Walesa snubbed on Solidarity celebration
(UPI) -- Former Polish President Lech Walesa, whose unions helped topple communism, was not invited to attend Thursday's official Solidarity anniversary celebrations. Attending official ceremonies at the Gdansk

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:37 PM

Level Field Institute Releases New Report Today That Shows $83 billion in Auto Parts Sales – and 232,000 U.S. Jobs – Could Depend on Differences in Do

Level Field Institute Releases New Report Today That Shows $83 billion in Auto Parts Sales – and 232,000 U.S. Jobs – Could Depend on Differences in Domestic Auto Parts Content
Level Field conducted this most recent study in response to growingconfusion over whether, and how much, a car's domestic content stillmatters. The report examines how much automakers spent on U.S. parts inrecent years, as well as the average domestic content for the cars sold inthe U.S. by each company (as defined by the American Automobile LabelingAct (AALA)).

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:28 PM

Garbage Rots in Gaza As Workers Walk Out

Garbage Rots in Gaza As Workers Walk Out
By By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer
The smell of festering garbage, dead animals and burning trash hung over Gaza City on Thursday, the result of the latest strike by civil servants demanding that the Hamas-led government pay them their long-overdue salaries. Municipal workers...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:32 PM

Hilton, union close to deal

Hilton, union close to deal
Hilton Hotels Corp. has reached a tentative agreement with the hotel workers union on a new three-year contract covering 2,300 workers at four major Chicago-area hotels.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:30 PM

What's Wrong With Globalization?

What's Wrong With Globalization?
Globalization, as the term is generally used, refers to the extension of the production and distribution of goods and services on a vastly greater international scale than ever before. This increasing internationalization of economic activity is

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:25 PM

Chilean Copper Miners to Vote Today to End Strike at BHP's Escondida Mine

Chilean Copper Miners to Vote Today to End Strike at BHP's Escondida Mine
(Bloomberg) -- Workers at BHP Billiton Ltd.'s Escondida copper mine are set to vote today in Chile on a new labor contract, ending a 25-day strike that's disrupted supply.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:23 PM

Outsourcing a net plus for Americans: US Chamber

Outsourcing a net plus for Americans: US Chamber
Americans may be complaining about losing jobs to Indians through outsourcing, but a new study says it is a net plus for them with the US getting at least $50 billion more through insourcing. The US is also winning the global

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:21 PM

Employment Law Outsourcing Checklist

Employment Law Outsourcing Checklist
When deciding to outsource, make sure to address all applicable legal obligations to employees. Use the following checklist to assist you with your compliance efforts.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:20 PM

Striking Gary Indiana teachers face deadline

Striking Gary teachers face deadline
GARY, Ind. -- Talks in the 10-day-old Gary teachers strike broke down again and school officials said they might be forced to take legal action.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:05 PM

Women's Rights Violations Still Pervasive in U.S. Military

Women's Rights Violations Still Pervasive in U.S. Military
While the Department of Defense has pledged to crack down on violence against women in the armed forces, follow-up on that promise has been slow and piecemeal.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:03 PM

Jamacia Teachers want more maternity leave

Teachers want more maternity leave
THE teachers' union is pushing for four months paid maternity leave for its members, and has given the Government until 9:59 am today to reconsider its 'outright' rejection of this and other proposals submitted on behalf of the island's approximately

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:02 PM

Boeing spinoff slashes labor costs

Boeing spinoff slashes labor costs
Boeing sold its former Wichita operations in 2005 to shed its aircraft-parts business — seen as an expensive in-house operation with...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:58 PM

Employees picket UW Medical Center

Employees picket University of Washington Medical Center
In Local News
Hundreds of union employees of the University of Washington Medical Center held a lunchtime picket rally Wednesday to protest what they...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:57 PM

In Britain Second generation ethnic minorities make 'remarkable progress' in work

Second generation ethnic minorities make 'remarkable progress' in work
Source: Independent
Ethnic minorities have gained greater equality in the job market over the past 30 years, according to new research. Second generation minorities, especially men of black Caribbean, Indian and Pakistani heritage, are succeeding in ways their parents could only dream of, a study by Dr Yaojun Li, from Birmingham University, and Professor Anthony Heath, from Oxford University, found.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:52 PM

Three polls find workers sensing deep pessimism

Three polls find workers sensing deep pessimism
Source: NYT
Three new opinion polls released yesterday found deep pessimism among American workers, with most saying that wages were not keeping pace with inflation and that workers were worse off in many ways than a generation ago.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:51 PM

Northwest Air case tests union right to strike

Northwest Air case tests union right to strike
By Reuters
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An imminent court decision on Northwest Airlines flight attendants' right to strike could disrupt the carrier's restructuring and also change how the entire industry negotiates with its union employees.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:50 PM

German jobless rate stable at 10.5 percent in August (AFP)

German jobless rate stable at 10.5 percent in August (AFP)
AFP - The German jobless rate has stagnated at 10.5 percent in August, suggesting that the recent decline in unemployment in the eurozone's biggest economy had come to a halt.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:41 PM

Factory orders fell less than expected (Reuters)

Factory orders fell less than expected (Reuters)
Reuters - New orders at U.S. factories fell by a smaller-than-expected 0.6 percent in July, lead by sharp declines in orders for transportation and defense goods.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:40 PM

Weekly jobless claims dip by 2,000 (AP)

Weekly jobless claims dip by 2,000 (AP)
AP - The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefitgs dropped slightly last week, indicating continued underlying strength in the labor market.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:39 PM

NYC issues 9/11 medical guidelines (AP)

NYC issues 9/11 medical guidelines (AP)
AP - New York City health officials issued long-awaited guidelines on Thursday to help doctors detect and treat 9/11-related illnesses, medical advice considered crucial for hundreds of ground zero workers now scattered across the United States.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:38 PM

New Zealand: Dispute involving Australasian supermarket giant gets ugly, allegations of dirty tactics and outright lies

New Zealand: Dispute involving Australasian supermarket giant gets ugly, allegations of dirty tactics and outright lies
LabourStart headline - Source: New Zealand Herald
About 500 workers at Progressive Enterprises' distribution centres supplying Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths supermarkets have been on strike since Friday over a pay and holiday dispute.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:20 PM

Healthy look at retaining older workers

Healthy look at retaining older workers
Health-care groups top AARP's list of best places to work for those older than 50. Dawn Olson, a manager at Mercy Health System in Janesville, Wis., took her laptop with her when she and her husband flew south to spend the month of February in Florida.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:19 PM

UPS Pilots Ratify New Contract

UPS Pilots Ratify New Contract
UPS Inc. pilots approved a new contract Thursday with the world's largest shipping carrier, ending a lengthy battle that included threats of a walkout.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:18 PM

Chicago Hotels, union talking; pacts end Thursday

Hotels, union talking; pacts end Thursday
With union contracts covering 7,000 Chicago hotel workers set to expire at midnight Thursday, new agreements remain out of reach, and three prominent downtown hotels have not engaged in the negotiations, the union says.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:18 PM

Daley: Blacks must move up construction ladder in Chicago

Daley: Blacks must move up construction ladder
Mayor Daley said Tuesday that "no one is satisfied" with the 9 percent share of city contracts going to African-American construction firms, but the only way to increase that number is to encourage more blacks to become general contractors.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:17 PM

Union claims Starbucks win

Union claims Starbucks win
Chicago Sun-Times
A union claiming to represent Starbucks Corp. workers at a handful of coffeehouses said Wednesday that employees of the Logan Square store have declared their membership, becoming the first outside New York City to do so.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:15 PM

NWA union expects no deal

NWA union expects no deal
The standoff between Northwest Airlines and its flight attendants union continued Wednesday as both sides provided discordant outlooks about reconciling their differences.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:14 PM

Minnesota Jobs plentiful, if you don't mind low wages

Jobs plentiful, if you don't mind low wages
More open jobs, pay stalled The state issued its twice-a-year look at job vacancies Wednesday, concluding that job seekers had more to choose from in the second quarter. An advocacy group, the Jobs Now Coalition, points out slim pickin's when it comes to what they pay:

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:12 PM

Kiss pension plans bye-bye

Kiss pension plans bye-bye
With the recent passage of a 907-page pension reform bill, you may think you have more retirement security.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:11 PM

Jobless rate in Kansas City metro area drops

Jobless rate in the metro area drops
The unemployment rate in the Kansas City metro area slipped to 5.1 percent in July from 5.2 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:10 PM

Study shows that boomers like to switch jobs, too

Study shows that boomers like to switch jobs, too
Conventional wisdom says the baby boom generation doesn’t change jobs as often as younger workers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:09 PM

Poland eases rules to fill jobs

Poland eases rules to fill jobs
In Europe
Poland is easing restrictions on workers from Eastern Europe and Turkey to fill labour gaps, following massive Polish migration to Western Europe.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:01 PM

New EU migrants 'face job curbs'

New EU migrants 'face job curbs'
In UK Politics
The UK government is said to be considering limits for Bulgarians and Romanians seeking jobs in the UK.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:59 PM

UN study knocks Japan and Germany

UN study knocks Japan and Germany
In BBC Business
Japan and Germany need to do more to help stimulate the world economy, a United Nations report warns.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:58 PM

Oil unions set to strike in Delta

zOil worker's unions set to strike in Niger Delta
In BBC Africa
The Nigerian oil workers' unions have decided to stage a brief strike to express their concern at the lack of security in the Niger Delta.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:54 PM

Jobs in heart of darkness

Jobs in heart of darkness
More white-collar workers adjusting to the night shift. Blue-collar workers once ruled the night. But with manufacturing jobs on the decline, a growing number of white-collar professionals are taking on the physical and personal challenges of working the night shift to meet a growing need for round-the-clock services.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:51 PM

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Army meets its retention goal (AP)

Army meets its retention goal (AP)
AP - Staff Sgt. Michael Obleton has already done two tours in Iraq, dodging roadside bombs as he drove trucks in Army convoys across the hostile countryside.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:40 PM

End in sight for Chile pit strike

End in sight for Chile pit strike
In Business
A strike at the world's largest privately-owned copper mine may be near an end after an outline deal is reached.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:17 PM

A Year After Katrina, Hispanics More Common in The Big Easy

A Year After Katrina, Hispanics More Common in The Big Easy
One of the biggest changes to the complexion of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast a year after Hurricane Katrina hit has been the greater prominence of Hispanics. New Orleans and the southernmost portions of Mississippi and Alabama were never as strongly

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:49 PM

Battling the Scourge of IMF "Economic Medicine": Courage and Resistance in Oaxaca and Mexico City

Battling the Scourge of IMF "Economic Medicine": Courage and Resistance in Oaxaca and Mexico City
It began on May 15 this year when teachers belonging to the 70,000 strong National Union of Education Workers in Oaxaca, Mexico took to the streets for the first time to press their demands to the state government to address their long-neglected needs.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:41 PM

