Hybrid talk: Three Models of Labor Control, Resistance, and Governance in Global Value Chains
Mon, 04/18/2022 - 4:00pm-5:30pm

Image of International Labour Review CoverJoin the Center for Global Work and Employment on April 18, 2022 for a presentation by Mark Anner (Penn State University) on his recent International Labour Review piece “Three labour governance mechanisms for addressing decent work deficits in global value chains.”

Prof. Anner draws on his field research in Bangladesh, Honduras, and Vietnam in arguing that the most effective governance mechanisms for addressing decent work deficit in global supply chains (GVC) are those that mitigate GVC power asymmetries. Three such mechanisms are: (1) public governance, because it harnesses the power of the State; (2) encompassing collective bargaining agreements; and (3) multi-actor global binding agreements. It is further argued that variations in governance gaps in national labor relations regimes and patterns and strategies of worker resistance shape which mechanism most effectively addresses decent work deficits. Prof. Anner is currently working to build on and expand this work for a book project. 

The talk will be followed by a Q&A.

This is a hybrid event that will take place at the Labor Education Center (Room 115) and simultaneously be broadcast via Zoom. In-person attendance is limited to 25 seats; please indicate via the Zoom registration form if you’d like to attend in person. Zoom attendance is unlimited but registration is required.

Speaker Bio

Image of Mark AnnerMark Anner is a professor of labor and employment relations and political science. He is also the founding director of the Center for Global Workers’ Rights and the School’s master’s program in Labor and Global Workers’ Rights, which is a part of the Global Labour University network. He holds a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University and a master's degree in Latin American Studies from Stanford University. Dr. Anner’s current research examines how pricing and other sourcing dynamics in global supply chains affect working conditions and workers’ rights. He has researched and written on international labor solidarity, labor law reform in Latin America, strikes in Vietnam, and corporate social responsibility in the global apparel industry. Before beginning his academic career, he lived in Latin America for eleven years where he worked with labor unions and a labor research center.