IWS Documented News DAILY POSTINGS

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
________________________________________________________________________

European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC)

EMCC Case Studies

Report Managing restructuring: the Vermondoise Group of sugar refineries

Managing large-scale restructuring: the Vermandoise Group of sugar refineries [31 August 2006]
http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/publications/2006/ef0548enC9.pdf
[full-text, 21 pages]

This case study of the Vermondoise Group of sugar refineries outlines the context and details of the closure of its Beauchamps refinery in northern France, including actions taken at local, regional and national level.

Introduction
Company profile and context
Outcome of Beauchamps closure
The restructuring process
Lessons learnt and outlook
List of interviewees
Sources
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 11:15 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

American Rights at Work
 
THE LABOR DAY LIST: Partnerships that Work [30 August 2006]
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/docUploads/LDL06finalfullreportlowres%2Epdf
[full-text, 16 pages]

Announcement
THE LABOR DAY LIST: Partnerships that Work
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/srb/ldl.cfm

[excerpt]

In our second-annual Labor Day List: Partnerships that Work, American Rights at Work celebrates partnerships between employers and their employees' unions that both meet the needs of workers and fulfill business objectives in the global economy.

Many companies would lead us to conclude that massive layoffs, slashing benefits, employing temporary and cheap labor, and hiring unionbusters to prevent workers from forming unions are necessary to remain profitable. The practices of Labor Day List employers buck the current "race-to-the-bottom" trend and demonstrate that there are alternative models which fulfill the needs of their shareholders, employees, and valued customers.

See Press Release [30 August 2006]
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/press/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=41

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:50 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

THE STATE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER 2006: ATTITUDES ABOUT WORK IN AMERICA
(Updated August 29, 2006)
http://www.aei.org/docLib/200408301_work14886.pdf
[full-text, 34 pages]

OVERALL SATISFACTION: In August 2004, 47 percent told AP/Ipsos surveyors that their
job was very important to their overall satisfaction with life, and 44 percent said it was
somewhat important. Poll questions from leading survey organizations show that the vast
majority of workers are highly satisfied with this aspect of their lives. There has been little
change in the responses since survey organizations started measuring them regularly in the
1970s. (The results from the major survey organizations are shown below.) Very few workers
say they are completely or very dissatisfied with their jobs. Dissatisfaction is slightly higher
among some groups than others. Young people, for example, are just starting out and their
salaries are often low. Their dissatisfaction is unremarkable. It is a product of their place in
the life cycle.

A striking indicator of satisfaction comes from two identical questions asked twenty
years apart. Sixty-nine percent in 1997, up slightly from 64 percent in 1977, told researchers
that they would take the same job again "without hesitation." Around a quarter said they
would have "second thoughts." Just 6 percent in 1997 (9 percent in 1977) said they would
definitely not take the same job again.

In a July 2006 survey, 31 percent told Gallup/USA Today interviewers that they would
be happier in a different job. Sixty three percent said they would not. Those responses are
virtually identical to Gallup's 1955 responses, 32 and 63 percent, respectively.
Young people are more likely than older ones to say they have seriously considered
changing jobs, an attitude that is a function of their stage in life. Their expectations about
their jobs are different from the past, too. In 1977, in an Opinion Research Corporation
survey, 47 percent of teens said "having a secure, steady job" was important to them in
choosing a career. In 1999, 21 percent gave that response.


See Press Release [30 August 2006]
"The State of the American Worker, 2005"
Posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2005

A new AEI Public Opinion Study, < http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.14886/pub_detail.asp>The State of the American Worker, 2005, examines how workers feel about their jobs, their commutes, and their leisure time. The AEI collection draws on polls conducted by major pollsters over the past 50 years and provides a surprising look at the workaday world.
http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.23108,filter.all/pub_detail.asp

