We are witnessing a global economy in which workers and corporations seem to be fast falling apart in income and ideology, and where sinking economies and recessing superpowers sag under colossal public debt. In the often tired contest between state regulation and market interests, work itself often loses both its meaning and dignity. This course studies work: its globalization, the peril and promise of that globalization, governance challenges, and market successes. Special attention is paid to the role workers associations, unions, and both fair and free trade can play in pursuit of worker’s rights, especially in at risk political contexts.