EADS: Airbus to Cut 10,000 Jobs
By By LAURENCE FROST, AP Business Writer
Airbus said it will cut 10,000 jobs over four years as part of a restructuring plan aimed at helping the planemaker overcome costly delays to its A380 superjumbo and the effects of a weaker U.S. dollar. The European aircraft maker said it planned to...

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

Inflation, joblessness fall in euro zone (AP)

Inflation, joblessness fall in euro zone (AP)
AP - Inflation in the 13 nations that share the euro currency slowed by more than expected to 1.8 percent in January, the EU statistics agency said Wednesday, a figure that may undermine the European Central Bank's case for raising interest rates again next month.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 9:39 AM

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Major work stoppages idle fewer workers (AP)

Major work stoppages idle fewer workers (AP)
AP - About 70,000 workers missed days on the job because of labor disputes last year, only about one-fourth as many as a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Burden of war

Burden of war
Small, poor U.S. towns bear the brunt of those killed in Iraq. Raised in the projects in an old steel town, Edward "Willie" Carman saw the Army as a chance to build a new life. "I'm not doing it to you, I'm doing it for me," the then-18-year-old told his mother, Joanna Hawthorne, after coming home from high school one day and surprising her with the news.

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

States are outsourcing some services (AP)

States are outsourcing some services (AP)
AP - Like the auto industry, the computer programming field and the customer-service business, the state of Indiana is outsourcing.

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

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Driving drivers away

Driving drivers away
Current estimates are that the U.S. is shy 20,000 long-haul drivers. A recent industry study said the shortage could rise to 111,000 drivers by 2014.

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

Looking for a way out without leaving home

Looking for a way out without leaving home
Manufacturing jobs once held promise for minorities in Gary, but dwindling opportunities are holding young workers back and creating social conflict in a city many have fled Washing dishes. Stacking boxes at a supermarket. Dead-end, penny-ante jobs. One year out of high school, Rashad Ward wants out of this kind of work and doesn't want to get pulled down by friends stuck in these jobs.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:24 AM

Self-professed 'Internet addict' sues IBM for firing

Self-professed 'Internet addict' sues IBM for firing
A man who was fired by IBM for visiting an adult chat room at work is suing the company for $5 million, claiming he is an Internet addict who deserves treatment rather than dismissal.

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

Five vying to lead Miami-Dade teachers union

Five vying to lead Miami-Dade teachers union
United Teachers of Dade president Karen Aronowitz is up for reelection this week. But unlike her predecessor, who went two decades without opposition, four other teachers have stepped up to run against her, the latest sign that UTD's fledgling democracy is starting to blossom.

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

Career Couch: When Flirting at Work Is Flirting With Trouble

Career Couch: When Flirting at Work Is Flirting With Trouble
By MATT VILLANO
What’s fun for two colleagues can be offensive to others. And jobs may be at stake.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:07 AM

How to Work More Hours and Still Go Home Early

How to Work More Hours and Still Go Home Early
By EILENE ZIMMERMAN
As older baby boomers leave the work force and younger workers move into senior management, the workday is becoming much less rigidly defined.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:07 AM

Not Lost in Translation

Not Lost in Translation
By PAUL BURNHAM FINNEY
Developing some fluency in foreign languages is getting to be as important as taking along a laptop on an overseas trip.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:58 AM

Mill Towns of Connecticut Lose Factories, and Way of Life

Mill Towns of Connecticut Lose Factories, and Way of Life
By JENNIFER MEDINA
Across the central valley of Connecticut, one plant after another is closing, taking jobs that have been in the same family for generations.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:57 AM

Job Corps Plans Makeover for a Changed Economy

Job Corps Plans Makeover for a Changed Economy
By ERIK ECKHOLM
As the economy has turned against those with low skills, researchers have questioned the long-term impact of the program for poorly educated youths.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:51 AM

Company towns gone -- or are they?