Apple trying to resolve labour conditions dispute at Chinese factory

Apple trying to resolve labour conditions dispute at Chinese factory
SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Apple Computer Inc. said Wednesday it was working to resolve a dispute over alleged labour abuses by an iPod manufacturer in China. Hongfujin Precision Industry Co., a major exporter owned by a Taiwanese company,

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:33 PM

Elijah Cummings: Developing Black Economic Power is as Crucial as Ensuring Our Civil Rights

Elijah Cummings: Developing Black Economic Power is as Crucial as Ensuring Our Civil Rights
There was a time in the 19th century when leading Black leaders like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois debated whether the uplifting of dispossessed Americans had to begin with economic self-determination or with a movement toward full civil rights.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:10 PM

GM Europe workers close ranks for new Astra work

GM Europe workers close ranks for new Astra work
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Labour leaders at five General Motors Europe plants will not enter in a contest to make the next-generation Astra compact until the carmaker agrees job security steps, its works council head said on Wednesday. GM has said

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:07 PM

Around 3,200 VW staff take buyout packages so far

Around 3,200 VW staff take buyout packages so far
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Around 3,200 workers at Volkswagen's core VW business in Germany have accepted voluntary redundancy packages that Europe's biggest carmaker is offering to prune labor costs, the company said on Wednesday. 'We assume that we

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:07 PM

Dragonair said to axe 700 staff after Cathay Pacific takeover

Dragonair said to axe 700 staff after Cathay Pacific takeover
Dragonair may lay off as many as 700 staff after it is taken over by flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, according to a press report. Citing an unnamed source, the Standard newspaper reported that a "sizable number of support staff" will be axed as

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:04 PM

NWA willing to talk, but flight attendants call it pointless

NWA willing to talk, but flight attendants call it pointless
In StarTribune.com Business
Northwest Airlines Corp. and its flight attendants, locked in a dispute that could end in a strike, offered sharply differing views today on whether they can solve their problems at the negotiating table. Last week a federal district judge blocked random, unannounced job actions planned by flight attendants, who are trying to force Northwest to negotiate a better deal. On Wednesday the Association of Flight Attendants told the judge that it appears there is little likelihood that talks would be fruitful. However, Northwest claimed it is willing to talk and that it "is working on its own ne

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:03 PM

AFL-CIO to spend $40 million on elections

AFL-CIO to spend $40 million on elections
Source: CNN
The AFL-CIO announced Wednesday it will spend $40 million on get-out-the-vote operations for the midterm elections in an effort to try to drive congressional Republicans from power as well as win governorships in 21 states across the country.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:54 PM

Miami's poor hungry for progress

Miami's poor hungry for progress
Miami is the nation's third-poorest major city, behind only Cleveland and Detroit, according to a report released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:52 PM

Employers Cut Back on Health Insurance

Employers Cut Back on Health Insurance
NPR audio
The number of Americans without health insurance has increased by more than a million people since last year. One reason for the increase: the percentage of American's who get their health insurance from an employer keeps going down.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:52 PM

New York City: Some Jewish Lifeguards Claim Bias at Jones Beach

Some Jewish Lifeguards Claim Bias at Jones Beach
By COREY KILGANNON
A group of Jewish lifeguards say they have been harassed, unfairly disciplined and made the subject of a police investigation instigated by Jones Beach administrators.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:50 PM

New York City: Census Figures Show Scant Improvement in City Poverty Rate

Census Figures Show Scant Improvement in City Poverty Rate
By SAM ROBERTS
Despite New York City’s economic rebound from 9/11 and the national recession, the proportion of city residents who live below the federal poverty level has not budged in the last five years.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:49 PM

Supreme Court Memo: Women Suddenly Scarce Among Justices’ Clerks

Supreme Court Memo: Women Suddenly Scarce Among Justices’ Clerks
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
The number of Supreme Court law clerkships held by women is in the single digits for the first time since 1994.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:47 PM

Seattle area: Men rise higher on pay ladder

Men rise higher on pay ladder
Women's pay is lagging behind men's in Seattle, where the typical man got a more-than $2,000 pay bump last year while women's pay was virtually unchanged, according to a Seattle P-I analysis of new federal data.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:42 PM

Washington State Growers say fruit's ready, but workers are scarce

Growers say fruit's ready, but workers are scarce
In Local News
Heinz Humann was late this year. Later than he's ever been. His workers finished thinning out apple and pear trees to prepare for the harvest...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:39 PM

New head of campus diversity at Cal heading for big paycheck

New head of campus diversity at Cal heading for big paycheck
By Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross
UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has just announced he's creating the new post of vice chancellor for equity and inclusion -- a job that not only has an impressive title, but an equally impressive salary of between $182,000 and $282,000 a year....

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:37 PM

Business leaders seek 'unlimited immigration' from new EU states

Business leaders seek 'unlimited immigration' from new EU states
Source: Independent
The leaders of Britain's biggest businesses employing millions of people have called on the Government to allow unlimited immigration from Bulgaria and Romania when the two former Eastern Bloc states join the European Union next year.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:29 PM

Average daily commute is getting shorter (AP)

Average daily commute is getting shorter (AP)
AP - It might be hard for some drivers to believe, but average commuting times are getting shorter for U.S. workers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:23 PM

WellPoint looks at restructuring, job cuts

WellPoint looks at restructuring, job cuts
WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest commercial health insurer, announced today a sweeping restructuring of its internal organization that will result in an undisclosed number of job cuts.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:13 PM

Striking Gary, Indiana teachers face firing

Striking Gary teachers face firing
GARY, Ind. -- The Gary Community School Corp. sent letters Tuesday to striking teachers warning them they could be fired if they do not return to their classrooms by Thursday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:13 PM

RadioShack uses e-mail to lay off employees

RadioShack uses e-mail to lay off employees
RadioShack Corp. followed through on its announced plans to cut about 400 jobs, but the electronics retailer has been forced on the defensive about its method of notifying laid-off employees by e-mail

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:56 PM

Home Depot to lay off 300 at HQ

Home Depot to lay off 300 at HQ
Home Depot told employees Wednesday it will lay off 300 workers at its Cobb County headquarters to offset a recent uptick in costs for its store operations, according to an internal memo. Home Depot, which employs about 5,000 people at its headquarters, has undergone several consolidations since General Electric veteran Bob Nardelli took the helm in 2000. The reduction announced Wednesday is related to Nardelli's decision to spend more on Home Depot stores in the second half of the year.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:11 PM

NWA, union to meet judge today

NWA, union to meet judge today
Northwest Airlines and its flight attendants union, which haven't resumed contract talks, are set to meet today with the judge who urged them to negotiate when he blocked a strike last week.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:10 PM

Bayer’s cutback to affect Kanas City area

Bayer’s cutback to affect KC area
German chemical and drug maker Bayer AG on Tuesday said it would cut 1,500 jobs by the end of 2009, mainly in North America, as it reorganizes its CropScience unit.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:09 PM

Extreme poverty in Asia falls, study says

Extreme poverty in Asia falls, study says
BUSAN, South Korea Economic growth in China and India has significantly reduced the number of Asians subsisting below the $1-a-day poverty level, International Labor Organization said Tuesday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:09 PM

New law means it's time to change the way workers think about 401(k)s

New law means it's time to change the way workers think about 401(k)s
By Pamela Yip
The 401(k) is being transformed. The pension bill that President Bush signed into law makes 401(k)s friendlier to workers and encourages employers to help savings-challenged Americans build their nest eggs for retirement.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:07 PM

Daily Misery Has a Number: D.C. area commute 2nd-Longest in U.S.

Daily Misery Has a Number: Commute 2nd-Longest in U.S.
By D'Vera Cohn and Robert Samuels
Residents of Washington's outer suburbs endure some of the nation's longest commutes, according to a U.S. Census survey released yesterday that also showed clogged roads and high gasoline prices are pushing a growing number of people onto mass transit.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:39 AM

More in U.S. lack health insurance / Employers, workers feel financial pinch, U.S. census reports

More in U.S. lack health insurance / Employers, workers feel financial pinch, U.S. census reports
By Victoria Colliver
A record 46.6 million Americans had no health insurance in 2005 and fewer people received coverage through their employers, according to U.S. census figures released Tuesday. Nearly 1 in 6 Americans, or 15.9 percent of the country, was uninsured for...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:38 AM

U.S. household income rises a bit, but poverty rate maintains its grip / More are working, but for less pay, say advocates for poor

U.S. household income rises a bit, but poverty rate maintains its grip / More are working, but for less pay, say advocates for poor
By Ilene Lelchuk
Median household income rose about 1 percent between 2004 and 2005, but the nation's poverty rate remained unchanged, according to a survey released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The American Community Survey for 2005, the Census Bureau's new...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:37 AM

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

WORK SPACE: Little boasting on posting

WORK SPACE: Little boasting on posting
Only 6 percent of U.S. workers say they read blogs, message boards or chat rooms about their own companies, and only 5 percent say they’ve contributed to them, according to a survey released this month.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 5:00 PM

LABOR SCENE: Appeals ruling favors UPS, union

LABOR SCENE: Appeals ruling favors UPS, union
A federal appeals court has upheld a judge’s ruling in favor of United Parcel Service and Teamsters Local 41, both of which were sued by two former employees contending they were illegally fired.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 5:00 PM

Classes come to students

Classes come to students
Once a week at Armed Forces Insurance Co. in Leavenworth, a handful of employees take off early from work to attend college. They don’t have to leave the building or pay tuition.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:59 PM

Get certified, get an edge

Get certified, get an edge
Proving that a company is owned by a woman sounds easy enough. But the process for certifying a business as woman-owned — whether through a public agency or private organization — involves much more than proof of gender and ownership.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:58 PM

Debt straps middle-income families

Debt straps middle-income families
Despite increased home ownership — one of the largest assets of most middle-income families — the overall financial condition of many Americans had deteriorated, according to a report on wealth distribution.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:57 PM

Casinos' Rebound Brings Money, Jobs to Gulf Coast

Casinos' Rebound Brings Money, Jobs to Gulf Coast
NPR audio:
Hurricane Katrina destroyed Mississippi's booming coastal casino business -- taking with it an important source of revenue and jobs. But a year after the storm, the seventh casino is reopening in Biloxi -- the latest sign of the gambling industry's dramatic turnaround.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:56 PM

Making a job work

Making a job work
After quitting her job overseeing four Toys "R" Us stores to raise her newborn son, Allison O'Kelly took her Harvard MBA and designed a career she thought would let her excel in business and make time for kids. Her Cobb County-based venture, Mom Corps, aims to connect companies offering flexible work options with former CPAs, marketing specialists, lawyers and other professionals who took time out to become moms. Some of her client firms offer short-term project work. Others have three-day-a-week jobs that fit within "mom hours" when kids are at school. The concept plays well, especially as the wave of retiring baby boomers threatens to drain employers of experienced workers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:54 PM

After the Deluge: Big Easy organizers confront racial tensions

After the Deluge: Big Easy organizers confront racial tensions
Source: In These Times
In New Orleans, the history of work in this country over the last 15 years was compressed into six months,” says Saket Soni, an organizer for the New Orleans Worker Justice Coalition, one of several groups reaching out to workers in the post-flood city.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:50 PM

National Labor Relations Board may effectively gut millions' right to unionize.

