Friday, March 31, 2006

Tweet

[IWS] ILO: LABOUR INSPECTION (General Survey of the Committee of Experts) 2006

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

International Labour Organization (ILO)
Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

LABOUR INSPECTION (General Survey of the Committee of Experts)
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/rep-iii-1b.pdf
[full-text, 165 pages]

The Committee of Experts also publishes an annual General Survey, in
which it examines the application of ILO standards, ratified or not
ratified, in a particular subject area. This year's General Survey
dealing with labour inspection is above.

Introduction............................................................................................................... 1-15
Chapter I. Evolution of the scope of labour inspection from 1947 to the present day: Towards broad coverage ....... 16-43
Chapter II. Mandate of the labour inspection....................................................... 44-84
Chapter III. Preventive functions of labour inspection .......................................... 85-137
Chapter IV. Structure of the labour inspection system.......................................... 138-172
Chapter V. Labour inspection staff: Composition, status, conditions of service and standards of conduct ............. 173-237
Chapter VI. Resources of the labour inspection.................................................... 238-255
Chapter VII. General inspection methods: Inspection visits................................... 256-278
Chapter VIII. Prosecution and penalties for violation of legislation ......................... 279-306
Chapter IX. Reports on the work of the labour inspectorate ................................. 307-345
Chapter X. Ratification prospects......................................................................... 346-362
Final remarks............................................................................................................ 363-374

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] ILO: 2006 REPORT Comm. of EXPERTS on APPLICATION of CONVENTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS [online 31 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (2006)
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/gbe/ceacr2006.htm


The 2006 Report of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations is now available in the ILOLEX database above.

The Committee of Experts is an independent body composed of legal experts charged with examining the application of ILO Conventions and Recommendations in ILO member States. The annual report of the Committee of Experts contains observations related to the application of ILO standards in individual countries. The report is submitted to the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards, a standing
committee which meets annually at the June session of the International Labour Conference. At the Conference Committee, the ILO's constituents (governments, employers and workers) examine selected observations from the Committee of Experts' report, and the governments concerned are given an opportunity to provide further information.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] OPM DIRECTOR wants CIVIL SERVICE REFORM [30 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2006

Contact: <mailto:edbyrnes@opm.gov> Edmund D. Byrnes
202-606-2402


OPM Director Reiterates Need for Civil Service Reform
http://www.opm.gov/news/opm-director-reiterates-need-for-civil-service-reform,1034.aspx

Washington, DC- U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda M. Springer today reiterated the Administration's strong support for reforming the civil service from a longevity-based system to one that rewards performance.

"We continue to believe the proposed Working for America Draft Act does an effective job of addressing a comprehensive set of challenges that exist in the current civil service system. Its labor reforms are less expansive than reforms previously enacted for the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense which have unique mission requirements.

"We are paying particular attention to the experience of the more than 90,000 Federal employees who are currently under alternative pay systems. This focus will allow us to continue to make the case for further civil service reform."

-end-
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] BEA: PERSONAL INCOME AND OUTLAYS: FEBRUARY 2006 [31 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL INCOME AND OUTLAYS: FEBRUARY 2006 [31 March 2006]
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0206.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0206.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0206.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0206_fax.pdf


Personal income increased $31.5 billion, or 0.3 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI)
increased $21.7 billion, or 0.2 percent, in February, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $13.1 billion, or 0.1 percent. In January,
personal income increased $77.1 billion, or 0.7 percent, DPI increased $53.5 billion, or 0.6 percent,
and PCE increased $72.1 billion, or 0.8 percent, based on revised estimates.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Thursday, March 30, 2006

Tweet

[IWS] THE US GENDER PAY GAP IN THE 1990s: SLOWING CONVERGENCE [March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Working Paper # 508
Princeton University, Industrial Relations Section, March 2006

THE US GENDER PAY GAP IN THE 1990s: SLOWING CONVERGENCE
Francine D. Blau , Cornell University and Lawrence M. Kahn, Cornell University
October 2003, Revised, March 2006
http://www.irs.princeton.edu/pubs/pdfs/508.pdf
[full-text, 42 pages]

