While I was over in the US earlier this year, I managed to meet briefly with Kate Bronfrenbrenner and her colleagues and students at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Cornell University.

Cornell is one of the main sponsors of a key conference taking place next year, bringing together unions and academics from around the world. Global Companies - Global Unions - Global Research, is taking place next February 9-11 in New York, and will include sessions focusing on multinationals including Wal-Mart, Kraft Foods, Siemens and Exxon Mobil.

The event is being sponsored by a huge range of US and international unions and federations, and the organisers are particularly keen to secure sponsorship to allow delegates from unions in the developing world to attend. You can find out more about the conference, by contacting Kate Bronfenbrenner, at klb23@cornell.edu .