National Labor Relations Board may effectively gut millions' right to unionize.
Source: The New Standard
If the NLRB acts as expected in imminent rulings on three separate 2002 cases – collectively known as the "Kentucky River" cases – more than 8 million workers could see their collective-bargaining rights disappear, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a progressive research organization.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:47 PM

Ground Zero Workers: The Continuing Cost Of A Cover-Up

Ground Zero Workers: The Continuing Cost Of A Cover-Up
Source: Confined Space
In the case of World Trade Center ground zero workers, plenty was known early on about the toxicity of the dust they were inhaling, and little was done to ensure that workers were protected -- especially by those agencies -- the City of New York, OSHA and EPA -- who were responsible for worker safety. One only hopes that, should something like this ever happen again, we've learned our lesson.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:46 PM

If the auto industry is dead what does that mean for workers?

If the auto industry is dead what does that mean for workers?
Source: Labor Notes
n the 1980s Chevrolet proclaimed itself the “Heartbeat of America.” Today many would say that the American auto industry qualifies for life support. Last November, General Motors (owner of the Chevy brand) announced that it was cutting 25,000 jobs and closing up to 12 factories by 2008.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:35 PM

Worries about the job market have left confidence among US consumers at a nine-month low

Worries about the job market have left confidence among US consumers at a nine-month low
Source: BBC
Last week, figures for July showed slumps in sales of new and existing homes, prompting fears that a slower housing market could harm US growth.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:34 PM

Japan recovery cuts jobless rate

Japan recovery cuts jobless rate
In Business
Japan's unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in July, official figures show, as the economy continues to recover.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:22 PM

China to tackle workplace deaths

China to tackle workplace deaths
In Asia-Pacific
China plans to spend nearly $60bn over five years on industrial safety in a bid to cut workplace accidents.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:22 PM

ILO sees work woe as Asia booms

ILO sees work woe as Asia booms
In Business
Asian workers fail to reap the full benefits of the region's growth, the International Labour Organization warns.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:21 PM

A dozen years after the end of apartheid, black business leaders are growing increasingly frustrated at the concentration of corporate power in white

A dozen years after the end of apartheid, black business leaders are growing increasingly frustrated at the concentration of corporate power in white hands.
Peter Vundla, chairperson of a black business working group that met Mbeki last week on the issue, said legislation promoting black economic empowerment was in place but was receiving lip service from government and white business.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:12 PM

New Zealand Union warns employer may break law by using new workers

Union warns employer may break law by using new workers
Source: Radio New Zealand

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:46 PM

Hundreds demand jobs in violent protest in Gaza

Hundreds demand jobs in violent protest in Gaza
Source: Reuters
Hundreds of Palestinians demanding jobs clashed with riot police outside parliament on Tuesday in one of the most violent rallies in Gaza since the Hamas government assumed power seven months ago.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:44 PM

Civil-racketeering claims against Wal-Mart dropped

Civil-racketeering claims against Wal-Mart dropped
A federal judge dismissed civil-racketeering claims Monday against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., narrowing the scope of a lawsuit that accused the world's largest retailer of knowingly employing illegal immigrants to clean its stores.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:43 PM

Chile: Miners say NO to scabs

Chile: Miners say NO to scabs
LabourStart headline - Source: Prensa Latina
Members of the Union of Escondida, the world largest private open air mine, lodged an appeal to the Labor Inspector to expel workers hired by the transnational to break the three-week strike.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:18 PM

More Indiana residents sink into poverty

More Hoosiers sink into poverty
The number of Hoosiers living in poverty grew 13 percent from 2004 to 2005, leaving more than 740,000 men, women and children struggling to make ends meet, new census data show.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:14 PM

Liberia: Civil Servants Cry For Pay

Liberia: Civil Servants Cry For Pay
They told our reporters on tour of several ministries and agencies yesterday, that they had not taken pay for more than two months now a situation blamed on delay in the passage of the 2006/2007 national budget by the National Legislature.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:03 PM

Cameroon: Cameroon Airlines Workers Demand Fcfa 24 Billion

Cameroon: Camair Workers Demand Fcfa 24 Billion
The coordinator of workers' syndicates at Cameroon Airlines, CAMAIR, Pierre Marie Essimi, has disclosed that contrary to government's decision to allocate FCFA 15 billion to pay potential retrenched workers of the company, calculation done by the syndicates shows that the close to 900 workers are supposed to be paid FCFA 24 billion.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:01 PM

Ford updates union leaders

Ford updates union leaders
Source: NYT
Local union leaders at the Ford Motor Company received an update on the struggling company’s condition Tuesday, but said they were not told about any specific steps the company planned to take.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:45 AM

Washington D.C. Few Places Left for Industrial Business

Few Places Left for Industrial Business
By Dana Hedgpeth
Finding space in the District to do dirty jobs is getting harder and harder these days. The boom in office, housing and retail development that started in the late 1990s has pushed developers to pay ever-higher prices for land where used-car lots, tire shops and cement plants once were, according to a study by the District's Office of Planning.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:41 AM

Monday, August 28, 2006

Fed chief focuses on global economy / Warns governments to aid citizens in time of sweeping change

Fed chief focuses on global economy / Warns governments to aid citizens in time of sweeping change
By Edmund L. Andrews
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday that the pace of globalization today is faster and more sweeping than anytime in world history. And while he generally lauded the expansion of global trade and finance, he warned that governments need...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:52 PM

Teaching business methods to Chinese immigrants / Author finds that entrepreneurs from Asia face unique cultural issues when in America

Teaching business methods to Chinese immigrants / Author finds that entrepreneurs from Asia face unique cultural issues when in America
By Ilana DeBare
Karina Wong spent her childhood helping out in the Chicago restaurant run by her Chinese immigrant parents. But it wasn't until she started working at an economic development agency in New York's Chinatown that she started thinking about the unique cultural...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:52 PM

Incentives To Cheat: OSHA Recordkeeping And Its Toll On Workers

Incentives To Cheat: OSHA Recordkeeping And Its Toll On Workers
Source: Confined Space
Injury and illness recordkeeping is one of those seemingly boring, but extremely important topics. Who OSHA targets for inspections, funding for workplace safety programs, companies' insurance rates and their ability to secure contracts all depend to some extent on where the injury and illness numbers are.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:48 PM

Strike tactics, but few work shutdowns

Strike tactics, but few work shutdowns
Source: BusinessWeek
During a CHAOS strike, like the one Northwest Airlines flight attendants threatened to launch last week, there's very little actual striking.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:42 PM

Real wages fail to match a rise in productivity

Real wages fail to match a rise in productivity
Source: NYT
With the economy beginning to slow, the current expansion has a chance to become the first sustained period of economic growth since World War II that fails to offer a prolonged increase in real wages for most workers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:41 PM

Denver concedes lack of unionized hotels hobbles its bid for Democratic '08 gathering

Denver concedes lack of unionized hotels hobbles its bid for Democratic '08 gathering
Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press
The city once thought to be the front-runner for the 2008 Democratic National Convention may be flagging, and Minnesota organizers say they're more hopeful than ever they'll overtake Denver in the quest to host the gathering.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:40 PM

Chicago Living Wage activists take on `Big Box' retailers

Chicago Living Wage activists take on `Big Box' retailers
Source: Labor Notes
Chicago’s city council passed a Chicago’s “Big Box” ordinance requires large retailers to pay wages of at least $10 an hour plus $3 in benefits by 2010. Photo: SEIU Local 880. “Big Box Ordinance” on July 25 requiring large retailers (those with stores over 90,000 square feet) to pay their employees $10 an hour, plus another $3 an hour in benefits, by 2010.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:39 PM

Rail Reform Group wins victories in quest for cross-union unity, democracy

Rail Reform Group wins victories in quest for cross-union unity, democracy
Source: Labor Notes
Since its founding in the spring of 2005, the rank-and-file reform group Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU) has been plugging away at organizing around the twin themes of rail labor unity and internal union democracy. After a year of hard member-by-member organizing, ROCU, whose members come from the United Transportation Union (UTU) and the Teamster-affiliated Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET), has some reasons to celebrate.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:38 PM

Detroit Teachers Reject Contract, Go on Strike

Detroit Teachers Reject Contract, Go on Strike
DETROIT (AP) - Teachers frustrated by failed efforts to reach a contract agreement with the city's public school district went on strike Monday and said they were prepared to stand their ground for as long as it takes. The Detroit Federation of Teachers

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:15 PM

For business owners, a shortage of vacation time

For business owners, a shortage of vacation time
In smallBusinessNews
(Inc.com) - Last year, Mary Schellhammer and her husband Paul left behind their Spotsylvania, Va., personal-chef business and took an extended summer vacation in Europe. Next year, they're planning a two-week trip to Alaska.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:55 AM

FedEx Pilots Reach a Tentative Contract

FedEx Pilots Reach a Tentative Contract
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FedEx Express, the largest division of the FedEx Corporation, and its 4,700 pilots had been negotiating since March 2004.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:54 AM

Global Trends May Hinder Effort to Curb U.S. Inflation

Global Trends May Hinder Effort to Curb U.S. Inflation
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
Economists said global trends of low-priced Chinese goods and foreign investment in the U.S. and Europe could soon change, increasing inflation.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:50 AM

Buyouts at Ford Are No. 1 Topic for Union Leaders Tuesday

Buyouts at Ford Are No. 1 Topic for Union Leaders Tuesday
By NICK BUNKLEY and MICHELINE MAYNARD
The meeting comes about three weeks before Ford is expected to detail its amended “Way Forward” reorganizing plan.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:47 AM

Friday, August 25, 2006

California Employers Threatened With New Waive of 17200 Suits

California Employers Threatened With New Waive of 17200 Suits
By Sheppard Mullin on Immigration
A new organization by the name of "Illegal Employers.org" has established a website for reporting employers alleged to be engaged in the employment of unauthorized workers in California and elsewhere. The website describes the organization as a network of law firms,...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:49 PM

Seattle Times, Union Set Tentative Deal

Seattle Times, Union Set Tentative Deal
The Seattle Times and its largest union have tentatively agreed on a new, two-year contract that calls for no across-the-board wage increases, the newspaper reported. But Liz Brown, the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild's administrative officer, said...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:32 PM

S.F. hotel workers authorize strike

S.F. hotel workers authorize strike
Source: SF Business Times
Joining hotel workers in Hawaii, Toronto and Chicago, employees from 13 large San Francisco hotels last night authorized their union to call a strike. Members of Local 2 of the Unite Here union authorized a strike by a 93 percent vote, union officials said.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:31 PM

Employers Flock to Government Screening Program

Employers Flock to Government Screening Program
NPR audio:
The government's Basic Pilot program, which employers can voluntarily use to screen prospective employees, tells whether someone is legally eligible to work in the U.S. In the past year, the number of employers using the program has doubled.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:30 PM