Abstract
Using Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, we study the slowdown in the convergence of female and male wages in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. We find that changes in human capital did not contribute to the slowdown, since women's relative human capital improved comparably in the two decades. Occupational upgrading and deunionization had a larger positive effect on women's relative wages in the 1980s, explaining a portion of the slower 1990s convergence. However, the largest factor was that the "unexplained" gender wage gap fell much faster in the 1980s than the 1990s. Our evidence suggests that changes in labor force selectivity, changes in gender differences in unmeasured characteristics and in labor market discrimination, as well as changes in the favorableness of demand shifts each may have contributed to the slowing convergence of the unexplained gender pay gap.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] ILO: World-wide NEWS on HIV/AIDS & Work by the minute

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

ILO (International Labour Organization)

NEWS from AROUND THE WORLD on AIDS
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/clients/ilo/results.html?keyword=AIDS

HIV/AIDS and the World of Work -- Minute by Minute

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] ASK.com an alternative to GOOGLE

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Try Ask.com as an alternative to GOOGLE. You may like the results
www.ask.com

See article in today's Wall Street Journal
http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20060330.html

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] ILO/AIDS: New! COUNTRY PROFILES (AIDS as Workplace Issue) [30 March 2006

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________


ILO/AIDS: Why AIDS is a Workplace Issue
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/


New features on the website [30 March 2006]

COUNTRY PROFILES [see pull-down menu in left margin]

Country profiles provide information on HIV/AIDS and the world of work (including labour force statistics, policy and legislation, examples of workplace action and practical resources) and basic data on the epidemic. Fifteen to start with - more to follow. This feature is accessible by clicking on the roll-down menu at the left. The profiles link to new pages providing details of project activities, including reports of national mapping exercises.

See for example:

BARBADOS
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/countryprofile/barbados.htm

or

CAMBODIA
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/countryprofile/cambodia.htm

or

INDIA
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/countryprofile/india.htm

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] BLS: REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: FEBRUARY 2006 [30 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: FEBRUARY 2006 [30 March 2006]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
and
Supplemental Files Table of Contents
http://www.bls.gov/web/laus.supp.toc.htm

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally up slightly in
February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor
reported today. Thirty-three states recorded rate increases over the
month, 11 states and the District of Columbia experienced rate decreases,
and 6 states had no changes in their rates. Over the year, jobless rates
were down in 39 states and the District of Columbia, up in 8 states, and
unchanged in 3 states. The national unemployment rate, 4.8 percent in
February, was little changed from that of January but was down by 0.6
percentage point from a year earlier.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states and the District of
Columbia over the month and decreased in 9 states. The largest employment
gains occurred in California (+31,100), Texas (+25,400), Florida (+22,900),
Arizona (+16,200), Washington (+13,800), and North Carolina (+13,000).
Idaho and Kansas reported the largest over-the-month percentage increases
in employment (+0.9 percent each), followed by Montana (+0.8 percent) and
Hawaii and Louisiana (+0.7 percent each). The largest employment decreases
were reported in Michigan (-9,400), Virginia (-2,400), Kentucky (-2,200),
Ohio (-2,000), Nebraska (-1,800), and New Hampshire (-1,600). The largest
over-the-month percentage losses in employment occurred in New Hampshire
(-0.3 percent), Michigan and Nebraska (-0.2 percent each), and Kentucky,
North Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia (-0.1 percent each). Over the year,
nonfarm employment increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia and
decreased in 2 states (Louisiana and Michigan). The largest percentage
gains were reported in Nevada (+6.1 percent), Idaho (+5.3 percent), Arizona
(+5.2 percent), and Utah (+4.0 percent).

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] Census: 2005 State Government Tax Collections [30 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

2005 State Government Tax Collections [30 March 2006]
http://www.census.gov/govs/www/statetax.html

The State Government Tax Collections (STC) report provides a summary of taxes collected by state for up to 25 tax categories. These tables and data files present the details on tax collections by type of tax imposed and collected by state governments.



See --Press Release, 30 March 2006

State Government Tax Collections up $57 Billion in 2005
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/governments/006672.html

State government tax collections reached nearly $649 billion in fiscal year 2005, a $57 billion (9.7 percent) increase from 2004, the Census Bureau reported today.

According to data from the 2005 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, taxes on individual income were $221 billion, up 12.6 percent; and general sales taxes were $212 billion, up 7.2 percent. These taxes made up more than two-thirds of all state tax collections.

Nationally, per capita taxes collected by states averaged $2,192. Among individual states, per capita taxes were highest in Vermont, $3,600; followed by Hawaii, $3,478; Wyoming, $3,418; Connecticut, $3,300; and Delaware, $3,229. The lowest per capita tax collections were in South Dakota, $1,430; Texas, $1,434; New Hampshire, $1,544; Colorado, $1,640; and Missouri, $1,645.

