement in Comparative Perspective

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Bruce Wiggins
5 years ago
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Jennifer Bair CU Boulder, Sociology (Based on joint

Montpellier) Source: Adbusters Source: Center for

1 From Varieties of Capitalism to Varieties of Activism: The Anti-Sweatshop Movement in Comparative Perspective Jennifer Bair CU Boulder, Sociology (Based on joint research with Florence Palpacuer, University of Montpellier) Source: Adbusters Source: Center for Communication and Civic Engagement Source: Adbusters Colorado State University April 7, 2011

2 The Anti-Sweatshop Movement Late 1980s and 1990s in Europe and U.S.: Sweatshop scandals involving major brands and retailers (Nike, the Gap, Wal- Mart s Kathie Lee label, C&A) Generated campaigns mobilizing Northern consumers on behalf of Southern workers Anti-sweatshop activism interpreted as response to negative consequences of trade liberalization and globalization of production in footloose industry Activists able to counter reach of global capital via transnational advocacy networks

3 Theoretical Perspectives on Anti-Sweatshop Activism TANs: Anti-sweatshop activism uses transnational advocacy networks as a form of contentious politics in the global economy Keck and Sikkink 1998 Anner and Evans 2004 Armbuster-Sandoval 2003; 2005 Smith 2001 GCCs: Anti-sweatshop activism leverages dynamic of buyer-driven global commodity chain to create a discourse of lead firm accountability in international supply chains Gereffi and Appelbaum 1995 Bonacich and Appelbaum 2000 Quan 2008

4 Putting a Global Social Movement in Comparative Perspective Drawing on varieties of capitalism literature, we ask if there are systematic, cross-country differences in way that anti-sweatshop activism emerged and evolved? If so, what explains these differences? Analyzing emergence and institutionalization of anti-sweatshop activism across different regions of the global North: Europe, U.S., Canada Ethnographic research and 34 semi-structured interviews with representatives of 9 organizations carried out in seven countries over a four year period ( ) Multiple interviews conducted with representatives of four main anti-sweatshop groups: Clean Clothes Campaign in Europe, Workers Rights Consortium and Fair Labor Association in U.S., and Maquila Solidarity Network in Canada (N=23) Organization Type #Interviewees Location Date # Interviews Fair Labor Association MSI, U.S. 10 Geneva, Washington D.C., New York, New Haven, CT 2007, a Workers Rights Consortium MSI, U.S. 2 Washington, D.C Ethical Trading Initiative MSI, UK 2 London Fair Wear Foundation MSI, UK 1 Amsterdam Clean Clothes Campaign NGO, European 9 Amsterdam, Paris, Banz (Germany), London, Brussels 2007, b Maquila Solidarity Network NGO, Canadian 2 Toronto (1 of 3 by phone) 2007, USAS Student org. 1 Washington, D.C. (1 of 1 by phone) UNITE Union, U.S. 3 New York (1 of 3 by phone) 2008, ITGLWF Union, International 1 New Castle, UK (1 of 1 by phone) Unaffiliated activists NA 2 Various, U.S. (2 of 2 by phone) N=33 N=33 a Includes group interview with eight staff. b Includes multiple interviews with staff at the CCC Secretariat in Brussels, as well as with CCC coalition in France, the U.K., Germany, and Belgium.

Genesis of Movement The Anti-Sweatshop Movement #1: The European story CCC created in 1989 following a consumer campaign launched in Netherlands on behalf of women garment workers in the Philippines

5 Genesis of Movement The Anti-Sweatshop Movement #1: The European story CCC created in 1989 following a consumer campaign launched in Netherlands on behalf of women garment workers in the Philippines Conceived as European-wide network comprised of national coalitions Coordinating role played by CCC Secretariat Development of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Developed code of conduct and took lead in creating Fair Wear Foundation to insure Code s meaningful implementation Oppose and propose strategy of engaging with companies first but campaigning against recalcitrant ones when necessary Getting Along CCC coalitions involve unions but unions have not always sided with CCC in particular campaigns

$Partnership in 1996 Code of Conduct finalized in 1998 but coalition of companies, NGOs, and unions fractures en route Development of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Fair Labor Association grows out$

6 Genesis of Movement The Anti-Sweatshop Movement #2: The U.S. Story Major exposés in mid-1990s: National Labor Committee campaigns in Central American involving Gap and Kathie Lee but also domestic factories President Clinton convenes Apparel Industry Partnership in 1996 Code of Conduct finalized in 1998 but coalition of companies, NGOs, and unions fractures en route Development of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Fair Labor Association grows out of Apparel Industry Partnership United Students Against Sweatshops founded with UNITE s support; Critical of FLA Workers Rights Consortium created in 2000 Getting Along FLA focuses on sustainable compliance ; includes companies but not organized labor WRC emphasizes sourcing practices of buyers ; includes organized labor but not companies

The Anti-Sweatshop Movement #3: The Canadian story Genesis of Movement Established in 1994 by longtime activists coming out of feminist and labor union background in context of NAFTA debate

7 The Anti-Sweatshop Movement #3: The Canadian story Genesis of Movement Established in 1994 by longtime activists coming out of feminist and labor union background in context of NAFTA debate Development of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Unsuccessful in establishing Canadian multi-stakeholder initiative equivalent to Fair Wear Foundation in Europe and Fair Labor Association or Workers Rights Consortium in U.S. Opted to work closely with other organizations, particularly FLA to which one of few large Canadian brands belongs Getting Along Works with variety of stakeholders in North and South, though ties particularly strong with local groups in Mexico and Central America

8 The National Embeddedness of Transnational Activism Diverse Origins Only in U.S. does organized labor play a major role in anti-sweatshop activism and issue is framed as both a domestic and international problem In Europe and to a lesser extent Canada, sweatshop issue is framed primarily as a human rights or development issue Trajectories of Institutionalization Activists use same repertoires of contention in all three cases Corporate campaigns evolve into codes of conduct monitored by Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Although organizational form of MSI is similar, content and composition vary across cases Oppose and propose model represented by two different groups in the United States Variation among buyers in a buyer-driven chain Companies differ across regions in scope and size of production networks, as well as in willingness to engage in dialogue with stakeholders regarding labor and sourcing practices

Freedom of Association and the Right to Bargain Collectively in Mexico

Freedom of Association and the Right to Bargain Collectively in Mexico A resource tool for brands and manufacturers Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) July 2016 Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) July 2016