Wal-Mart Reaches Out, Gets Slapped

Wal-Mart Reaches Out, Gets Slapped
The discount giant takes criticism from all sides as it tries to appeal to a more diverse clientele.For Wal-Mart Stores Inc., even trying to make new friends is controversial.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:29 PM

Northwest flight attendants temporarily blocked from striking

Northwest flight attendants temporarily blocked from striking
Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants were temporarily blocked from striking tonight while a U.S. judge considers the bankrupt carrier's request to permanently bar a work stoppage.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:28 PM

Minnesota's HMO rate hikes slow

HMO rate hikes slow
The hefty reserves being socked away by Minnesota's health maintenance organizations might have helped keep down last year's premium increases, which were their lowest since 1998, according to an industry report issued Friday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:26 PM

High noon for NWA, union

High noon for NWA, union
Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines could start walking off flights or launch other job actions as early as 9:01 p.m. today. The union is vague about its strike strategy. The airline pledges to continue to operate a normal schedule, but won't say how. What to watch for today:

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:26 PM

Persistence pays with 401(k)s

Persistence pays with 401(k)s
NEW YORK — Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to retirement savings, according to a study of 401(k) accounts released Thursday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:16 PM

Many skip employer medical benefits

Many skip employer medical benefits
Nearly three-fourths of U.S. workers in private industry had access to employer-sponsored health-care benefit plans this year, but only about half participated in those plans.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:49 PM

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Foreign Briefs: Jobless Rate in Brazil at 15-Month High

Business" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/business/25fobriefs-002.html?ex=1314158400&en=26cae2d8709eb82d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss" target=_blank>Foreign Briefs: Jobless Rate in Brazil at 15-Month High
By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Brazil’s unemployment rate jumped to a 15-month high in July as an appreciation in the currency eroded profits on exports and led companies including Volkswagen to cut payrolls. The jobless rate in Brazil’s six largest metropolitan areas rose to 10.7 percent, from 10.4 percent in June and 9.4 percent in July 2005, the government said. Economists had predicted a decline in the rate to 10.2 percent, according to the median of 14 forecasts in a Bloomberg survey.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:34 PM

Airlines ask judge to block walkouts

Airlines ask judge to block walkouts
The U.S. Justice Department and more than 20 airlines asked a judge to block a flight attendants' strike at Northwest Airlines, saying a work stoppage would disrupt transportation and hurt the economy.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:29 PM

Weekly jobless claims drop by 1,000 (AP)

Weekly jobless claims drop by 1,000 (AP)
AP - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell by 1,000 last week.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:48 PM

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Dunbar v. Albertson's: Could Class Certification Denial Be The New Trend?

Dunbar v. Albertson's: Could Class Certification Denial Be The New Trend?
By Sheppard Mullin on Wage and Hour
The California Supreme Court decision in Sav-On Drugstores v. Superior Court, 34 Cal. 4th 319 (2004), concerned many employers who feared that post-Sav-On courts would simply rubber-stamp class certification motions and employers would have no appellate recourse. However, the recent Court...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:50 PM

Employers Tap Web for Employee Information

Employers Tap Web for Employee Information
More employers are looking online to learn about their employees. Some people are putting sensitive personal information on Web sites, such as myspace.com and friendster.com. And some employers are watching.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:44 PM

Los Angeles mayor faces first major labor battle as workers stage strike

LA mayor faces first major labor battle as workers stage strike
Source: SFgate
Tested by a labor revolt for the first time, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa offered no encouragement Tuesday to city engineers and programmers who walked off their jobs to press for fatter raises.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:39 PM

IRS outsourced

IRS outsourced
WASHINGTON — As the Internal Revenue Service prepares to implement a new program that sends private debt collection agencies after delinquent taxpayers, critics — including several lawmakers and the employee union at the Treasury Department — are gearing up to protest it.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:32 PM

Businesses sue competitors who hire illegal immigrants

Businesses sue competitors who hire illegal immigrants
LOS ANGELES — Frustrated by lax enforcement of immigration law, businesses are taking their fight against illegal immigration to court, accusing competitors of hiring illegal workers to achieve an unfair advantage.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:31 PM

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Delta retired pilots group shifts pension stance

Delta retired pilots group shifts pension stance
A group representing retired pilots is having second thoughts about its decision not to oppose Delta Air Lines' plans to terminate their pension plan. The group, DP3, asked the federal bankruptcy court to delay a Sept. 1 hearing on Delta's request to terminate the pension plan. The group argued that it needs more time to study pension relief legislation signed into law last week that could open a way for Delta to save the pilots' pensions. Delta wants to shed the deeply underfunded pension plan effective Sept. 2, shifting responsibility for further benefit payouts to a quasi-federal agency.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:34 PM

Hiring Of Hispanic Professors Lags In Florida

Hiring Of Hispanic Professors Lags In Florida
The enrollment of Hispanic students at Florida colleges and universities has ballooned spectacularly in recent years, prompting many Hispanic professors to question why their numbers aren't growing at a corresponding pace. Hispanic professors and

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:31 PM

California to raise minimum wage to highest in US (Reuters)

California to raise minimum wage to highest in US (Reuters)
Reuters - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers reached a deal late Monday to hike the minimum wage to the highest level in the nation, aides said on Tuesday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:35 PM

Ford plant to eliminate shift

Ford plant to eliminate shift
Ford Motor Co. told union officials Monday that it will eliminate one of the two shifts at its St. Paul truck-assembly plant in December, which will affect up to 700 jobs.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:33 PM

Monday, August 21, 2006

California's jobless rate slips to 4.8% / Employers added only 900 positions

State's jobless rate slips to 4.8% / Employers added only 900 positions
By Carolyn Said
California's unemployment rate edged down to a seasonally adjusted 4.8 percent in July, even though employers added a scant 900 payroll jobs during the month, the state Employment Development Department said Friday. "It was a quiet July in the labor...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:19 PM

Worried at work

Worried at work
In StarTribune.com Business
Lori Murphy waits for two phone calls every day. She does this at work, as a youth-enrichment coordinator for Edina Community Education Services. The rule is that her sons, Connor, 15, and Jack, 12, check in when they let themselves into the house after school. After four years of this, Murphy's maternal anxiety level has dropped to the high-normal range for the hour or two the boys are alone. Still, she doesn't relax until those calls come. "It's a scary thing to do with your children," Murphy said. "You want to make sure you're doing the right thing." Multiply Murphy about 14 mil

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:17 PM

China's aging population to slow economy: report (Reuters)

China's aging population to slow economy: report (Reuters)
Reuters - China's one-child policy has led to an aging population and labor shortages that could undermine a key basis for the country's economic growth -- its seemingly endless supply of cheap workers, a newspaper said on Monday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:15 PM

Costly Promises: New York Gets Sobering Look at Its Pensions

Costly Promises: New York Gets Sobering Look at Its Pensions
By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH and MICHAEL COOPER
Pension funds look fully funded because the city has been using an unusual pension calculation that does not comply with accepted accounting rules.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:53 PM

Detroit Waves Flag That No Longer Flies

Detroit Waves Flag That No Longer Flies
By Sholnn Freeman
Sen. Lamar Alexander has backed a measure to outlaw burning of the American flag and supported a move to recognize English as the national language. He also takes what he calls a pro-American stance on issues related to the U.S. auto industry, but his view doesn't sit well in Detroit.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:37 AM

Friday, August 18, 2006

Politics of Outsourcing Aren't Dead Yet

Politics of Outsourcing Aren't Dead Yet
U.S. election and business cycles are both here to stay. In the absence of hard evidence that would conclusively prove that the U.S. economy gains from the relocation of labor-intensive tasks to cheaper centers, it is quite safe to assume that the politics of outsourcing are in hibernation, not dead.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:51 PM

Asians 2nd largest immigrants to US

Asians 2nd largest immigrants to US
Every eighth person in America today is foreign-born with Asians making up the second largest group of immigrants with India, China and the Philippines supplying the greatest numbers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:07 PM

U.S. Homeland Security Estimate 10.5M Illegal Immigrants

Feds Estimate 10.5M Illegal Immigrants
WASHINGTON -- An estimated 10.5 million illegal immigrants were living in the United States in 2005, the federal government said in a report Friday. That's up from an estimated 8.5 million living in the country in 2000, according to calculations by the

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:04 PM

Vietnam legislature debates gender equality bill

Vietnam legislature debates gender equality bill
Vietnam legislature debates gender equality bill Vietnamese legislators discussed the draft Law on Gender Equality Thursday with focus on the retirement age and pensions for women and the ratio of women in elected bodies.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:58 PM

Daley slams visitors who tout wage laws

Daley slams visitors who tout wage laws
`You manage your city,' mayor says of 2 leaders. Officials from Santa Fe and San Francisco told Chicago aldermen on Thursday that minimum-wage ordinances have had no negative effects on their cities and have not scared off big retailers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:54 PM

Boeing's Long Beach C-17 Plant to Shut Down

Boeing's Long Beach C-17 Plant to Shut Down
Boeing Co. said today it was taking the first steps toward closing its sprawling C-17 assembly plant in Long Beach, a shutdown that is expected to be completed by the middle of 2009 unless significant new orders are placed for the giant military transport aircraft.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:33 PM

Maryland unemployment increases in July

Md. unemployment increases in July
State employers cut 1,100 jobs, signaling broader economic slowdownMaryland employers cut jobs for the second month in a row, according to federal numbers released today, leading economists to speculate that the economic slowing nationally is causing ripple effects across the state.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:30 PM

Judge Won’t Block Strike by Northwest Attendants

Judge Won’t Block Strike by Northwest Attendants
By JEREMY W. PETERS
A federal judge said he could not block the strike, opening the door for a potentially crippling labor disruption.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:24 PM

Delphi to see exodus of 6,300 US workers

Delphi to see exodus of 6,300 US workers
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi Corp. said on Friday that 6,300 U.S. hourly workers at the company's second largest union, or 83 percent of those eligible, have opted to leave through retirements or buyouts.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:17 PM

Jobless claims drop by most in a month (AP)

Jobless claims drop by most in a month (AP)
AP - The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week by the largest amount in a month.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:16 PM

NY Gov Pataki will veto change in anti-public-union Taylor law

NY Gov Pataki will veto change in anti-public-union Taylor law
Source: NYT
Gov. George E. Pataki will veto a bill that would have strengthened unions in negotiations with public employers, his staff said yesterday. The bill was backed by the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and passed by the Legislature in June. It would have amended the Taylor Law, which governs public employees’ labor negotiations, in part by expediting decisions from the state’s Public Employment Relations Board in cases in which employers are accused of negotiating in bad faith.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:12 PM

Same-sex pairs to benefit under new pension law / Provision allows nonmarried beneficiaries to postpone taxes

Same-sex pairs to benefit under new pension law / Provision allows nonmarried beneficiaries to postpone taxes
By Wyatt Buchanan
Same-sex couples will be able to save on taxes starting next year under a massive overhaul of U.S. pension rules signed into law Thursday by President Bush. The law includes a provision that will allow "nonspousal beneficiaries," including same-sex...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:08 PM

