Some on this list might be interested in this year's Academy of
Management meeting - because of it's focus on globalization from both
the business and unionization perspectives. This may be a first for the
Academy, and I hope that it is indicative of changes to come in this
area of academic research.
Barry
CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION
Global Companies - Global Unions - Global Research - Global Campaigns
New York City, February 9-11, 2006
Given the globalization of firms, finance, and labor markets, the labor
movement recognizes that union organizing and bargaining campaigns along
with union strategy research must become global as well. To address
these
challenges, you are invited to participate in this international
conference
of scholars and trade unionists.
The conference will feature paper presentations, interactive workshops,
and
panel discussions involving both academics and trade unionists. Please
see
the attached announcement if you are interested in participating in this
important conference. Proposals are due September 15th, 2005.
William N. Cooke, Director
Douglas A. Fraser Center for Workplace Issues
Wayne State University
313.577.2100
Global Companies - Global Unions
Global Research - Global Campaigns
An International Conference
Crowne Plaza Times Square, 1605 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
February 9 - 11, 2006
Call for Participation and Call for Papers
Unions around the globe continue to operate in an ever-more complex and
rapidly changing corporate environment. Increasingly the employers they
face
across the bargaining table or in organizing campaigns are part of
diffuse
transnational companies who have no loyalty to any one industry,
product, or
country. Given the globalization of firms, finance, and labor markets,
the
labor movement recognizes that union organizing and bargaining
campaigns and
strategic research must become global as well.
It is with these challenges in mind that we propose to bring together an
international conference of scholars and trade unionists from around the
globe in New York City in February of 2006. Specifically, the conference
would:
Share and learn from recent union initiatives in strategic corporate
research and strategic global organizing and bargaining campaigns from
around the globe in order to more effectively take on multinational
companies through global comprehensive campaigns.
Expand our collective knowledge and understanding of the changing
nature
of corporate ownership structures, practices, and strategies for the
world's
largest multinationals.
Lay the groundwork for building a sustainable global network of
unions and
academics to continue to work together to effectively engage
multinational
corporations worldwide.
The conference will be co-sponsored by Cornell's School of Industrial
and
Labor Relations, University of California Institutes of Industrial
Relations, the UMass Amherst Labor Relations and Research Center, the
Douglas A. Fraser Center for Workplace Issues, the Cardiff School of
Social
Sciences, the Monash University Institute for Regional Studies, Queens
College Labor Resource Center, and CRIMT (Interuniversity Research on
Globalization and Work - Montreal University, Laval University and HEC
Montreal). Through fundraising with universities, foundations, and
unions,
the sponsors of the conference will seek to have the resources to ensure
participation from academics and trade unionists from both the Northern
and
Southern Hemispheres.
Conference format
The conference will be a mix of interactive workshops, paper
presentations,
panel discussions, and sector, industry, and/or company caucuses
involving a
mix of academics, trade unionists, and representatives from labor
related
NGOs from around the globe.
In addition to material presented at the conference, in-depth strategic
corporate research reports will be prepared by a team of researchers
from
the universities sponsoring the conference, with input from union
members of
the planning committee. The reports will focus on a limited number of
key
multinationals from diverse sectors and industries, where building
research
and strategic campaign capacity would be most useful to unions
worldwide. To
date the list of companies include Wal-Mart, Kraft Foods, Siemens, Exxon
Mobil, Suez S.A., Alcoa, SSA Marine, Bouygues, Starwood, and Sanofi
Aventis.
These company reports, along with shorter summaries on the access
points for
information on multinational corporations at each of the countries
represented at the conference, will be available at the conference for
all
interested participants.
Proposal submission process
We are seeking ideas for workshops, presentations and panel discussions
as
well as papers to be presented. If you are interested in participating
in
the conference please submit a one to three page proposal outlining your
paper or presentation and how you believe it relates to the goals
outlined
above.
All proposals should include:
l. Description of format (workshop, campaign case study, panel, paper
presentation etc.)
ll. Description of the content or focus.
lll. Name of the person submitting the proposal and full contact
information
including address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail addresses.
Proposals
for workshops should include names and addresses and presentation title
for
any speakers, presenters, or panelists that are proposed.
All paper proposals should also include a working hypothesis and a brief
description of the research methodology. All papers must be written in
English and in a format and style that is accessible to the general
reader,
free from academic jargon. Final papers should be 25 double-spaced
pages in
length, including all citations, tables, and references. A collection of
selected papers from the conference will be published by Cornell
University
Press in a volume that will be edited by Dr. Kate Bronfenbrenner of
Cornell
University. The remaining papers will be referred to the Labor Studies
Journal, a leading academic journal in the field of labor studies, for
consideration under their normal peer review process.
While our deadline for proposals is September 15, 2005, we would like to
hear from you as soon as possible so we can assist with your
presentation as
well as organize the conference successfully. University and union
representatives to the conference planning committee will select those
proposals that best fit the goals of the conference and also capture the
variation in styles of campaigning and research methods across unions,
industries, and countries.
Conference Fundraising
In the interest of including trade unionists and researchers from
across the
globe, we are seeking funds to provide travel for those who otherwise
could
not afford to attend. Please indicate if your organization can
contribute to
the travel fund or if you need assistance with travel to attend. We are
currently committed to having the plenary sessions include simultaneous
interpretation into Spanish and French and are also seeking additional
funds
to expand the interpretation to cover other languages.
We will be reserving a block of rooms at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Times
Square under the name Global Unions Conference for the nights of
February 8
- 11. General conference material and registration information will be
posted at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globalunionsconference as planning
for
the conference progresses.
Proposals for papers or presentations, questions about the conference,
or
conference endorsements/contributions should be sent to the attention of
conference coordinator, Kate Bronfenbrenner, at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or to
the
following address:
Kate Bronfenbrenner
Director of Labor Education Research
356 ILR Research Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
F: + (607) 255-0245 P: + (607) 254-4749
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