(rev. 5/14/03)
INTERNATIONAL LABOR LAW:
Workers' Rights in the Global Economy
Summer, 2003
Prof. Nancy Dowd
Course Description
This course examines human rights, labor rights and labor standards in a
world economy regulated by bilateral and multilateral trade agreements as
well as international human rights norms, in a context of sharp competition
among countries and firms. Although various legal frameworks will be
explored, with labor law as a unifying theme, the course primarily focuses
on a policy perspective rather than a legalistic one.
Course readings and discussions will focus on labor, human rights, and international
trade law and policy in the global economic context. A prior
course in related topics may be helpful but is not required.
The first part of the course includes foundation materials in labor, trade
and human rights; we examine various international organizations and instruments
(ILO, WTO, NAFTA, EU standards, etc), as well as privately negotiated codes
of conduct. The second part of the course focuses on several specific
sectors and problems in the global workforce: migrant labor, children's labor,
and women's employment.
Students are expected to actively participate in the course. Students
will create teams in the first week that will rotate responsibilities during
the remaining weeks for class discussion. Teams must include both U.S.
and French students.
Two papers of roughly five (5) typed, double-spaced pages will be required
during the course in lieu of an examination. One will be due after
the third week; the second will be due during the examination period.
The first paper may be discussed by the team, but each student must individually
write and submit an individual paper. The second paper may be an individual
or group project, but each student must write and submit an individual paper.
The materials for this course are largely based on materials developed by
Professor Lance Compa, Cornell University, as well as materials by Professor
Jim Attelson, SUNY-Buffalo, which are the foundation for a forthcoming casebook
from West Publishing. Materials are in the packet or instructions are
provided to locate them on the internet.
For your convenience, the course description, the papers’ assignments, and
course outline are also available online from Prof. Dowd’s webpage, http://lic.law.ufl.edu/~dowd.
Direct internet links are provided so, if you wish, as you scroll down the
course outline assignments, you can click on the internet link which will
take you to the appropriate website. In some cases, you will then need
to follow the additional instructions in the reading assignments to navigate
that website.
Papers
Each paper should be typed, double-spaced, with reasonable margins and type
size, and should not exceed 1500 words. If you wish to handwrite the
paper, please write legibly on lined paper. Please include a word count
at the end of your paper.
A detailed set of instructions will be distributed separately. The
first paper will be based on the first three weeks of the course; the second
paper on the last two weeks. Additional research is optional, not required.
Grades
Your grade will be based on the following:
1. 2 papers (1/3 each; total 2/3 of grade)
2. class participation (1/3 of grade)
-- group participation (50%)(each individual will receive
the grade given for the group)
-- individual participation (50%)