Among the highlights:
   * Most workers are very satisfied with their jobs. There has been little change in job satisfaction since pollsters started measuring it regularly 25 years ago (Gallup, Harris, National Opinion Research Center, AP/Ipsos).
   *
   * Most workers are confident that they will be able to keep their jobs. Still, around 60 percent say it is a bad time to find a quality job in America (Gallup).
   *
   * The vast majority of workers are satisfied with most aspects of their jobs including their job security, their opportunities to move up, their coworkers, the flexibility of their hours, and their vacation time.  (Gallup, NBC/WSJ, AP/Ipsos).
   *
   * More than 60 percent of those who work outside the home have commutes that are less than 30 minutes, and another 27 percent commute less than an hour. Nine percent of those who commute say it usually takes 60 minutes or more. Nineteen percent say they like their commutes a great deal, and another 41 percent like them somewhat.  Only 12 percent dislike them a great deal (ABC/Washington Post).
   *
   * Around 20 percent say they would like to fire their boss if they could. Around a quarter said they would like their boss's job (Roper, Maritz).
   *
   * Most Americans say that they would continue working if they won a $10 million lottery (Gallup).

A final word: Polls are too blunt to be used to make policy. Polls can, however, provide a sense of how and what Americans think about an issue. That is what this public opinion study is intended to do.

"The State of the American Worker, 2005" is one of a series of AEI studies on public opinion by Karlyn Bowman. The studies include trend data from most major pollsters in the United States and are updated regularly as new polls become available.

Karlyn Bowman, who specializes in public opinion polls, is available for interviews at (202) 862-5910 or kbowman@aei.org (asst.: 202-862-5917).

Bowman's AEI website bio: http://www.aei.org/bowman
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:40 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
Investigation No. NAFTA-103-14
Publication 3881
August 2006


Probable Effect of Certain Modifications to the North American Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin [30 August 2006]
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/103/pub3881.pdf
[full-text, 163 pages]

Abstract
The U.S. International Trade Commission's (Commission) advice on the probable effect of
certain proposed modifications to the rules of origin contained in the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is based on an assessment of whether a proposed rule
modification would likely increase or decrease trade flows of U.S. products in the NAFTA
markets as a result of preferential market access, and the resulting effect on total U.S.
imports, exports, and production.

In preparing its advice, the Commission assessed each specific proposed modification to
determine the probable effect on U.S. trade and on U.S. industries. The Commission
reviewed 113 proposed rule modifications for 38 product groups and found that 35
modifications were "formatting only" changes that would not substantively change the
application of the rules of origin. Accordingly, the Commission concluded that these
proposed rule modifications would likely have no effect on U.S. trade and production. The
Commission also found that 78 proposed modifications are substantive in nature; however,
the Commission found that the probable economic effect for 77 of these proposed
modifications would be negligible, while one, certain fish oils, would result in a significant
effect on U.S. production and a substantial effect on U.S. imports.

CONTENTS
Page
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Chapter 2: NAFTA Rules of Origin Probable Effect Analysis . .  2-1
Chapter 3: Advice on the Probable Effect of Certain Proposed Modifications to the Rules of Origin Contained in the North American Free Trade
Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Fish and crustaceans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Herbs and spices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Marjoram, savory and cilantro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Allspice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Thyme; bay leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Celery seeds, basil, rosemary and sage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Fish oils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Food preparations, e.g., flavoring mixes, soups, sauces, and finished meals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Oils, petroleum products and bitumen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Other gas turbines and parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Parts for electric motors and generators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Electric transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Primary cells and batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Electrical apparatus for line telephony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Turntables, record players, cassette players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Transmission apparatus for radio telephony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Radar apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Reception apparatus for radio telephony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Televisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Electric sound or visual signaling apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Thermionic, cold cathode or photocathode tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Electrical machines and apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Insulator conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
Rail locomotives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-69
Truck assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
Locomotive parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71
Electrocardiographs, and parts and accessories, thereof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-72
Medical appliances and apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-74
Hydrometers and similar floating instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Other instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-77
Automatic regulating or controlling instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-79
Time switches with clock or watch movement or with synchronous motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Lighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
De Minimis for goods of section VI, products of the chemical or allied industries
(Chapters 28-38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
Appendices
A. Request letter from the USTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
B. Federal Register notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
C. Organizations contacted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
D. Positions of interested parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
E. Compilation of applicable NAFTA tariff rates and NTR tariff rates for the
United States, Canada, and Mexico, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:20 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

PRELIMINARY MULTIFACTOR PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS, 2005 [29 August 2006]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/prod3.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/prod3.pdf
[full-text, 5 pages]
and
Supplemental Files Table of Contents
http://www.bls.gov/web/prod3.supp.toc.htm

Private Business Sector

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today
the preliminary multifactor productivity data, output per combined units of
labor and capital inputs, for 2005 for the private business sector.  The
estimated annual rate of multifactor productivity change from 2004 to 2005 was
an increase of 1.8 percent.

