I study how workers in China use either legal action or collective bargaining to find recourse for their grievances. Legal action constitutes a state-supported activity that atomizes workers through the law. Bottom-up collective bargaining, represents an extra-institutional activity, but one that enables workers to engage collectively and offers an alternative perspective on their rights as workers. Relationships with the companies they work for, the state, and civil society organizations shape workers decisions as to whether collective bargaining or legal action is the most sensible choice of action.
In a three-part comparative analysis of different labor disputes that took place in Guangdong, I ask:
Why do some low-wage workers take legal action, while others use collective bargaining to solve their workplace problems?
What were the circumstances that led to workers acceptance of collective bargaining as viable means for dispute resolution?
If taking legal action, why do some workers attempt to use the law to expand their rights when others do not?
Scholarly Contribution
I attempt to explain when alternative logics are made resonant and actionable, despite the continued state push for institutionalized legal practices. Collective bargaining represents an extra-institutional activity that provides workers with an alternative perspective on their rights as workers. My study will inform larger conversations on how capitalistic authoritarianism can create both opportunities and constraints that make alternative logics useful—or not— for low wage workers.
Broader Impact
During a visit to China in early November 2014, President Obama celebrated the increasing integration of US and China economies and reiterated that the Asia region would be the major source of growth and job creation for the US. For policy makers, understanding the complexity of the industrial landscape in China will allow for more informed diplomatic relations with China. Increasing our knowledge of the contemporary industrial setting in China can improve business and political relationships with China, leading to a more productive relationship that is advantageous for all parties. If Chinese workers are able to increase their rights, it may also restore some of the competitive advantage to US workers, as the low cost of labor and benefits of outsourcing in China diminish. Armed with better knowledge, US business owners, politicians, and consumers will understand more how to realistically and effectively intervene or advocate on behalf of the workers on whom US growth and jobs depend.
These photos, taken in 2013 and 2014 during my fieldwork in China, show some of the amazing people who made my research possible.