Company towns gone -- or are they?
The company town has been a fading relic of industrial America. But it also may be staging a comeback.

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

Explosion of strikes rocks Egyptian firms / Thousands have walked off their jobs in a nation where such work stoppages are illegal -- and many have wo

Explosion of strikes rocks Egyptian firms / Thousands have walked off their jobs in a nation where such work stoppages are illegal -- and many have won raises, benefits
By Dan Morrison
Ali Ghalab sat on a dusty office couch in a pinstriped suit, explaining why his 11,700 employees joined a wave of wildcat strikes that have shocked the government and paralyzed Egypt's textile industry. "It's the Muslim Brotherhood," the factory...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:29 AM

Wal-Mart plans stores in areas needing jobs

Wal-Mart plans stores in areas needing jobs
In StarTribune.com Business
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced its plans Monday for nine stores in areas needing economic revitalization and said it will use those stores to help other businesses develop. Wal-Mart Vice Chairman John Menzer was traveling to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh to announce that the company is moving into neighborhoods in each of those areas where commerce has faltered. Menzer said Wal-Mart is working with business groups and minority-owned businesses to try to guide new suppliers and help new or existing shops thrive.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:23 AM

Smithfield pork plant loses hundreds of workers

Smithfield pork plant loses hundreds of workers
In StarTribune.com Business
RALEIGH, N.C. - Hundreds of workers at a Smithfield Packing Co. plant have quietly left their jobs or stopped showing up for work after a crackdown on illegal immigrants. Many have submitted resignation letters and collected pay for unused vacation; others identified by the company in November as having unverifiable employment documents quit without notice, spokesman Dennis Pittman said. In all, Pittman said, about 300 employees have left as of Monday.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:22 AM

Pilots trying to hold MAIR to '04 deal on job security

Pilots trying to hold MAIR to '04 deal on job security
In StarTribune.com Business
Three years ago, Mesaba Airlines pilots were close to striking. But Mesaba's parent company, MAIR Holdings Inc., and the pilots union averted a walkout by signing an agreement that required MAIR to use Mesaba pilots for major expansions. That agreement, dubbed the "MAIR letter," now is at the center of a legal battle between the pilots and MAIR, even as Mesaba is being purchased by Northwest Airlines. MAIR wants to grow its business by attracting new flying contracts for its Big Sky Airlines subsidiary.

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

Employment worries slow Airbus plan

Employment worries slow Airbus plan
In StarTribune.com Business
Pressure from European governments has blocked a restructuring plan for the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) that was expected to result in thousands of lost jobs at the company's troubled Airbus unit. The latest standoff comes after politicians in Germany, France and Britain all lobbied to preserve jobs in their countries. The EADS board said Monday that it had failed to reach an agreement on the revamping plan, which the company had intended to announce this week.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:20 AM

Friday, February 16, 2007

Harley, union reach agreement to end strike

Harley, union reach agreement to end strike
In StarTribune.com Business
YORK, PA. - Harley-Davidson Inc. said Friday that it had reached a tentative agreement with union workers at its largest manufacturing plant, a breakthrough that could end a two-week-old strike. The motorcycle manufacturer issued a two-paragraph statement saying a vote by the union rank and file was expected next week. It did not disclose terms of the deal or say when the York factory's motorcycle production might resume. "We've come a long way in a day and a half, and the union is satisfied," union spokesman Tom Boger told the York Daily Record.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:25 PM

Hershey plans to cut 1,500 jobs, send work to Mexico

Hershey plans to cut 1,500 jobs, send work to Mexico
In StarTribune.com Business
HARRISBURG, PA. - The Hershey Co., whose name has been synonymous with U.S. candymaking for more than a century, is moving a bigger chunk of its production to Mexico. A day after Valentine sweethearts across the country enjoyed bags of Hershey Kisses, the company on Thursday announced a restructuring plan that will scale back its workforce by 1,500 jobs and force some plants to close. Hershey said the three-year blueprint would reduce the number of production lines by more than one-third while saving the company as much as $190 million a year.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 10:27 AM