Apple says iPod factory in China treats workers fairly / Cupertino company denies child-labor, low wages charge

Apple says iPod factory in China treats workers fairly / Cupertino company denies child-labor, low wages charge
By Ellen Lee
The popular iPod digital music player is not made by child laborers, nor is it manufactured by employees forced to toil for long hours for low wages, Apple Computer Inc. said Thursday. The Cupertino technology company sent a team of human resources,...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:07 PM

Ford to Slash Production, Shutter Plants

Ford to Slash Production, Shutter Plants
By By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer
Ford Motor Co. on Friday announced sharp cuts in its 2006 North American production that will force it to temporarily shut down plants in the U.S. and Canada as it struggles to boost profits against intense foreign competition. The company said fourth-...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:04 PM

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Delphi: Progress in talks with GM, unions

Delphi: Progress in talks with GM, unions
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There has been progress in talks aimed at reaching a new labor agreement that could avoid a crippling strike at bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi and shutdown of operations at General Motors, according to a Delphi spokesman.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:36 PM

Fiat boss in Swiss labor row

Fiat boss in Swiss labor row
Fiat boss in Swiss labor row Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne is trying to defuse a row over allegations he illicitly underpaid foreign laborers for work on the grounds of his villa in Switzerland.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:35 PM

VW Mexico workers consider wage offer, strike looms

VW Mexico workers consider wage offer, strike looms
Workers at Volkswagen's plant in Mexico, where the popular new Beetles are made, are considering a company proposed 4 percent wage hike but if they reject it, they could go on strike Friday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:34 PM

Bush signs pension bill backed by Delta

Bush signs pension bill backed by Delta
President Bush on Thursday signed new rules to prod companies into shoring up their pension plans and offered strong words for corporate America: "Set aside enough money now." But while the legislation toughens pension funding rules overall, it also gives Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines much more time than other companies to fully fund its main plan. Delta executives, who lobbied hard for the provision, say that should enable the carrier to keep the plan intact as its restructures in bankruptcy court. Delta's main plan covers 91,000 workers, retirees and dependents. A separate plan for pilots is being scuttled, and the airline says the pension bill won't change that.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:28 PM

Foreign Briefs : Jobless Claims Rise in Britain

Foreign Briefs : Jobless Claims Rise in Britain
By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Britain’s unemployment rose the fastest in more than four years in July as factories shed workers and migrants swelled the work force. The number of people claiming benefits rose by 2,000 from June, to 957,000, the most since January 2002, the Office for National Statistics said. The jobless rate held at 3 percent for a fifth month, in line with economists’ forecasts. The gain in unemployment prompted one of the Bank of England’s seven policy makers, David G. Blanchflower, to vote against this month’s interest rate increase to 4.75 percent, according to published minutes of the meeting. Investors are betting on one more rate increase before the end of the year after inflation held above the bank’s 2 percent target for a third month in July. “The rise in unemployment is strong evidence of ample spare capacity in the U.K. economy, and should over the medium term restrain pay growth,” said Gavin Redknap, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in London.’’.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:26 PM

Taxi Drivers Organize for Better Treatment

Taxi Drivers Organize for Better Treatment
NPR audio:
High gas prices are hitting taxi drivers particularly hard. That's one reason hundreds of cabbies in Los Angeles, and other major cities, have started to organize for better pay and work rules.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:22 PM

The Ins and Doubts of Pension Plans

The Ins and Doubts of Pension Plans
NPR audio:
President Bush signs sweeping new pension reforms. Olivia Mitchell, Executive Director of the Pension Research Council at the Wharton School, explains how pension plans work for employees and employers. She also talks about the problems that arise when a company doesn't set aside enough money to pay off those promises.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:21 PM

Will the Pension Protection Act Do the Job?

Will the Pension Protection Act Do the Job?
NPR audio:
President Bush signs the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which he calls the biggest reform of the nation's pension system in more than three decades. The legislation is designed to strengthen the government's deficit-ridden pension insurance program. But some companies say the stricter funding requirements could push more firms to dump pension programs in favor of 401(k) programs.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:20 PM

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

What does a dying U.S. auto industry mean for the rest of America?

What does a dying U.S. auto industry mean for the rest of America?
Source: Washington Spectator
In the 1980s Chevrolet proclaimed itself the "Heartbeat of America." Today, many would say that the American auto industry barely has a pulse. Last November, General Motors (owner of the Chevy brand) announced that it was cutting 25,000 jobs and closing up to 12 factories by 2008

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:34 PM

Labor tries to heal its differences

Labor tries to heal its differences
Source: NY Times
A year after their breakup, former partners in organized labor are trying to heal some differences by joining forces politically for the November midterm elections.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:32 PM

Data theft may hurt workers

Data theft may hurt workers
By David Lazarus
Chevron may have pocketed record profits of $4.35 billion in the most recent quarter, but that wasn't enough to protect the names and Social Security numbers of potentially tens of thousands of employees. The San Ramon oil giant sent an e-mail to U.S....

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:30 PM

Industrial output up less than expected (Reuters)

Industrial output up less than expected (Reuters)
Reuters - Output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose by a smaller-than-expected 0.4 percent in July, while capacity use edged higher but also came short of forecasts, according to a government report on Wednesday, signaling a hot manufacturing economy may be ready to cool.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:12 PM

Marketplace: Wal-Mart's Policy Letter

Marketplace: Wal-Mart's Policy Letter
NPR audio
Wal-Mart Stores released a letter that it sent to its 18,000 Iowa workers this week. The letter warns that some local politicians are wrongly criticizing Wal-Mart's health and wage policies, but the company insists it's not trying to influence voting. Alex talks with Marketplace's Amy Scott.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:11 PM

Building Trades Bring Fight for Future of American Workers at Georgia Immigration Bill Hearing

Building Trades Bring Fight for Future of American Workers at Georgia Immigration Bill Hearing
Today the Building Trades submitted testimony in strong support of wage floor protection contained in the Senate Immigration Bill (S. 2611) to protect American workers. Terry Yellig, representing the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), at a hearing on "Immigration: Economic Impact on American Workers and their Wages" at the federal courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:07 PM

New U.S. immigrants fan out across nation

New U.S. immigrants fan out across nation
The number of immigrants living in American households rose 16 percent over the past five years, fueled largely by recent arrivals from Mexico, according to fresh data issued by the Census Bureau. Increasingly, immigrants are bypassing the traditional

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:04 PM

Monday, August 14, 2006

Workers contribute to bottom line

Workers contribute to bottom line
Manufacturers ask employees to find ways to improve businessAt some Chicago manufacturing companies, the traditional suggestion box has vanished.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:55 PM

Minimum wage proposal in Nevada pits unions against restaurant owners

Minimum wage proposal in Nevada pits unions against restaurant owners
Source: Mohave Daily News
A proposal on the November ballot to increase the state's minimum wage by $1 an hour has pitted union groups against the Nevada Restaurant Association, which says it will hurt businesses and consumers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:51 PM

State of the TA unions

State of the TA unions
Source: Inside Higher Ed
The video had the same amateur quality as those that circulate on YouTube and other Internet sites. Set to the lyrics of “We’re Not Going to Take It,” a handheld camera followed friends of the graduate student unionization movement to a New York University alumni fund-raising event this past year that featured the unions’ public enemy of the moment, NYU President John Sexton.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:49 PM

Northwest Mechanics: Life after the strike

Life after the strike
Source: St. Paul Pioneer-Press
In the early days of the strike, the picket lines were a busy rallying post for Northwest Airlines' union mechanics.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:48 PM

A year later, NWA strikers left with no jobs, no leverage

A year later, NWA strikers left with no jobs, no leverage
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune
The mechanics union at Northwest Airlines will return to the bargaining table Tuesday -- only four days shy of the one-year anniversary of the start of the strike that many labor observers believe has been one of the worst-timed strikes in years.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:47 PM

San Francisco Hotel workers union schedules strike vote / Contracts expired nearly 2 years ago; talks continue

Hotel workers union schedules strike vote / Contracts expired nearly 2 years ago; talks continue
By George Raine
The union representing workers at 13 San Francisco hotels has scheduled a strike authorization vote Aug. 24. Before the vote, four contract bargaining sessions are scheduled between the union, Unite Here Local 2, and the bargaining agent representing...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:46 PM

California Catholic Hospitals' union workers reach tentative agreement

Hospitals' union workers reach tentative agreement
Catholic Healthcare West and the union representing service workers at 24 hospitals in California have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that the union and employer say has an improved benefit package. The tentative contract covers 12,000...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:45 PM

Wal-Mart Workers Mixed on New Pay Caps

Wal-Mart Workers Mixed on New Pay Caps
By By MARCUS KABEL, AP Business Writer
A dozen years into a Wal-Mart career, Brad Moore looked forward to earning more money based on his good annual performance reviews

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:44 PM

Friday, August 11, 2006

Massachusett Senator aims to lift firms' role in health plan

Senator aims to lift firms' role in health plan
By Jeffrey Krasner, Globe Staff
Senator Richard T. Moore says the Romney administration's proposed standards for company contributions to employees' healthcare insurance are inadequate and that he may seek to change them through a bill intended to correct technical defects in the healthcare reform law.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:36 PM

Study: Immigrants Not Hurting U.S. Jobs

Study: Immigrants Not Hurting U.S. Jobs
By By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer
Big increases in immigration since 1990 have not hurt employment prospects for American workers, says a study released Thursday. The report comes as Congress and much of the nation are debating immigration policy, a big issue in this fall's midterm...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:33 PM

Delphi to return to court without any union deals

Delphi to return to court without any union deals
With talks on wage concessions apparently stalled, bankrupt supplier Delphi Corp. is headed back to court Friday to resume its efforts to void its union contacts.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:43 PM

Wal-Mart backs down and allows Chinese workers to join union

Wal-Mart backs down and allows Chinese workers to join union
Source: The Guardian
Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retail company, conceded defeat yesterday in a two-year battle against the world's largest labour federation, by offering to support the formation of labour unions at its 60 stores in China.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:35 PM

Terror news may alter NWA attendants' strike plans

Terror news may alter NWA attendants' strike plans
In StarTribune.com Business
Northwest Airlines flight attendants, who serve on the front lines in ensuring the safety of airplane cabins, found themselves in a new political climate Thursday. Should they go ahead with plans to engage in selective work stoppages next week, even though new terrorist threats are already causing delays at airports nationwide? Mollie Reiley, interim president of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) at Northwest, said union leaders are weighing their options as they approach Tuesday's strike deadline. "Today, there is a security issue in this country, and we're going to stay focused

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:11 AM

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Global: Union militancy grows as mining profits rise

Global: Union militancy grows as mining profits rise
LabourStart headline - Source: Reuters
Emboldened by high profits at mining companies, trade unions demanding higher wages are stretching industrial relations to the breaking point.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:42 PM

Union, Goodyear to resume talks

Union, Goodyear to resume talks
Source: Houston Chronicle
As the world's largest tire producer and its workers' union resume talks on a new labor deal, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says it wants a contract that will improve its competitiveness in an industry where costs have become a drag on profits.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:41 PM

