Sarah Anderson
Although globalization has occurred for centuries, it is going through a period of rapid acceleration, largely as the result of policies to lift barriers to trade and investment. These measures enhance the ability of corporations to move their products, money, and factories around the globe more quickly and with less impediment from regulations. However, there is a growing fear that corporations will have additional power to pit workers and communities against each other as they seek areas with the lowest wages and environmental enforcement. This downward pressure, referred to as the “Race to the Bottom,” has become more evident as globalization expands through trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. By giving examples of different negative implications of corporate globalization such as the beating of union workers in Mexico, this article looks to the Hemispheric Social Alliance’s “Alternatives for the Americas” document as a solution. This agenda argues for broad definitions of environmental and human rights, covering civil, political, economic, and more, which will serve as the framework for all North American hemispheric policies. The Alternatives for the Americas will prevent a race to the bottom while also supporting the positive economic benefits of a connected world.
Keywords: North American Free Trade Association, International Labor Organization, Alternatives for the Americas, globalization
