The children of NAFTA

David Bacon, University of California Press, hardback, 348 pages, £18.95

In 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the US, Mexico and Canada came into force. NAFTA lowered trade barriers and stimulated further economic integration between the three countries, especially along the US-Mexican border.

This book argues that NAFTA has been a disaster for American and Mexican workers, in terms of job losses, lower wages and insecurity.

But NAFTA has also forced Mexican and US unions to build a cross-border solidarity movement to fight the corporations and the political powers that have benefited from free trade.

The book describes major workers' struggles over the last 10 years such as Han Young and Duro Bag. Through the smoke and dust of these struggles the book shows a glimmer of hope along the border.