Among other major taxes, corporation net income taxes increased 28 percent, followed by documentary and stock transfer taxes, 27.4 percent, and severance taxes, 26.4 percent.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] BEA: GDP & Corporate Profits--4th Qtr. 2005 [30 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: FOURTH QUARTER 2005 (FINAL) [30 March 2006]
CORPORATE PROFITS: FOURTH QUARTER 2005
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/gdpnewsrelease.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp405f.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp405f.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp405f_fax.pdf

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005,
according to final estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real
GDP increased 4.1 percent.

The GDP estimates released today are based on more complete source data than were available for
the preliminary estimates issued last month. In the preliminary estimates, the increase in real GDP was
1.6 percent (see "Revisions" on page 3).

The increase in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from
private inventory investment, personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, equipment and
software, and residential fixed investment that were partly offset by a negative contribution from federal
government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

The deceleration in real GDP growth in the fourth quarter primarily reflected a deceleration in
PCE, an acceleration in imports, a downturn in federal government spending, and decelerations in
equipment and software and in residential fixed investment that were partly offset by an upturn in
inventory investment and an acceleration in exports.

Final sales of computers contributed 0.33 percentage point to the fourth-quarter growth in real
GDP after contributing 0.16 percentage point to the third-quarter growth. Motor vehicle output
subtracted 0.64 percentage point from the fourth-quarter growth in real GDP after contributing 0.56
percentage point to the third-quarter growth.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....


_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Tweet

[IWS] OECD: TAX WEDGES Vary Sharply by Country [29 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Tax Wedges vary sharply in OECD countries [29 March 2006]
http://www.oecd.org/document/38/0,2340,en_2649_201185_36371174_1_1_1_1,00.html


29/03/2006 - Belgium, Germany and Hungary impose the highest taxes among OECD countries on the pay of a single person on average earnings, while Korea, Mexico and New Zealand take the least, according to the latest edition of the OECD's annual publication Taxing Wages.

For a single-earner married couple with two children on average earnings, by contrast, Turkey, Sweden and Poland impose the biggest 'tax wedge', while Ireland, Iceland and the United States take the smallest slice in tax. Taxing Wages compares the shares of employee earnings taken by governments in OECD countries through taxation by calculating what it calls the 'tax wedge', the difference between labour costs to the employer and the net take-home pay of the employee, including any cash benefits from government welfare programmes.

In 2005, single individuals without children earning the average wage in services and manufacturing industries faced a tax wedge of 55.4% of the cost of their labour to their employers in Belgium, 51.8% in Germany and 50.5% in Hungary, compared with 17.3% in Korea, 18.2% in Mexico and 20.5% in New Zealand. The average for OECD countries was 37.3%.
See Table 1.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/41/36371703.pdf


For a one-earner married couple with two children on average earnings, the tax wedge ranged from 42.7% in Turkey, 42.4% in Sweden and 42.1% in Poland to 11.9% in the United States, 11% in Iceland and 8.1 % in Ireland. The average for OECD countries was 27.7%.
See Table 2
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/39/36371872.pdf


These tax wedges result from the combined effects of a range of policy instruments at the disposal of governments: personal income tax, employee and employer social security contributions, payroll taxes and cash benefits. Variations in their levels reflect the differing priorities of governments and voters in different countries with respect to the desired level, composition and financing method of government expenses, including social benefits.

Tax wedges have shrunk over the past few years in most OECD countries, partly reflecting governments' desire to get more people into work so as to offset the effects on output and prosperity of ageing populations. However, these tax cuts have been limited by the need to maintain sufficient government revenues. In 2000, the average tax wedge for single persons without children was 37.9%, with Belgium at the top end of the range, with 57.1%, and Korea and Mexico at the bottom end, with 16.4% and 16.8% respectively.

