Sharing the Gains – Containing Corporate Power

Background:

The theme of the conference is the possibilities of national and international regulations, trade union campaigns and broader civil society mobilisation, strategic research and transparency to limit the power of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and their control over Global Value Chains (GVCs). MNC-coordinated global value chains account for 80 per cent of global trade, and the income from trade flows within GVCs has doubled over the last 15 years. Yet, this vast corporate income is not fairly shared with workers who produce the wealth.

This conference seeks to explore causes for the unequal distribution of wealth along global value chains in recent decades and analyse mechanisms to contain corporate power and ensure that the vast wealth generated by corporate-led globalization can be more equitably distributed. We encourage the submission of papers that analyse the dynamics of growth of MNCs and their global value chains, and papers that explore state, international, and cross-border labour approaches to ensure more equitable and sustainable growth.

The following seven tracks will examine the overall conference theme.

1. MNCs, Trade Agreements, and Workers? Rights

2. The Role of the State: Regulating Corporations

3. Strategic Corporate Research and Campaigns

4. Human Rights, Labour Protection and Regulation, and Corporate Liability

5. Precarious Work: Organizing the Bottom of the Supply Chain

6. Wages, Bargaining, and Binding Agreements with MNCs

7. Development, Sustainability and Resistance

The conference is hosted by Penn State University and the AFL-CIO. It aims to promote debate between academic scholars, trade unionists and civil society activists and leaders.