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Guatemala: violence continues with the murder of two more trade unionists

Guatemala: violence continues with the murder of two more trade unionists
Two trade unionists were murdered on 6 February in Guatemala. Walter Anbal Ixcaquic Mendoza and Norma Sente de Ixcaquic were members of the Frente

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:43 PM

Phone firm Nokia to cut 700 staff

Phone firm Nokia to cut 700 staff
In Business
Finnish phone firm Nokia is to cut 700 jobs globally, in a bid to make itself "more competitive".

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

Indonesia maids 'open to abuse'

Indonesia maids 'open to abuse'
In Asia-Pacific
Amnesty International accuses Indonesia of failing to protect the rights of millions of domestic workers.

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

Ford Russia plant restarts; but strike may recur

Ford Russia plant restarts; but strike may recur
Source: Reuters
Production resumed at U.S. carmaker Ford's plant in Russia on Thursday after a one-day strike over pay and conditions, but workers threatened to down tools again if pay talks stall.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:57 PM

Southern California Grocery workers prepare for labor talks

Grocery workers prepare for labor talks
Source: AP
The last time Southern California's largest supermarket chains battled with their employees' union over a labor contract, the dispute escalated into a strike-lockout that dragged on for nearly five months. With little more than a month to go on the current deal, a new slate of negotiations could produce another brawl over health care benefits and a two-tiered wage system — the same contract issues the union begrudgingly agreed to three years ago.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:55 PM

Layoff notices showing up at Boston Scientific

Layoff notices showing up at Boston Scientific
In StarTribune.com Business
Some workers at Boston Scientific Corp.'s campus in Arden Hills began receiving their layoff notices today, according to the director of the Minnesota Dislocated Workers Program. The Natick, Mass.-based medical technology company announced in early January that it would lay off 500 to 600 people at the former Guidant Corp. Cardiac Rhythm Management facilities, mostly in research and development. The plant makes heart defibrillators and pacemakers. Boston Scientific notified the state that 550 positions would be eliminated, including 400 in Arden Hills and 150 from the company's sales force,

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:51 PM

1,500 Ford workers strike for a day in St. Petersburg

1,500 Ford workers strike for a day
Source: Moscow Times
Some 1,500 Ford workers laid down their tools in a daylong strike Wednesday, bringing production to a standstill at the carmaker's assembly plant near St. Petersburg. Such a large walkout has not been seen in years, and the Ford strike could encourage workers at other companies to follow suit -- a potentially unwelcome development for foreign investors and the Kremlin, which would not want labor unrest in a national election season.

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

Big workplace changes in works

Big workplace changes in works
In StarTribune.com Business
Family Medical Leave Act The FMLA guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year for illness or other family crises at companies that have 50 or more employees. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., plans to introduce legislation to require at least six of those weeks be paid. Also, the U.S. Department of Labor is reviewing its regulations around the FMLA, some say in response to employer complaints, and regulatory changes in terms and definitions can have as great an impact as new legislation. The department is accepting public comment until Friday.

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

Filipino remittances hit $12.8bn

Filipino remittances hit $12.8bn
In Business
Filipinos working overseas sent a record $12.8bn (£6.5bn) home in 2006, their country's central bank has said.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:41 AM

Pension Costs Widen Loss at Delta Air

Pension Costs Widen Loss at Delta Air
By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Delta Air Lines, preparing to exit bankruptcy on April 30, said yesterday its fourth-quarter net loss widened to $2 billion on the cost of ending its pilots’ pension plan.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:35 AM

U.S. industry struggles, jobless lines lengthen (Reuters)

U.S. industry struggles, jobless lines lengthen (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. industrial output fell in January while the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits jumped sharply last week, according to a flurry of reports that raised doubts about the economy's health.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:21 AM

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

UK's jobless rate falls further

UK's jobless rate falls further
In Business
UK unemployment fell by 23,000 to 1.69 million in the last three months of 2006, official figures show.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 5:02 PM

Weak labor support 'disappointing' to Daley

Weak labor support 'disappointing' to Daley
Mayor Daley said Tuesday he's surprised and bitterly disappointed that his big box veto has cost him labor support, then prodded the only union to endorse him to do more to include minorities.