The estimate of multifactor productivity in the private business sector for
2005 shows a slower rate of growth than the past two years.  The 2004-5 annual
changes are summarized in tables A and B.

Multifactor productivity growth is designed to measure the joint influences of
economic growth on technological change, efficiency improvements, returns to
scale, reallocation of resources, and other factors, allowing for the effects
of capital and labor.  Multifactor productivity, therefore, differs from labor
productivity (output per hour worked) measures that are published quarterly by
BLS since it includes information on capital services and other data that are
not available on a quarterly basis.

In the private business sector, the change in multifactor productivity reflects
the difference between the change in real gross domestic product for the
private business sector and the change in labor and capital inputs engaged in
the production of this output.  The output measures for the private business
sector are similar to the indexes of output for business used in the quarterly
labor productivity measures but the output of government enterprises is
omitted.  Government enterprises are agencies that maintain separate accounts
and that cover a substantial portion of their operating costs by selling goods
and services to the public.

Beginning with this release, BLS will issue annually in news release format
preliminary multifactor productivity measures for the prior calendar year.
The methodology for producing these preliminary estimates is discussed in
"Preliminary estimates of multifactor productivity growth", published in the
June, 2005 Monthly Labor Review, available at
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/06/art3abs.htm. The Bureau intends to
issue more comprehensive data containing updated inputs and using a more
thorough methodology for each calendar year at a later date; for instance,
data for 2005 are expected to be available in early 2007.


AND MUCH MORE....
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:04 AM

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:  JULY 2006 [31 August 2006]
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0706.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0706.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0706.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/pi0706_fax.pdf


Personal income increased $60.2 billion, or 0.5 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI)
increased $63.9 billion, or 0.7 percent, in July, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $78.7 billion, or 0.8 percent.  In June, personal
income increased $60.0 billion, or 0.6 percent, DPI increased $47.8 billion, or 0.5 percent, and PCE
increased $36.6 billion, or 0.4 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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:57 AM

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:  SECOND QUARTER 2006 (PRELIMINARY) [30 August 2006]
CORPORATE PROFITS:  SECOND QUARTER 2006 (PRELIMINARY) [30 August 2006]
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp206p.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp206p.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp206p.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gdp206p_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 2.9 percent in the second quarter of 2006,
according to preliminary estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the first quarter,
real GDP increased 5.6 percent.

        The GDP estimates released today are based on more complete source data than were available for
the advance estimates issued last month.  In the advance estimates, the increase in real GDP was 2.5
percent (see "Revisions" on page 3).

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

        The deceleration in real GDP growth in the second quarter primarily reflected a deceleration in
PCE for durable goods, downturns in equipment and software and in federal government spending,
decelerations in exports and in PCE for nondurable goods, and a larger decrease in residential fixed
investment that were partly offset by a deceleration in imports, an acceleration in PCE for services, and
an upturn in private inventory investment.

        Final sales of computers contributed 0.05 percentage point to the second-quarter growth in real
GDP after contributing 0.07 percentage point to the first-quarter growth.  Motor vehicle output
subtracted 0.28 percentage point from the second-quarter growth in real GDP after contributing 0.12
percentage point to the first-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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:56 AM

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
Produced for
Fourteenth Asian Regional Meeting, Busan, Republic of Korea, 29 August - 1 September 2006
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/rgmeet/asia.htm

Asia Youth Employment

Decent Jobs for the "Millennium Generation" -- VIDEO 5:44 minutes [30 August 2006]
http://audio.ilo.org/ramgen/ilo/dcomm/english/asian_meeting/asia_youthemp.rmvb?usehostname

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:47 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

 From You Tube

Colbert on unions

Black Humor on Labor Unions by Colbert appropriate for Labor Day as a quick fun synopsis on what unions can do for employees, as well as a real (and current) issue taking place in the labor movement.