Labor federation forms a pact with day lorkers

Labor federation forms a pact with day lorkers
Source: NY Times
The A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the nation’s largest organization of day laborers signed a partnership agreement yesterday intended to help the languishing labor movement tap into the potent energy of the immigrant rights movement.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:39 PM

NYC transit union contract dispute must be settled outside court

NYC transit union contract dispute must be settled outside court
Source: Newsday
A judge ruled Thursday that a contract dispute between transit officials and a bus and subway workers' union that led to an illegal strike in the nation's largest mass transit system in December must be settled outside court.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:37 PM

Jobless claims rise more than expected (AP)

Jobless claims rise more than expected (AP)
AP - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased by a larger amount than expected last week.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:05 PM

Pensions take their lumps

Pensions take their lumps
By Kathleen Pender
Most people who take lump-sum distributions from their defined-benefit pension plans will get slightly less starting in 2008, thanks to a provision in the pension bill awaiting President Bush's signature. This provision applies only to lump-sum...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:04 PM

Europe Faces Shrinking Pool of Workers

Europe Faces Shrinking Pool of Workers
By By DAVID McHUGH, Associated Press Writer
With almost 5 million people out of work, Germany's labor market might seem a manager's dream when it comes to filling jobs _ easy pickings from a sea of desperate applicants. Not so for entrepreneur Martin Hubschneider when he needs top talent for his...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:57 AM

NWA says strike could force it into liquidation

NWA says strike could force it into liquidation
In StarTribune.com Business
Northwest Airlines said a strike by flight attendants could force the company into liquidation and asked a federal bankruptcy judge to bar a walkout. "If in fact the flight attendants were to strike a flight in late August, we could sustain that," Julie Hagen Showers, Northwest's vice president of labor relations, testified Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. "But they also refer to shutting down a hub for a week. That is the type of thing we can't sustain." Showers said Northwest "has not finalized" a contingency plan in the event of a strike. The fifth-biggest U.S. airline ask

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:55 AM

Allianz cuts 200 workers to cope with slower sales

Allianz cuts 200 workers to cope with slower sales
In StarTribune.com Business
Allianz Life Insurance of North America, the U.S. subsidiary of the German financial services conglomerate, on Thursday laid off about 7 percent or 200 of its employees, many of them at its Golden Valley headquarters. Allianz said it has experienced a slowdown in the sale of annuity products that are tied to the performance of the Standard & Poor's 500 and other stock market indexes -- one of its largest businesses. CEO Mark Zesbaugh said Thursday that the business downturn is partly a result of new rules governing how annuity products are sold through securities firms -- requiring less

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:11 AM

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Britain: Council tax 'rises for migrants'

Council tax 'rises for migrants'
The LGA says official figures on migration are grossly inaccurate Sharp council tax rises may be needed in the next few years to fund housing and education for immigrant families, says the Local Government Association. The LGA, which represents local

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:55 PM

England: Two million migrants in the Midlands

Two million migrants in the Midlands
NEARLY two million foreign migrants have moved into the West Midlands since 2002, sparking fears that council services are in danger of being over-whelmed by population growth. Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions show that 1,822,110

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:52 PM

South Africa: Textile wage settlement 'due soon'

Textile wage settlement 'due soon'
The Cosatu-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) says it is optimistic that the one outstanding wage negotiation in the sector should be settled in the next two weeks. 'We are optimistic that the one

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:49 PM

India: Lack of skilled labour ties textiles sector in knots

Lack of skilled labour ties textiles sector in knots
Even as the domestic textile sector is in an expansion mode following huge investment, the companies are facing a severe manpower crunch for diversified products in the emerging export market.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:46 PM

Income differences between Finnish men and women persist - report

Income differences between Finnish men and women persist - report
The BIT Research Centre of Helsinki University of Technology published its report on equal pay through pay systems reforms on Wednesday, concluding that income differences between men and women could still be reduced. The report observed that new pay systems are insufficient to address the problem, and workplace bosses should be encouraged to value the work of all workers under their authority equally. This is deemed to require training and education.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:29 PM

The Outsourcing Trap

The Outsourcing Trap
In light of outsourcing trends worldwide, contracting out is appropriate only for a function that is not core to a business. According to the OMB Circular A-76, an activity is inherently governmental if it "is so intimately related to the public interest as to mandate performance by government personnel." Now, the Transportation Security Administration is outsourcing security workers, the Homeland Security Department is turning over the sovereign function of border security to private industry, and the Pentagon is contracting out thousands of intelligence jobs. How much more inherently governmental can these functions get? They define the federal government's role.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:27 PM

Now, Indian hospitals begin to outsource

Now, Indian hospitals begin to outsource
Health outsourcing is not just about American hospitals offshoring work to India. Within India hospitals are looking to increase their efficiency by moving diagnostic, lab and even managerial work to specialised units in the country.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:26 PM

HACU Urges Federal Agencies to Recruit More Hispanics

HACU Urges Federal Agencies to Recruit More Hispanics
SAN ANTONIO Hispanics continue to be the most under-represented ethnic group recruited by federal agencies, according to a new report published by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:23 PM

Day Laborer Network, Laborers' Union Vow to Help Thousands of California Residential Construction Workers Unite for Better Lives

Day Laborer Network, Laborers' Union Vow to Help Thousands of California Residential Construction Workers Unite for Better Lives
The Laborers' International Union and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network will hold a news conference for Los Angeles area news media at 1 p.m. Thursday, unveiling efforts to help California residential construction workers organize to improve their lives.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:21 PM

China labor pains and holiday woes

China labor pains and holiday woes
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Retailers have a new, and unexpected, Grinch to worry about this Christmas: a Chinese labor crunch. Make that a cheap labor crunch. The migrant workers that typically man China's low cost factories are drifting away. And it has

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:11 PM

China's state-backed union warns Wal-Mart

China's state-backed union warns Wal-Mart
BEIJING (Reuters) -- Sparring between China's official trade union and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. intensified Wednesday, with the union warning the world's largest retailer not to act against members while the company called for talks. Guo Wencai, an official

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:08 PM

Chinese Union: Wal-Mart Wants to Talk

Chinese Union: Wal-Mart Wants to Talk
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has asked to hold talks with China's state-sanctioned labor group after employees formed

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:07 PM

China's Shenzhen Airline recruits 40 foreign pilots

Airline recruits 40 foreign pilots
Shenzhen Airlines recently hired 40 Brazillian pilots in China's largest single hiring of foreign pilots. All are experienced pilots who used to work for Brazil's bankrupt national airline Varig, said a human resource staff member with Shenzhen Airlines.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:56 PM

Pakistani-born pilot sues JetBlue, claiming discrimination

Pakistani-born pilot sues JetBlue, claiming discrimination
Faisal Baig, a U.S. citizen who was raised in Yonkers, claims in the suit that an airline manager told him in March that he was a 'security risk.' According to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baig asked, 'Are you saying that you are not

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:51 PM

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

California Supreme Court Confirms At-Will Means "At Any Time"

California Supreme Court Confirms At-Will Means "At Any Time"
By Sheppard Mullin on Termination
On August 3, 2006, the California Supreme Court decided the case of Dore v. Arnold Worldwide, Inc. The issue before the Court was whether the use of the phrase "at any time" to define the term "at will" in an offer...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:58 PM

Delta seeks OK to outsource computer work

Delta seeks OK to outsource computer work
Delta Air Lines asked a bankruptcy judge Tuesday to let it use IBM rather than its own employees to maintain its computer systems. Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the outsourcing agreement, if finalized and approved by the court, would result in "substantial savings," though she declined to say how much. About 200 of the 1,800 employees in Delta's technology unit would be affected, though it's unclear how many might lose their jobs. Often in such arrangements, some employees transfer to the company to which the work is being outsourced.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:57 PM

Court: Workers can't expect computer privacy

Court: Workers can't expect computer privacy
By Bay City News
A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled today that workers have no legal expectation of privacy on their office computers when their employer has an announced policy of monitoring computers. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:55 PM

China Tests US Immigration Plan

China Tests US Immigration Plan
China Tests US Immigration Plan In spat over asylum policy, Beijing refuses return of illegal entrants June Kronholz , 4 August 2006 What can the U.S. do if a huge trading partner like China won't take back thousands of illegal immigrants? Not much,

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:46 PM

Public pension plans face billions in shortages

Public pension plans face billions in shortages
Source: NY Times
In 2003, a whistle-blower forced San Diego to reveal that it had been shortchanging its city workers’ pension fund for years, setting off a wave of lawsuits, investigations and eventually criminal indictments.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:10 AM

Automatic enrollment in 401(k)

Automatic enrollment in 401(k)
By Kathleen Pender
Automatically enrolling employees in a 401(k) plan seems like a good way to increase the nation's anemic savings rate, and the pension bill Congress passed last week does just that. It encourages companies to enroll employees unless they opt out,...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:49 AM

Productivity and unit labor costs rise (Reuters)

Productivity and unit labor costs rise (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. business productivity rose at a 1.1 percent annual rate in the second quarter but unit labor costs jumped sharply, according to a government report that gave the Federal Reserve a final piece of inflationary data as a pivotal meeting started on Tuesday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:48 AM

GM trims future pension obligation

GM trims future pension obligation
The world's largest automaker, which is in the midst of a sweeping restructuring, said in a U.S. regulatory filing that it had cut estimates as 34,400 of its U.S. hourly workers took buyouts and early retirement offers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:43 AM

IBM pension change not biased, court says

IBM pension change not biased, court says
Ruling frees firm from $1.4 billion settlementInternational Business Machines Corp. did not commit age discrimination when it changed its pension coverage in the 1990s, a federal appeals court in Chicago ruled Monday in a case that the company had agreed to settle for up to $1.4 billion if it had lost its appeal.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:40 AM

Companies increasingly making pension decisions for employees

Companies increasingly making pension decisions for employees
Shannon Scrivens had a surprise in her paycheck earlier this year: It went down.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:32 AM

Delta begins talks on retiree health costs

Delta begins talks on retiree health costs
Fresh off last week's victory on pension funding, Delta Air Lines now is turning its attention to paring retiree health benefits. Delta is set to open talks this week with two retiree creditor committees on how to cut the company's cost of providing health insurance. Executives are meeting with court-appointed committees representing retired pilots today and with a similar committee representing ground employees and flight attendants Wednesday. Late last month, Delta said it would propose to raise the portion of health care coverage that retirees pay, as part of its bankruptcy court restructuring of labor costs. The carrier said it will try to negotiate changes with the committees, but it could ultimately take the matter to the bankruptcy court.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:19 AM

Pay increases slow down for corporate directors

Pay increases slow down for corporate directors
Pay to corporate directors grew last year at a slower rate than in 2004 as boards absorbed rules changes brought about by accounting scandals, a new study shows.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:15 AM

Wal-Mart pay to go up at some stores

Wal-Mart pay to go up at some stores
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is raising starting pay at about a third of its nearly 4,000 U.S. stores by an average of 6 percent and introducing wage caps for the first time on each type of job in all stores, the company said Monday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:14 AM

Vermont Fights for Immigrant Dairy Workers

Vermont Fights for Immigrant Dairy Workers
NPR audio:
Thousands of the farm workers on Vermont's dairy farms are there illegally. Dairy farm workers don't qualify for a guest-worker program that allows foreigners to enter the U.S. for seasonal jobs. Farmers and state politicians say that Washington's policy hurts the state's dairy industry. From Vermont Public Radio, John Dillon reports.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:04 AM

Irish Economy Attracts Eastern European Immigrants

Irish Economy Attracts Eastern European Immigrants
NPR Audio:
For many years Ireland was one of the most homogeneous societies in the world. But that has changed with the sudden blossoming of the Irish economy and the free movement of labor from East European countries. Ireland now faces a flood of immigrants.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:04 AM

Monday, August 07, 2006

Can those immigration reform bills really deliver?