Some countries have focused their tax wedge reductions on lower paid workers, as this is the group that often experiences particularly high unemployment rates.
Table 3
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/38/36371880.pdf
shows that the reductions in the tax wedge for single workers earning two-thirds of the average wage have fallen particularly sharply since 2000 in France (47.4% to 41.4%), Hungary (48.5% to 42.9%) and the Slovak Republic (40.6% to 35.3%).
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] BLS: Compensation and Working Conditions Online 29 March 2006

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Compensation and Working Conditions Online [29 March 2006]
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/home.htm

Charts: Occupational Pay Relatives in San Francisco and Brownsville, 2004 (03/29/2006)
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/cm20060323ch01.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/print/cm20060323ch01.htm

[excerpt]
Using data from the National Compensation Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) produced occupational "pay relatives" to facilitate comparisons of occupational pay between metropolitan areas and the United States as a whole. Pay relatives for 2004 have been prepared for each of nine major occupational groups within 78 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as well as averaged across all occupations for each area. The pay relatives averaged for workers in all occupations in San Francisco and Brownsville were, respectively, the highest and lowest among the 78 areas. These data were first published in a news release entitled Occupational Pay Relatives, 2004 (USDL 05-2382, U.S. Department of Labor, December 28, 2005). BLS plans to publish new data on pay relatives annually.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] Census: ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER POP 2004 ALONE/COMBINATION [29 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Asian and Pacific Islander Populations
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/api.html
[See above for 2003 or earlier material on the information covered below]

Current Population Survey (CPS)

2004 March CPS

* The Asian Alone Population in the United States: 2004 [29 March 2006]
* Detailed Tables (PPL-184)
* http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/ppl-184.html

* The Asian Alone or in Combination Population in the United States: 2004 [29 March 2006]
* Detailed Tables (PPL-184)
* http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/ppl-184_aoic.html

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] Census: BLACK POPULATION 2004 ALONE/COMBINATION [29 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

The Black Population in the United States
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/black.html
[see above for 2003 and earlier reports on material covered below]

Current Population Survey (CPS) Reports

2004 March CPS

* The Black Alone Population in the United States: 2004 [29 March 2006]
* Detailed Tables (PPL-186)
* http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/ppl-186.html
*
* The Black Alone or in Combination Population in the United States: 2004 [29 March 2006]
* Detailed Tables (PPL-186)
* http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/ppl-186_aoic.html

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] Census: SPELLS of UNEMPLOYMENT 2001-2003 [29 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Current Population Reports
Household Economic Studies

Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Spells of Unemployment 2001­2003 [29 March 2006]
By Alfred O. Gottschalck
http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p70-105.pdf
[full-text, 7 pages]

This report presents data from the 2001 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) on how long people remained unemployed during each of the times (spells) they experienced unemployment. The data cover the period of January 2001 through December 2003. The table in the appendix displays the detailed statistical data analyzed in this report.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] CRS: CHINA's ECONOMY & CURRENCY (2 Reports) [17 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Order Code IB98014

China's Economic Conditions
Updated March 17, 2006
Wayne M. Morrison, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/IB98014_20060317.pdf
[full-text, 17 pages]

[excerpt]
China's economy continues to be a concern to U.S. policymakers. On the one hand, China's economic growth presents huge opportunities for U.S. exporters. On the other hand, the surge in Chinese exports to the United States has put competitive pressures on various U.S. industries. Many U.S. policymakers have argued that greater efforts should be made to pressure China to fully implement its WTO commitments (especially in terms of protecting U.S. intellectual property rights) and change various economic policies deemed harmful to U.S. economic interests, such as its currency policy and its use of subsidies to support its state-owned firms. In addition, recent bids by Chinese state-owned firms to purchase various U.S. firms have raised concerns among Members over the impact such acquisitions could have on U.S. national and economic security.

Includes TABLES and CHARTS.....

CRS
Order Code RS21625
Updated March 17, 2006

China's Currency: A Summary of the Economic Issues
Wayne M. Morrison, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Marc Labonte, Government and Finance Division
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RS21625_20060317.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]

[excerpt]
In response to international pressure over its policy of pegging its currency (the yuan) to the U.S. dollar, the Chinese government on July 21, 2005, announced it would immediately appreciate the yuan to the dollar by 2.1% and adopt a currency policy based on a basket of currencies (including the dollar). Many Members have long charged that China "manipulates" its currency in order to make its exports cheaper and imports into China more expensive than they would be under free market conditions. They further contend that this policy is responsible for the large and growing U.S. trade deficits with China and the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs. China's July 2005 reforms have done
little to lessen congressional concerns. Several bills addressing China's currency have been introduced in Congress, including S. 295, which would raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods by an additional 27.5% unless China appreciated its currency. This report summarizes the main findings CRS Report RL32165, China's Exchange Rate Peg: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy, and will be updated as events warrant.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Tweet

[IWS] CANADA: Weekly Work Report 27 March 2006

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________


(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).