The clip takes about 3 mins. 15 secs to view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arSyu4he-kU


[Thanks to several staff member of the ILR School, Cornell University for the tip].

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 2:07 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Census
Current Population Reports
Consumer Income
Issued August 2006
P60-231

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005 [29 August 2006]
http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf
[full-text, 86 pages]

This report presents data on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States based on information collected in the 2006 and earlier Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Real median household income increased between 2004 and 2005. Both the number of people in poverty and the poverty rate were not
statistically different between 2004 and 2005. The number of people with health insurance coverage increased, while the percentage of people with health insurance coverage decreased between 2004 and 2005. Both the number and the percentage of people without health insurance coverage increased between 2004 and 2005.

These results were not uniform across demographic groups. For example, the poverty rate for non-Hispanic Whites decreased, while the overall rate was statistically unchanged.

This report has three main sections—income, poverty, and health insurance coverage. Each one presents estimates by characteristics such as race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and region. Other topics include earnings of yearround,  full-time workers; poverty among families; and health insurance coverage of children.

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

See Press Release 29 August 2006
Income Climbs, Poverty Stabilizes, Uninsured Rate Increases
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html

     Real median household income in the United States rose by 1.1 percent between 2004 and 2005, reaching $46,326, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate remained statistically unchanged at 12.6 percent. The percentage of people without health insurance coverage rose from 15.6 percent to 15.9 percent (46.6 million people).

     These findings are contained in the < http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf> Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005 [PDF] report. The report’s data were compiled from information collected in the 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS).

AND MORE....
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:10 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Census
American Community Survey Reports
Issued August 2006
ACS-02
By
Bruce H. Webster Jr.
Alemayehu Bishaw

Income, Earnings, and Poverty Data From the 2005 American Community Survey [29 August 2006]
http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/acs-02.pdf
[full-text, 32 pages]

[excerpt]
This report looks at data on income, earnings, and poverty based on the 2005 American Community Survey (ACS), which provides a measure of the country's economic well-being. (See the text box "What Is the American Community Survey?") This report uses the unique ability of the ACS to produce estimates of detailed socioeconomic characteristics for the United States, states, and lower levels of geography.

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:08 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Towers Perrin

Executive Summary
Winning Strategies for a Global Workforce: Attracting, Retaining and Engaging Employees for Competitive Advantage
http://www.towersperrin.com/tp/getwebcachedoc?webc=HRS/USA/2006/200602/GWS.pdf
[full-text, 28 pages]

from press release-
http://www.towersperrin.com/tp/jsp/hrservices_html.jsp?webc=203/global/spotlight/spotlight_gws.htm
[excerpt]
Today's workforce is not only more informed, connected and demanding than at any other time in history, but also more critical than ever in sustaining competitive advantage in our service and knowledge-based world. Companies need to understand what employees look for across the employment lifecycle and what it takes to capture their full discretionary effort. Towers Perrin's Global Workforce Study the most comprehensive of its kind to date, involving 86,000 workers in 16 countries provides a rich vein of data and insight to draw in shaping an engaging work experience and investing in programs that will make a material difference to a company's strategic and financial results.

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:33 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Segal

2007 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey [25 August 2006]
http://www.segalco.com/corporate/pub-corporate.cfm?ID=673

The Segal Company’s tenth annual survey of managed care organizations (MCOs), health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and third party administrators (TPAs) ­ forecasts continued declines in trends for 2007. Despite this projected deceleration, medical and prescription drug plan costs are expected to outpace general inflation and wage increases significantly.

The following are some of the notable findings from this year’s survey:

   * All medical plan types are forecasted to see cost increases in 2007 that are more than twice the consumer price index and the annual increase in real average weekly earnings.
   * For the first time in several years, trends for prescription drug coverage are projected to decelerate in 2007 to levels that are close to trends for medical coverage.
   * Compared to trend rates for retail prescription drug coverage, prescription drug mail order trend rates are projected to decrease at least three percentage points for both actives and retirees in 2007.
   * Very similar 2007 trend rates are forecasted for preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs): 11.6 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively. However, projected increases for high-deductible PPOs are expected to be higher: 12.0 percent.
   * The survey found some slight regional variances that suggest regional providers pay be able to negotiate deeper discounts in their local markets than can national providers.