Can those immigration reform bills really deliver?
To understand the difficulties of getting an immigration bill just right, look no further than the Basic Pilot. To make sure workers are legal, the voluntary electronic program takes information like Social Security numbers, names, and birthdates from

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:26 PM

Critics Say Politics Is Driving Hearings on Immigration

Critics Say Politics Is Driving Hearings on Immigration
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 - When House leaders announced their plan to hold 21 immigration hearings in 13 states during the August recess, they said it demonstrated a commitment to battling illegal immigration and securing the border. But some Democratic and

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:25 PM

U.S. immigration headaches

U.S. immigration headaches
China Post:
With elections for the entire U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senate scheduled for November, American politicians of all stripes are slugging it out over the contentious immigration issue. During a brief visit to a border post

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:23 PM

The New Tactics of Immigration Enforcement

The New Tactics of Immigration Enforcement
On July 25 when immigration agents descended on Garcia Labor Company Inc., a temporary service company that provides workers to sort freight for ABX Air, it put on notice contractors that knowingly hire unauthorized immigrants for larger companies.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:21 PM

Coffee, and Hope, Grow in Rwanda

Coffee, and Hope, Grow in Rwanda
By LAURA FRASER
Rwanda, recently rent by a famously savage civil war, has found hope in that most colonial of crops: coffee.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:01 PM

Tennessee Boeing workers strike after vote to reject contract offer

Boeing workers strike after vote to reject contract offer
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel
About 300 union members at Boeing's plant in Oak Ridge went on strike just after midnight today for the first time in the plant's history. Members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, Local 2709, voted 240-30 Saturday to reject what Boeing called its "best and final" contract offer.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:20 AM

Unions and immigrants

Unions and immigrants
Source: Commonweal
For over a century the challenge of immigration has vexed organized labor. In the late nineteenth century, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), led by cigarmaker Samuel Gompers (himself an immigrant from Europe who, in his own words, “secured the honors and duties of citizenship” only in his twenties), entered national politics largely to press for immigration restriction. AFL leaders believed that an influx of immigrant workers could only weaken the bargaining position of American labor. Only over decades, and with great effort, had American workers taught themselves the skills, habits, and discipline necessary to create enduring labor organizations. The AFL worried that a sudden flood of desperate foreign workers from Poland, Italy, and China, with little trade-union background, could easily drown the infant movement. For much of its subsequent history organized labor viewed immigration with alarm.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:16 AM

Working women most worried about finances

Working women worried
Source: Detroit Free Press
Working women say they're most worried about rising health care costs, their pay keeping up with the cost of living and dwindling retirement benefits, a study released Monday by the AFL-CIO shows.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:15 AM

Union ratifies new labor agreement at three Michelin North America plants

Union ratifies new labor agreement at three MNA plants
Source: Tire Review
Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) have ratified a new labor agreement at Michelin North America’s (MNA) Tuscaloosa and Opelika, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind., tire plants. The new three-year contract sets a 20% reduction in wage rate structure and an increase in employee healthcare cost sharing.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:12 AM

Up next: Attendants at Northwest

Up next: Attendants
In StarTribune.com Business
Flight attendant Karen Schultz has spent 21 years as the smiling public face of Northwest Airlines. Now she's getting ready to train for guerrilla-style strikes like walkouts aimed at causing problems for the airline and its passengers. "Striking makes me nervous, but I'm ready," said Schultz, who lives in Minneapolis but flies out of Detroit. But first, there'll be a showdown Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court. Northwest Airlines will argue that it's illegal for the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) to strike the company while in bankruptcy, where it has sought and won la

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:08 AM

Strike starts at world's largest copper mine

Strike starts at world's largest copper mine
SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Workers started a strike on Monday at Chile's Escondida copper mine, cutting 60 percent from daily production as they walked off the job to demand a wage and benefits hike from its foreign owners.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:45 AM

Target tells Chicago: Veto living wage or lose 2 new stores

Target tells Chicago: Veto living wage or lose 2 new stores
Target Corp. is ready to drop plans to build two stores in Chicago unless that city's mayor vetoes an ordinance requiring operators of large stores to pay their workers at least $10 an hour, plus benefits, within four years.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:35 AM

Retiree health expenses could approach $500,000

Retiree health expenses could approach $500,000
Workers living longer even as employers are reducing retirement benefitsSo you're paying down the mortgage, socking money into an investment account and paring your spending to gear up for a few happy decades in retirement.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:32 AM

A few more years on job pays off at retirement

A few more years on job pays off at retirement
Eileen Ambrose -- Personal FinanceWhen workers hear they will have to stay on the job longer than today's retirees, many imagine populating a cubicle into their 80s or 90s.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:31 AM

When on job hunt, no summer break

When on job hunt, no summer break
Career experts suggest getting jump on fall, winter business opportunitiesForget the dog days of summer. When it comes to job searches, there is no vacation.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:30 AM

Boston Hospitals move to boost skilled minority workers

Hospitals move to boost skilled minority workers
By Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff
Janera Dobson wants to work her way up from the bottom rungs of Boston's biggest industry, healthcare.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:22 AM

Starbucks fires union organizer

Starbucks fires union organizer
By Associated Press
SEATTLE -- Starbucks Corp. has fired the cofounder of a union claiming to represent employees at six of its Manhattan coffeehouses.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:20 AM

Delta moves to scuttle pilot pensions

Delta moves to scuttle pilot pensions
Delta Air Lines filed a formal request with bankruptcy court late Friday to terminate its pilots' pension plan, as President Bush prepared to sign a bill aimed in part at helping the struggling carrier save its other employees' pensions. If the court in New York approves Delta's request to cancel its pilots' pensions effective Sept. 2, the government's pension insurer would take over the plan and pay pilots a reduced benefit based on when they retire and other factors. A hearing on the request is set for Sept. 1. The 6,000 pilots, as part of a $280 million concessions agreement with the company first reached in April, have agreed not to oppose the pension termination request, though other groups may oppose it. Atlanta-based Delta notified the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. in June of its intent to seek termination of the plan.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:18 AM

States Aim to Up the Minimum Wage

States Aim to Up the Minimum Wage
A bill to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in nine years failed in the Senate last week. But in a number of states, fall ballot measures would raise the minimum wage above the federal level. Would low-wage workers be helped or harmed if these measures pass? Economists are divided.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:05 AM

Friday, August 04, 2006

Pension bill boosts taxpayers, Wall St. (AP)

Pension bill boosts taxpayers, Wall St. (AP)
AP - Young workers, Wall Street, a couple of airlines and U.S. taxpayers could come out as winners in the pension changes made by Congress.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:19 PM

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / UC barred from deciding pay packages in private

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / UC barred from deciding pay packages in private
By Patrick Hoge
An Alameda County judge has given The Chronicle a partial victory in a lawsuit by ruling that a committee of the UC Board of Regents cannot decide behind closed doors whether to recommend pay packages for top officials. The ruling, dated Tuesday, said...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:13 PM

Seattle: Construction sites in county fall silent

Construction sites in county fall silent
A union workers' strike at four local concrete plants has stopped concrete from pouring at a majority of high-rise, condominium and mass transit projects around King County. No settlement is in sight.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:12 PM

Delta to Bush: Sign pension bill

Delta to Bush: Sign pension bill
Delta Air Lines' chief executive says passage of pension reform in Congress took a "herculean effort" that should enable the carrier to preserve its main pension plan. He also urged President Bush to sign the bill quickly. "With the legislation in place, Delta will be in a position to preserve its pension plan covering 91,000 active and retired ground and flight attendant employees, thereby preserving their hard-earned benefits and preventing the U.S. pension system from being burdened with additional plan liabilities," Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein said Friday in a statement. The Senate passed a pension reform bill late Thursday, following House approval last week. The bill toughens pension regulation overall but gives ailing airlines more time to fully fund their plans.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:59 PM

Older Workers Struggle to Find Space in the Job Market

Older Workers Struggle to Find Space in the Job Market
NPR audio:
Some workers who are past retirement age and still want -- or need -- to work, find it very hard to land jobs. Changing demographics mean older people need to carve out a new spot for themselves in the work force.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:19 PM

It's Hot. Some Workers Feel It More than Others

It's Hot. Some Workers Feel It More than Others
NPR audio:
Oppressively hot weather has left many workers emitting sighs of relief as they enter air-conditioned office buildings. But there are many folks whose jobs keep them out in the heat -- and even make it worse.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:19 PM

Why So Few Minority Women Stay at Law Firms

Why So Few Minority Women Stay at Law Firms
NPR audio:
A new study from the American Bar Association explores why so few women of color reach the highest ranks of law firms. Many of the women shared tales of harassment and discrimination that led them to leave their firms.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:18 PM

1981 Strike Leaves Legacy for American Workers

1981 Strike Leaves Legacy for American Workers
NPR audio:
The air-traffic controller's strike 25 years ago left many of the strikers jobless and unable to return to the FAA after President Reagan banned them. The tension between the union and management of that era still affects American workers today.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:17 PM

Working for Less than the Minimum Wage

Working for Less than the Minimum Wage
NPR audio:
While Congress debates raising the minimum wage, many workers still do not earn the current minimum. Community organizers in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn are running a local campaign focused on grocery baggers who receive only tips from customers.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:16 PM

In Georgia, Immigrants Unsettle Old Sense of Place

In Georgia, Immigrants Unsettle Old Sense of Place
PEARSON, Ga. - For generations, people here have savored the predictable cadences of small-town living. They knew their neighbors and their neighbors neighbors, the sweet sound of Sunday church mornings and the rumble of tractors tilling the rich soil.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:13 PM

What makes a public university system world class? / Ability to recruit top executives will keep California State Uuniversity on top

What makes a public university system world class? / Ability to recruit top executives will keep CSU on top
The Chronicle has spent a great deal of time examining and reporting on California State University's executive compensation policies and practices. The paper's reporting of the facts, however, would lead one to believe that agreements executed with

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:10 PM

What makes a public university system world class? / California State University: Faculty, not administrators, make a quality university