Weekly Work Report for the Week of March 27, 2006

----------
ONTARIO CONSULTATION TARGETS THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY IN CONSTRUCTION : On March 28, Ontario's Labour Minister announced a proposal to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 to force independent operators, sole proprietors , partners and executive officers in the construction sector to participate in the workplace safety and insurance system. As stated in the government consultation paper on the topic, the purpose of the amendments is less to improve safety standards and more to combat the growth the underground economy. The proposed amendments flow from a recommendation in the March 2004 report, Attacking the underground economy in the ICI Sector of Ontario's Construction Industry, by Tim Armstrong and John O'Grady, and commissioned by the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS). The Ministry's Consultation paper poses 27 questions to focus the discussion; responses will be accepted by mail, email or fax to the Ministry of Labour until by June 30, 2006.

LINKS:

Press release at <l" eudora="autourl"> http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2006/06-36.html>l;

Backgrounder at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2006/06-36b.html>

Discussion paper at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/consultation/06_wsia/index.html >

Ontario Construction Secretariat website at < http://www.iciconstruction.com/site/index.html> , including Attacking the underground economy (158 pages, PDF) at < http://www.iciconstruction.com/site/pdf/Attacking the Underground Economy - April 2004 - Full Report.pdf>

----------
ONTARIO'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISPUTE GOES TO ARBITRATION: Ontario's 150,000 community college students returned to their classrooms on March 28, after the Colleges Compensation and Appointments Council and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union agreed to a return-to-work protocol and to the appointment of William Kaplan as an arbitrator of their labour dispute. The parties remain opposed over workload, class sizes and salary, and have characterized the strike as one over educational quality. The strike has been marred by bitter public statements, and most importantly, by the death of John Stammers, an instructor at Centennial College in Toronto, who was struck by a car while picketing.

LINKS:

"Ontario colleges to resume classes after bitter strike" in the Globe and Mail (March 27) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060327.ONTCOLLEGE27/TPStory/TPNational/ >

Colleges Compensation and Appointment Council website at < http://www.thecouncil.on.ca/english/bargaining/acad-barg.html>, including Memorandum of agreement (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.thecouncil.on.ca/english/bargaining/pdfs/Memorandum of Agreement.pdf> and the Return to work protocol (3 pages, PDF) at < http://www.thecouncil.on.ca/english/bargaining/pdfs/Appendix C - RTW Protocol.pdf>

OPSEU website re Community College Bargaining at < http://www.opseu.org/caat/caat_ac/2006bargaining/caatabargainingindex.htm >

----------
NEW UNION ORGANIZING IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY: The United Food and Commercial Workers announced on March 22 that UFCW Canada Local 421 has been created as a home for " new members from all aspects of the entertainment industry." The UFCW local intends to work toward a hiring hall system for technicians, as well as an apprenticeship and certification program. Some other unions in the entertainment sector include ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), which in April 2005 announced a strategic alliance with the United Steelworkers " to take on the globalization of the culture industry and to address a range of common issues" , the Canadian Actors Equity Association, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Motion Picture Technicians Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE).

LINKS:

UFCW press release at < http://www.ufcw.ca/cgi-bin/full_story.cgi?story_id=1792&from_page=6 >

ACTA-USWA press release at < http://www.actratoronto.com/home/actra_steel.htm>

Canadian Actors Equity Association at < http://www.caea.com/EquityWeb/default.aspx>

IATSE website at < http://www.iatse-intl.org/index_flash.html>

----------
CAW EXECUTIVE BOARD URGES SPLIT WITH NDP: On March 21st the National Executive Board of the Canadian Autoworkers adopted a resolution calling for the CAW leadership, members, locals, and staff to withdraw support from the New Democratic Party. According to the CAW press release, the resolution was prompted by the expulsion of Buzz Hargrove from the Ontario New Democratic Party, which the union sees as "an outright attack on the ability of organizations affiliated to the party to take independent political action in the interests of their members and the broader community." This NEB resolution is not binding and will be debated at a council meeting in April. At that time it could become official CAW policy.

