Chinese Labor Scholars Collective Bargaining Study Tour

The Chinese Labor Scholars Collective Bargaining Study Tour took place from February 7 – 17, 2009. It was sponsored by the American Center for Labor Solidarity (AFL-CIO)

As the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) continues to face extraordinary pressure from workers seeking legitimate means to redress labor law violations, it is beginning to reform collective bargaining practices. Chinese scholars and researchers have been actively studying foreign methods of collective bargaining and developing proposals to adapt relevant features to the Chinese situation. As part of this effort, four respected labor scholars (profiles below), have just concluded a ten day study tour in the Washington DC, Boston and Berkeley to learn about both collective bargaining and the union institutions necessary to support effective labor relations.

In a significant gesture of international solidarity between the U.S. and Chinese labor movements, this tour was sponsored primarily by the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (AFL-CIO), with considerable support from the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, and the Center for Labor Research and Education at University of California / Berkeley. The work of Nalishha Mehta and Jennifer Kuhlman at the ACILS, and invaluable contribution of interpreters Barbarba Hong Li, Marty Zhu, Ellen David Friedman and Zhongshi Chen were "essential to the success of the tour".

U.S. contacts

The study tour included exchanges with a great variety of practitioners, from grass-roots organizers in immigrant day laborer centers to presidents of international unions, including:

• Earl Brown, Director of China Programs, Solidarity Center

• Tim Beaty, Director of Global Strategies, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

• Fernando Garavito, Casa de Maryland, Day Laborer Center

• Dan Pedrotty, AFL-CIO Capital Strategies

• Andy Stern, President; Christy Hoffman, Director of Global Partnerships, Josie Mooney, Assistant to the President , Service Employees International Union

• Owen Herrnstadt, Director of Trade & Globalization, International Association of Machinists

• Mike Zielinski, United Steelworkers Union of America

• David Strom, General Counsel, American Federation of Teachers

• Bob Stropp, Lawyer at Mooney, Green, Baker & Saindon, PC

• Jon Hiatt, General Counsel, and Barbara Shailor, Director of International Affairs, AFL-CIO

• Michael Grunko, President SEIU Local #509, Watertown MA

• Kris Rondeau and Marie Manna, Harvard Clerical and Technical Workers Union

• Prof. Elizabeth Perry, Director Harvard-Yenching Institute

• Russ Davis, Director, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice

• Paul Garver, International Union of Foodworkers (ret.)

• Tim Costello, Global Labor Strategies

• Steve Early, Communication Workers of America (ret.)

• Wadi’h Halabi, consultant to Chinese Academy of Marxism

• Amee Hubin Chew, Chinese Progressive Association

• Elaine Bernard, Executive Director, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School

• Katie Quan, Center for Labor Research and Education, University of California-Berkeley

• Tim Paulson, San Francisco Labor Council

• Joel Schaffer, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

• Cathy Walker, Canadian Auto Workers Union (ret.)

• David Rosenfeld, Boalt Law School, University of California-Berkeley

• Ken Jacobs, Chair, UC Berkeley Labor Center

• UCB Labor Center scholars:Cheryl Brown, Carol Zabin, John Logan, Steven Pitts, Alexis Mazon

• Jamie Thompson, SEIU Local 1877

• Dennis Kelly, President of United Educators of San Francisco

• Peter Olney, International Longshore Workers Union

• Garrett Brown, Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network

• Nikki Bas, Acting Executive Director, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy

• David Bacon, labor journalist

• Ellen David Friedman, NEA (ret.)

References

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