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

The ‘Toyota Way’ Is Translated for a New Generation of Foreign Managers

The ‘Toyota Way’ Is Translated for a New Generation of Foreign Managers
By MARTIN FACKLER
At the Toyota Institute, promising executives learn some of the most prized management secrets in corporate Japan.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:53 PM

Continental employees get some payback

Continental employees get some payback
Employees of Continental Airlines got some payback today for large wage and benefit cuts they took nearly two years ago. The Houston-based carrier handed out $111 million in profit-sharing checks, the largest such payment in the company's history.

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

Harley keeps rolling

LABOR SCENE: Harley keeps rolling
A strike at Harley-Davidson Inc. ’s plant in York, Pa., has not slowed motorcycle production at the Kansas City plant.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:25 PM

Lawsuit against Wal-Mart revived

Lawsuit against Wal-Mart revived
A federal appeals court Tuesday reinstated a lawsuit alleging that Wal-Mart Stores violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it refused to hire a job applicant with cerebral palsy.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:23 PM

Coca-Cola to cut 3,500 jobs over 2 years

CCE to cut 3,500 jobs over 2 years
Coca-Cola Enterprises said Tuesday it will cut 3,500 jobs during the next two years, including 300 in metro Atlanta, as the company struggles with a fading taste for the great American soft drink. The exclamation point on that reality came in the form of a $2.9 billion one-time charge against the company's fourth-quarter profits. The reason for the noncash charge: Coca-Cola Enterprises says its North American franchise rights to bottle Coke products are less valuable now than they were a decade ago. That's mostly because the bottler's core product, carbonated soft drinks, is no longer growing in North America by 2 percent to 5 percent a year as it had for 20 years.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:46 PM

China's besieged factories

China's besieged factories
Lei Huang could be a poster child for China's laboring classes. For each 60-hour week he works on an assembly line for Foxconn, a manufacturer of electronics and computer parts in this south China manufacturing hub, he earns $32 and a bunk in a dormitory room with 19 other laborers. At the factory, managers forbid workers from talking or resting outside of two 10-minute breaks, he said.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:46 PM

Chrysler slashing 13,000 jobs

Chrysler slashing 13,000 jobs
Chrysler Group will cut 13,000 jobs, close an assembly plant in Delaware and eliminate shifts at two other plants in a restructuring announced Wednesday, but parent company DaimlerChrysler AG also signaled the automaker could be sold.

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

Work stoppage worries York

Work stoppage worries York
Some residents fear striking Harley workers are risking long-term job security Mention Harley-Davidson in these parts, and you hear both pride and envy from the people of this city and region.

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

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Laid-off pilots stay away

Laid-off pilots stay away
U.S. airlines furloughed thousands of pilots but now face a severe shortage For the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, all major U.S. airlines are hiring pilots or recalling those laid off during the industry's five-year downturn.

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

NWA union seeks relief

NWA union seeks relief
The union for Northwest Airlines flight attendants has asked the bankruptcy court to reject imposed pay and benefit cuts that were forced on those workers in July.

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

Airbus job cuts 'must be shared'

Airbus job cuts 'must be shared'
In Business
Germany pledges to fight against Airbus plants there being disproportionately hit by expected job cuts at the firm.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 4:03 PM

Income gap is increasing danger to U.S. economy

Income gap is increasing danger to U.S. economy
When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke finishes his opening statement before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday, I wouldn't be surprised if Democrats now in control of the committee say, in the words of Peggy Lee, "Is that all there is?"

