This chapter discusses the possibilities of a new labor internationalism using the example of Mercosur. It presents the difficulties involved in the process of regional integration from the perspective of the union movement. The analysis describes the recent political trajectory of union federations in the Southern Cone, focusing primarily upon the case of Brazil and the federation Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT). The author highlights the role played by unions as agents of democratization and the conflicts that have arisen as their practices have become more radicalized, using all of the available forums as well as discussing solutions with relatively sophisticated arguments. Such union practices subvert the classical opposition between "offensive" vs. "defensive," "reformist" vs. "revolutionary," and "mobilization-oriented" vs. "negotiation-oriented" unionism.

Finally, the chapter puts forth the hypothesis that the globalization of union contacts between Northern and Southern regional blocks might function more as an opportunity than as an obstacle in helping to overcome the corporative and authoritarian culture deeply rooted in the history of Latin American labor movements. With this comes the possibility of a new relationship between the union movement and social movements, which reinforces the emancipatory potential of the world of labor.