LINKS:

CAW press release, resolution, and Q & A at the CAW website at < http://www.caw.ca/news/newsnow/news.asp?artID=1080>

'CAW leadership urges members to abandon NDP" in the Globe and Mail (March 25) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060325.CAW25/TPStory/?query=TU+THANH+HA >

"Progressive Disarray" editorial in the Toronto Star (March 28) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&amp;c=Article&cid=1143499811787&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795 >

"The good reasons for the CAW and the NDP to split up" in Rabble.ca (March 28) by Jim Stanford, an economist at the CAW, at < http://www.rabble.ca/for_the_sake_of_argument.shtml?x=48431>

----------
IVEY BUSINESS JOURNAL THEME: THE ENGAGED WORKPLACE: The March/April 2006 issue of the Ivey Business Journal offers five articles on the theme of The Engaged Workplace. In addition, Edward Lawler III and Christopher G. Worley provide an article titled Winning support for organizational change. Other contents: an interview with Rosabeth Moss Kantor in which she reflects on her 30 year career and the subject of corporate leadership.

LINKS:

Ivey Business Journal online at < http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/>

----------
PERSONAL INTERNET USE AT WORK: A survey released on March 22 by the U.S. recruitment consultants Hudson shows that 23 % of U.S. workers who use a computer at work admit to having searched for a new job at work, and 12% surf the internet for personal reasons often at work. 30% send and receive personal e-mails at work often, and a further 28% do so occasionally. The Hudson Internet Use Survey is based on a national poll of 2,694 U.S. workers who use computers at work conducted March 11-13, 2006. Data is broken down by employer type, company size, managerial status, gender, age and race.

LINKS:

Summary and press release at the Hudson website at < http://www.hudson-index.com/node.asp?SID=5763>

March Internet Usage Data (Excel spreadsheet) at < http://www.hudson-index.com/documents/us-hudson-index-data-032206.xls >

----------
MORE RESOURCES FOR PANDEMIC PREPARATION: Several organizations have developed websites devoted to the issue of pandemic flu, such as avian flu. Mercer Human Resource Consulting has a new website with information specific to the workplace, including a survey released on March 27, Avian Flu Pandemic Preparedness' Global Survey Report and a White Paper entitled The Emerging Global Pandemic: Human Resource Implications.

On March 28, Health Canada announced a Pandemic Influenza portal which brings together information from across the Government of Canada's departments and agencies , including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and the World Health Organizaiton. The Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board also has a website containing resources specific to the workplace.

LINKS:

The Mercer website: < http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1207955;jsessionid=E2RXCQAL4TL2YCTGOUFCHPQKMZ0QUI2C >

The Canadian Government website: < http://www.influenza.gc.ca/index_e.html>

The WSIB website: < http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/public/flu_resources>

----------
BOOMER RETIREMENT TRENDS: A new study by Statistics Canada looks at the retirement intentions of Canadians. The report, titled New Frontiers of Research on Retirement, focuses on four trends: gender difference in retirement patterns, joint retirement decisions of couples, maintaining a standard of living in retirement and flexible retirement. The Conference Board of Canada has also recently published a a brief overview of the issues related to the aging workforce, titled Canada's Demographic Revolution: Adjusting to an Aging Population.

LINKS:

Summary of New Frontiers of Research on Retirement at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060327/d060327b.htm>. The full report is 458 pages and can be ordered online: (Catalogue # < http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/IPS/display?cat_num=75-511-XIE>75-511-XIE , $49 for electronic text; # < http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/IPS/display?cat_num=75-511-XPE>75-511-XPE , $65 for paper). The CIRHR Library has ordered a paper copy.

"A woman's work may never be done" in the Globe and Mail (March 28) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060328.RBOOMER28/TPStory/?query=omar+el+akkad >

Canada's Demographic Revolution: adjusting to an aging population (7 pages, PDF) at the Conference Board website at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/boardwiseii/temp/BoardWise2ONJKOFKAELFJOCOHHEFPPNND2006328131346/181-06 Canada's Demographic Revolution-ExecAction.pdf>

----------
GENERAL MOTORS LAYS OFF U.S. WORKERS: General Motors made two major restructuring announcements in the past week: on March 22, it announced it would offer voluntary buyout packages to approximately 100,000 hourly workers of GM and an additional 13,000 hourly workers at auto parts subsidiary Delphi. The amounts of the buyouts range from between $35,000 and $140,000, depending on the employee's tenure. Delphi filed for bankruptcy in October and is currently negotiating with the United Auto Workers to reach a new contact by March 30. On March 28 , GM announced approximately 500 additional layoffs of salaried workers at 30 locations across the United States.