What makes a public university system world class? / Faculty, not administrators, make a quality university
Academia is frequently derided for being out of touch with the 'real world.' One real-world trend that has hit the academy is the practice of awarding ever-increasing compensation to executives while the wages of most employees remain stagnant or even

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:09 PM

British Instititional racism denies jobs to black people, says employment expert

Instititional racism denies jobs to black people, says employment expert
Unemployment levels in UK highest among black people. We are talking about a scale of unemployment as it affects black communities which is generational, systematic and deep rooted.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:31 AM

Nigerian Government reschedules lay-offs in aviation sector

Nigerian Government reschedules lay-off in aviation sector
The Federal Government may have, for the meanwhile, shelved plans to retrench 1,400 workers in the aviation sector. The lay-off exercise, which was earlier slated for this month, would now

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:26 AM

Aer Lingus accepts proposals to end privatisation dispute

Aer Lingus accepts proposals to end privatisation dispute
Aer Lingus accepts proposals to end privatisation dispute Aer Lingus has said it accepts recommendations from the Labour Court aimed at resolving the dispute over the planned privatisation of the airline.SIPTU workers at the company have already voted to

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:21 AM

Unions say EPA bends to political pressure

Unions say EPA bends to political pressure
Source: NY Times
Unions representing thousands of staff scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency say the agency is bending to political pressure and ignoring sound science in allowing a group of toxic chemicals to be used in agricultural pesticides.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:13 AM

Unions, politicians call for minimum wage hike

Unions, politicians call for minimum wage hike
Source: Quad City Times
Tuesday, the head of the Iowa Federation of Labor, a Wisconsin congressman, and the Democratic candidate for Iowa's 1st congressional district called for raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, in a three-step process over 26 months.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:13 AM

US, Japan auto workers unions to deepen ties - report

US, Japan auto workers unions to deepen ties - report
Source: Forbes
United Auto Workers of the US has struck an agreement with its Japanese counterpart to deepen ties and begin studying common issues, a move which may possibly lead to the two labor unions collaborating on organizing workers at Japanese-run factories in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:11 AM

Senate approves pension bill, sends to Bush

Senate approves pension bill, sends to Bush
By Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Thursday approved and sent to President George W. Bush legislation to shore up beleaguered corporate pensions and stabilize the deficit-ridden federal program that insures them.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:08 AM

Unemployment rate hits 5-month high (AP)

Unemployment rate hits 5-month high (AP)
AP - Hiring slowed in July as employers added just 113,000 new jobs, propelling the unemployment rate to a five-month high of 4.8 percent and providing fresh evidence that companies are growing cautious amid high energy prices.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:07 AM

AOL to Slash Payroll by 5,000 Employees

AOL to Slash Payroll by 5,000 Employees
By By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer
AOL said Thursday it expects to drop as many as 5,000 employees, or a quarter of its global work force, within six months as the company restructures its business to draw more online advertising dollars. The announcement came a day after the Time...g

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:05 AM

Problems Arise With Port Worker IDs

Problems Arise With Port Worker IDs
By By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
A Department of Homeland Security plan to require port workers to carry tamperproof photo ID cards has numerous security problems that threaten to delay it, investigators said Thursday. In an audit, Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:05 AM

Sun Microsystems lays off 300 in Colorado

Sun Microsystems lays off 300 in Colorado
About 300 Colorado employees of Sun Microsystems Inc. received layoff notices Thursday as part of the computer systems maker's global work force reduction plan designed to save as much as $590 million. Sun spokeswoman Stephanie Hess said the notices...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:04 AM

Boston Union may set sights on Beth Israel

Union may set sights on Beth Israel
By Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff
Employees at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center appear to be the first major targets of an organizing drive by a powerful healthcare union that wants to increase its presence at Boston teaching hospitals.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:23 AM

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Boeing extends final pact offer to 300 Tennessee employees

Boeing extends final pact offer to 300 Tennessee employees
Source: Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel
The Chicago-based designer of aircraft, defense and space products said the contract is being offered to about 300 employees at its Oak Ridge, Tenn., plant that manufactures subassemblies for commercial airplanes, including flight deck consoles for 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787 jets. The company is offering a 5 percent wage increase this month and 3 percent increases in Aug. 2007 and Aug. 2008.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:18 AM

NWA rushes to block threatened walkout

NWA rushes to block threatened walkout
Northwest Airlines is facing its third labor strike in eight years, but it may be unlike any other walkout it — or Twin Cities travelers — have seen before.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:36 AM

THE LAW: Union insists on right to strike; others far from certain

THE LAW: Union insists on right to strike; others far from certain
Can an airline union legally strike when the airline is in bankruptcy? • After years of debate and with high-priced legal talent lining up on both sides, the question is careening toward some type of answer in Northwest Airlines' current situation. • Outside the airline and railroad industries, matters under the National Labor Relations Act are clear. Sure, unions have the right to strike, in bankruptcy or out of it. • Airlines and railroads, however, fall under...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:36 AM

As with state, local jobs on upswing

As with state, local jobs on upswing
By Davis Bushnell, Globe Correspondent
While companies generally are loath to reveal hiring data for competitive reasons, the job market in the northwest suburbs is clearly the healthiest it has been in five years, according to economists and employment specialists.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:27 AM

Bank of America plans to add 1,300 New England jobs

Bank of America plans to add 1,300 New England jobs
By Sasha Talcott, Globe Staff
Bank of America Corp. executives said yesterday that they will add 1,300 jobs in New England by the end of this year, primarily in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:25 AM

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Urban League Seeks to Redirect Civil Rights Movement

Urban League Seeks to Redirect Civil Rights Movement
ATLANTA (NNPA) - After successfully eradicating legal barriers that prevented African-Americans from enjoying basic rights as U.S. citizens, the next phase of the civil rights movement must focus on economic empowerment, says the head of the National

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:48 PM

Australian Car parts workers score victory over entitlements

Car parts workers score victory over entitlements
CAR parts workers who went on strike to secure entitlements have had a victory, with their former boss agreeing to return $13 million of land assets allegedly stripped from the business. About 570 workers at Huon Corporation went on strike earlier this

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:45 PM

Democrats see pay cuts in minimum wage hike / Tip earners, they say, would lose money under Republicans' proposed federal plan

Democrats see pay cuts in minimum wage hike / Tip earners, they say, would lose money under Republicans' proposed federal plan
By Edward Epstein
Californians mobilized Tuesday to oppose a new federal minimum wage law coming up for a Senate vote this week that they say would slash the pay of an estimated 650,000 California waiters, waitresses, manicurists, bellhops and others who rely on tips for a...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:44 AM

Fidelity to employ 2,000 in N.C.

Fidelity to employ 2,000 in N.C.
By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff
Fidelity Investments said yesterday that it plans to spend $100 million in North Carolina and add 2,000 jobs in another out-of-state expansion for the Boston mutual fund company.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:26 AM

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

India bans child domestic labour

India bans child domestic labour
In BBC South Asia
The Indian government announces a ban on children working as domestic servants or in roadside food stalls.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:17 PM

Euro-zone jobless rate at record low (AP)

Euro-zone jobless rate at record low (AP)
AP - Unemployment in the 12 nations that use the euro fell to a record low of 7.8 percent in June, the European Union said Tuesday, as jobless levels dropped for a second consecutive month in a sign of economic growth.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:12 PM

German unemployment surprises with July fall (AFP)

German unemployment surprises with July fall (AFP)
AFP - Total German unemployment eased unexpectedly in July, official data showed, sparking some optimism about the outlook although the jobless rate was flat at 10.5 percent.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:11 PM

British MPs condemn lack of help for workers who lost pensions

MPs condemn lack of help for workers who lost pensions
Source: Guardian
The government is under renewed pressure to pay up to £15bn in compensation to workers who lost their pensions after a scathing report by a Labour-dominated committee of MPs yesterday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:54 PM

Helsinki and Tallinn compete over Estonian bus drivers

Helsinki and Tallinn compete over Estonian bus drivers
Hundreds of Estonian bus drivers have emigrated to Finland, attracted by higher pay in this country. The cities of Tallinn and Tartu are raising the pay of Estonian drivers in hopes of blunting the attraction of Helsinki. The most recent rise in bus

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:45 PM

Thai berry-pickers are welcome in Finnish Lapland

Thai berry-pickers are welcome in Finnish Lapland
As the Finnish berry-picking season approaches, Finnish Lapland is welcoming foreign berry-pickers to earn money by picking and selling wild berries. A total of 450 Thai berry-pickers have already arrived in Northern Finland to pick wild blueberries as

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:36 PM

Colo. Governor Signs Immigration Bill

Colo. Governor Signs Immigration Bill
DENVER -- Colorado Gov. Bill Owens signed a tough package of immigration laws Monday that could force 1 million people receiving state and federal benefits to prove they are legal U.S. residents. To handle an expected avalanche of people seeking waivers

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:25 PM

Australia trails world on maternity leave

Nation trails world on maternity leave
It is a disgrace that Australia is one of only two nations in the developed world not to have compulsory paid maternity leave, and employers must stop imposing demands on workers

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:22 PM

Kodak to Eliminate 2,000 Jobs

Kodak to Eliminate 2,000 Jobs
By By BEN DOBBIN, AP Business Writer
Eastman Kodak Co., undergoing a tough transition to digital photography, posted a wider loss of $282 million in the second quarter _ its seventh quarterly loss in a row _ and said Tuesday it is eliminating another 2,000 jobs. Its shares tumbled more than 6...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 1:09 PM

Cities urged to act on public pension cost problem

Cities urged to act on public pension cost problem
Source: Palo Alto News
A move to cut costs for public-employee pension plans sputtered to a halt in the spring of 2005 when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, under pressure from unionized firefighters, police, nurses and teachers, withdrew a ballot initiative that would have trimmed their retirement benefits.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:48 PM

Like it or not, you may soon be a 'supervisor'

Like it or not, you may soon be a 'supervisor'
Source: The Columbian
For decades, employers have been trying to drive truckloads of American workers through that cavernous loophole by swelling their ranks of "assistant managers" and the like. The simple goal is to prevent them from banding together and negotiating for better wages and working conditions.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:47 PM

Three unions and a national business group are tackling the problem of housing and jobs in New Orleans

Three unions and a national business group are tackling the problem of housing and jobs in New Orleans
Source: Baton Rouge Advocate
With tens of thousands of residences destroyed or made uninhabitable by the storm and its floodwater, affordable housing has become a rarity — especially across the New Orleans region — with skyrocketing real estate prices and rents. At the same time, the region isn’t hurting for jobs, especially in the skilled construction trades.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:46 PM

AirTran steps into new role

AirTran steps into new role
It's almost midnight and Brad Brown, 30, is overseeing a crew of 10 mechanics giving an AirTran Airways Boeing 717 a thorough once-over known as an "A check." Two mechanics at the rear of the 124-foot jet replace filters and do other routine engine chores. Another worker opens wing panels. Some are inside the plane, while an inspector points out a chafed wing area that he wants buffed smooth.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 12:43 PM

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