April 19 lecture looks at the shifting sands of international labor dynamics

An April 19 lecture at Western Washington University will focus on the changing North-South dynamics of the International Labor Movement.

Thomas Collombat, the 2012 visiting assistant professor in Québec Studies at WWU’s Center for Canadian-American Studies, will deliver the lecture from noon to 1 p.m. in the Wilson Library presentation room.

At a time of global financial and economic crisis, organized labor is challenged in its traditional strategies to confront capital and protect workers’ interests. The internationalization of labor activities is often put forward as a potential way of renewal. Collombat's presentation will analyze the evolution of the North-South dynamics among International Labor Movement organizations, with a specific focus on the role of Mexico and Brazil within them. It will demonstrate the need for a holistic approach to those dynamics, as well as the interconnections between global, regional and national scales.

A post-doctoral fellow at the University of Quebec, Collombat obtained his doctorate in political science and political economy from Carleton University in Ottawa.

The Center for International Studies sponsors these lectures so that Western faculty, staff and students who have had significant international experiences can share the perspectives they have gained with the larger community. For more information, visit the Center for International Studies online at international.wwu.edu or call (360) 650-7544.