LINKS:

"GM to lay off several hundred employees" in the Washington Post (March 28) at < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032800424.html >

GM to offer early retirement to about 113,000 U.S. workers at the CBC Business website at < http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/03/22/gmretirement-060322.html >

Delphi documents on the UAW website at < http://www.uaw.org/delphi/delphiupdate.cfm?duId=42>http://www.uaw.org/delphi/delphiupdate.cfm?duId=42 including Key Points of the Attrition Program (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.uaw.org/delphi/2006_Attrition_Program_highlights.pdf >

----------
POST SECONDARY EDUCATION PAYS: On average, workers who participated in adult education and obtained a post-secondary certificate made significant gains in wages and earnings, according to a new study released by Statistics Canada on March 24. The study documented participation patterns in adult education among workers during two periods: 1994 to 1997, and 1997 to 2000, using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. It also examined the impact of adult education on hourly wages and annual earnings, taking into account factors such as union status, occupation, firm size, industry and province.

LINKS:

Participation in Adult Schooling and its Earnings Impact in Canada (35 pages, PDF) (Analytical Studies Branch research paper #276) (Catalogue #11F0019MIE2006276) at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/11F0019MIE/11F0019MIE2006276.pdf >

----------
Book of the Week:

Sexual harassment investigations: how to limit your liability and more: a practical guide by Arjun P. Aggarwal and Madhu M. Gupta. Ottawa: Harassment Publications, 2004. 207 p. ISBN0-9735335-0-1

The authors present a comprehensive overview of the current law on sexual harassment in North America and provide a practical guide with step-by-step procedures for resolving harassment complaints in the workplace. They also provide a roadmap for employers to prevent such conduct and to respond effectively when it does manifest itself.

About the Authors:

Arjun P.Aggarwal is the author of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Butterworths 3rd ed. 2000), Sexual Harassment - A Guide for Understanding and Prevention (Butterworths 1992) Sex Discrimination: Employment Law and Practices (Butterworths1994).

Madhu M. Gupta resides in Chicago,Illinois, where she practiced with the law firm of Chapman and Cutler. She is co-author of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Butterworths 3rd ed. 2000).

----------
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.

The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.

----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir


_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


Tweet

[IWS] OECD Factbook 2006 - Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics [28 March 2006]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

OECD Factbook 2006 - Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics [28 March 2006]
http://miranda.sourceoecd.org/vl=2051514/cl=21/nw=1/rpsv/fact2006/

For example, see Employment Rates by Gender
http://miranda.sourceoecd.org/vl=2051514/cl=21/nw=1/rpsv/fact2006/05-01-01.htm

Press Release
2006 Edition Out Now!
http://www.oecd.org/site/0,2865,en_21571361_34374092_1_1_1_1_1,00.html


The OECD Factbook is an essential tool providing a global overview of world economic, social and environmental trends. It brings together in a single publication 100 indicators that are essential for evaluating the relative position of any OECD country, both at a given moment and over time, in the following fields :
* Population and migration
* Macroeconomic trends
* Economic globalisation
* Prices
* Labour market
* Science and technology
* Environment
* Education
* Public policies
* Quality of life
* and a special chapter dedicated to Globalisation

The 2006 edition presents many new features, including indicators on the "brain drain," Tsunami recovery, aid, and cultural and leisure activities. It also includes data on key non-OECD member countries, namely Brazil, China, India, The Russian Federation and South Africa.

The 100 indicators are all presented as a double page spread. On the left page, you will find systematic definitions of the indicators used, comment on the extent of comparability of data from national sources, and a guide to other statistical and analytic publications from the OECD. These texts are essential to understand where the data come from and how they can be used.

On the right page, the indicators are presented with clear tables and graphs. Under each table and graph, a StatLink enables any reader to immediately download the original data in Excel format. This new function is the ultimate mix of print and online access to statistical information and allows readers to directly insert original OECD data into other documents.

The OECD Factbook has become a key reference for anyone interested to know "where we are" and "where we are going" in terms of social, economic and environmental development. It is at the same time user-friendly, comprehensive and reliable. We invite you to discover more in browsing through sample pages from the 2006 edition: the full table of contents , the analytical index , and sample indicators. All the ordering information is also available from this site.

The OECD Factbook is available online as part of SourceOECD, the service which delivers online OECD books, periodicals and statistical databases. The OECD Factbook 2006 will also available in French from June 2006.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?