The report of results of the 2007 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey includes four tables of data and seven graphs. It also examines the accuracy of trend projections. The report concludes by discussing a three-pronged strategy for managing health care costs.

To request the survey report, click on the underlined text below. If you prefer to receive a PDF version of this publication via e-mail, please let us know in the comment area of the form.


______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:27 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Segal

2005 Survey of the Funded Position of Multiemployer Plans [17 August 2006]
http://www.segalco.com/publications/surveysandstudies/2005fundingsurvey.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]

Segal's survey focuses on the withdrawal liability funded ratio: the ratio of asset to vested benefits calculated by the actuary for the purpose of withdrawal liability


Key findings of The Segal Company's 2005 Survey of the Funded Position of Multiemployer Plans include the following:

   * The average withdrawal liability ratio for all of the surveyed plans was 80 percent. That average has declined steadily since the 2001 survey year.
   * Only a small portion of the surveyed plans were fully funded for their vested benefits.
   * The average withdrawal liability funded ratios declined between the 2004 and 2005 surveys in all industries except entertainment.
   * The average withdrawal liability funded ratios were relatively consistent among plans of all participant sizes.
   * There were some dramatic differences in the average withdrawal liability funded ratios among plans grouped by asset size.

More from the abstract at --
http://www.segalco.com/taft/pub-taft.cfm?ID=666

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:07 AM

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 RS21728
Updated June 7, 2006
Payday Loans: Federal Regulatory Initiatives
Pauline Smale, Economic Analyst, Government and Finance Division
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RS21728_20060607.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]

Summary
A payday loan arrangement permits an individual to use a personal check to get a
small, short-term, cash advance. The loans are typically for $100-$500. The borrower
writes a postdated check for the loan amount and a fee. The lender holds the check until
the borrower's next payday, usually two weeks. This source of short-term credit can be
expensive. The fee charged on a 14-day payday loan is typically $15 to $17 per $100
advanced, amounts equivalent to an APR (annual percentage rate) of between 391% and
443%. A loan can become even more expensive if it is rolled over or extended.

State laws have generally governed payday lending; some are silent while others
have prohibited or restricted payday lenders. Payday loans are subject to the disclosure
provisions of the federal Truth-In-Lending Act. When payday lenders attempted to
partner with banks and thrifts to circumvent restrictive state laws, however, federal
regulators issued supervisory guidance relating to payday loans. Depository institutions
were cautioned that these arrangements introduced financial, compliance, and reputation
risks. Consumer advocates are concerned that these guidelines may not provide
sufficient consumer protection. They have called on Congress to examine the activities
of payday lenders to see if reforms are needed to protect consumers. In the 109th
Congress, several bills (S. 1878, H.R. 1643, H.R. 1660, H.R. 4866, and H.R. 5350) have
been introduced with provisions addressing the regulation of payday lending. This
report provides information on the practice of payday lending and an overview of federal
regulation and legislation. This report will be updated as events and legislation 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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:57 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

69% Say Liberals Too Secular, 49% Say Conservatives Too Assertive
MANY AMERICANS UNEASY WITH MIX OF RELIGION AND POLITICS
http://pewforum.org/publications/surveys/religion-politics-06.pdf
[full-text, 39 pages]

Press Release
Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics
August 24, 2006
http://www.pewtrusts.org/ideas/ideas_item.cfm?content_item_id=3574&content_type_id=18&issue_name=Religion%20in%20public%20life&issue=17&page=18&WT.mc_id=08/28/2006

Polls/Survey Results

The relationship between religion and politics is a controversial one. While the public remains more supportive of religion's role in public life than in the 1960s, Americans are uneasy with the approaches offered by both liberals and conservatives. Fully 69% of Americans say that liberals have gone too far in keeping religion out of schools and government. But the proportion who express reservations about attempts by Christian conservatives to impose their religious values has edged up in the past year, with about half the public (49%) now expressing wariness about this.

The Democratic Party continues to face a serious "God problem," with just 26% saying the party is friendly to religion. However, the proportion of Americans who say the Republican Party is friendly to religion, while much larger, has fallen from 55% to 47% in the past year, with a particularly sharp decline coming among white evangelical Protestants (14 percentage points).