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:43 PM

Harley lays off 440 in Wisconsin

Harley lays off 440 in Wisconsin
In StarTribune.com Business
MILWAUKEE - Harley-Davidson Inc. on Monday temporarily laid off 440 employees at plants where motorcycle parts such as engines and windshields are made as a strike at its largest production plant entered a second week. About 240 employees were temporarily laid off at a plant in Tomahawk, in north-central Wisconsin, said Bob Klein, a spokesman for the Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker. About 200 workers were laid off at plants in southeastern Wisconsin as well, he said, and the company might lay off 300 more workers in that area. About 2,800 union workers in York, Pa., have been striking since

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 3:38 PM

Comair, pilots union reach tentative deal

Comair, pilots union reach tentative deal
About 20 minutes after Comair could have imposed court-approved concessions on its pilots, the two sides reached a tentative agreement early today.

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

Monday, February 12, 2007

Unemployment Rate Dips for Blacks

Unemployment Rate Dips for Blacks
NPR audio:
For the first time in five years, the African-American unemployment rate dipped. It went from 8.4 percent in December 2006 to 8 percent this January. Do the numbers indicate the job market is looking up for African Americans, or is the drop a one-time drop in the bucket?

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

Business, Labor Aligning on Health Care

Business, Labor Aligning on Health Care
NPR audio:
It was a watershed event: The CEO of Wal-Mart and the head of the Service Employees International Union said they want to work together to help solve the nation's health-care crisis. The meeting signals growing support for comprehensive health-care reform.

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

Workers Face a Cold World After Carrier

Workers Face a Cold World After Carrier
NPR audio:
Once upon a time, if you were lucky enough to get a job with Carrier in Syracuse, N.Y., you had it good. But two-and-a-half years ago, Carrier shut down the plant and sent about 1,000 jobs to Asia. Many who lost their jobs are still struggling to cope.

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

Fewer employers offering health plans in Washington State

Fewer employers offering health plans
The number of Washington employers offering health insurance declined in 2006 for the second year in a row, according to a survey released Monday by the state's Employment Security Department.

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

Janitors' health plan better, but less than perfect

Janitors' health plan better, but less than perfect
The insurance coverage that about 4,200 unionized janitors won at the bargaining table this week wouldn't be described as a Cadillac health plan, union officials say. What's missing is coverage for catastrophic health care costs, said Javier Morillo, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 26. Whereas a more expensive health plan might cap an individual or family's out-of-pocket spending per year to protect against unusually large hospital bills, members of the SEIU plan would...

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

Kansas City: Payless plans cuts of up to 550 jobs

Payless plans cuts of up to 550 jobs
Payless ShoeSource Inc. will lay off 450 to 550 employees in mid-2008 when it closes its Topeka distribution center and opens a new one east of the Mississippi River.

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

Tip-seeking farmers swarm online forums

Tip-seeking farmers swarm online forums
Tucked away in the den of his 127-year-old farmhouse, Ed Winkle huddles over his computer. The screen's soft glow lights up his eyeglasses, reflecting messages about tractors, corn hybrids and crop insurance.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:45 AM

Preventive health plan may prevent cost increases / Safeway program includes hot line, lifestyle advice

Preventive health plan may prevent cost increases / Safeway program includes hot line, lifestyle advice
By Victoria Colliver
As employers across the nation struggle with rapidly rising medical costs, supermarket giant Safeway Inc. has put in place a program that's managed to trim health outlays for thousands of nonunion employees. Company officials claim the plan improves health...

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 11:43 AM

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Jobless claims increase to 311,000 (AP)

Jobless claims increase to 311,000 (AP)
AP - The number of newly laid off workers filing for unemployment benefits edged up slightly last week but was at a level that signaled a solid labor market.

# posted by Janice's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog @ 2:06 PM

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