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, conducted July 6-19 among 2,003 adults, finds that most Americans (59%) continue to say that religion's influence on the country is declining, and most of those who express this view believe that this is a bad thing. The public is more divided on the question of whether religion's influence on government is increasing (42%) or decreasing (45%). And in contrast to views of religion's influence on the country, most of those who think that religion is increasing its influence on government leaders and institutions view this as a bad thing.

The survey finds that religious conservatives, and white evangelical Christians specifically, have no equal and opposite group on the religious left. About 7% of the public say they identify with the "religious left" political movement. That is not much smaller than the 11% who identify themselves as members of the "religious right," but the religious left is considerably less cohesive in its political views than the religious right.

View the full report -- < http://pewforum.org/docs/index.php?DocID=153>Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics on the Pew Forum's website.

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:07 PM

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 Budget Office (CBO)
Background Paper

How CBO Forecasts Income [25 August 2006]
August 2006
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/75xx/doc7507/08-25-Income.pdf
[full-text, 46 pages]

[excerpt]
Because federal receipts are determined to a great extent by taxes collected on individual
and business income, this background paper focuses on how CBO projects income
earned by individuals and businesses. It concentrates primarily on CBO's methodology
as it pertains to those categories of individual and business income that are
encompassed within the framework of the national income and product accounts, or
NIPAs (see Appendix A for explanations). Using that framework for projecting income
helps to ensure consistency with CBO's projections of the overall economy.

Includes... TABLES and CHARTS....

Contents
Introduction 1
The National Income and Product Accounts as a Framework 1
The Importance of the Labor Share Assumption 5
An Overview of the Income Categories 8
The Labor Income Share of Gross Domestic Product 9
What Portion of Proprietors' Income Represents Labor Income Versus
Capital Income? 9
How Should Labor's Share of Gross Domestic Product Evolve in the
Projection Period? 9
Projecting the Components of Labor Income 11
The Capital Income Share of Gross Domestic Product 17
Net Income from Abroad 18
Rental and Royalty Income of Persons 21
Net Business Transfer Payments to Persons; Federal, State, and Local
Governments; and Foreign Entities 23
Net Interest Payments by Business to U.S. Residents 23
Consumption of Fixed Capital 25
Corporate Profits 25
Other Income Categories 28
Taxes on Production and Imports by Federal, State, and
Local Governments 28
Surpluses Less Subsidies for Federal, State, and
Local Government-Owned Enterprises 29
The Effect of Policy Changes on CBO's Projections of Income 29
Appendix A: A Summary Description of the Components of Gross
Domestic Income 33
Appendix B: The Effect of NIPA Revisions on the Labor Income Share of
Gross Domestic Product 35

Tables
1. Distribution of Nonfarm Proprietors' Income, 2005 17
2. Returns on Foreign-Owned Assets in the United States and U.S.-Owned Assets Abroad 19
A-1. The Components of Gross Domestic Income 33

Figures
1. Federal Tax Receipts and Wages and Salaries, 1950 to 2005 2
2. The Product and Income Sides of the National Income and Product Accounts, Calendar Year 2005 3
3. The Labor Share of Income in the Corporate Business Sector and the Total Economy, 1950 to 2005 4
4. The Total Share of Labor Income and Its Major Components, 1950 to 2016 10
5. Real Compensation and Productivity, 1950 to 2016 12
6. Proprietors' Income: Farm and Nonfarm, 1950 to 2016 16
7. Net Income from Abroad, 1950 to 2016 18
8. Rental and Royalty Income of Persons, 1950 to 2016 20
9. Business Transfer Payments, 1950 to 2016 22
10. Net Interest Paid by Businesses to U.S. Residents and Foreigners, 1950 to 2016 24
11. Capital Consumption: Private and Governmental, 1950 to 2016 26
12. Corporate Profits: Economic and Book, 1950 to 2016 27
13. Taxes on Production and Imports, by Level of Government, 1950 to 2016 28
14. Net Surpluses of Government Enterprises, by Level of Government, 1960 to 2016 30
B-1. Labor Share of Income Using Different Sets of Historical Data, 1950 to 1995 36

Box
1. The Assumption Underlying the Statistical Discrepancy 6
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:17 AM