Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tweet[IWS] WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND THE ECONOMICS OF WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY [31 March 2010]
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
________________________________________________________________________
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND THE ECONOMICS OF WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY
MARCH 2010 [31 March 2010]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/100331-cea-economics-workplace-flexibility.pdf
[full-text, 35 pages]
See Blog Release 31 March 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/31/economics-workplace-flexibility
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
American society has changed dramatically over the past half century. Women have entered the labor force in growing numbers and families have increasingly relied on more than one earner to make ends meet. And yet, children still need to be taken to the doctor and elderly parents still need care. Moreover, more adults older than 25 are attending school. Because these changes have caused many workers to face conflicts between their work and their personal lives, they also inspire a need and desire for more flexibility in the workplace.
Flexible workplace arrangements can be in terms of when one works, where one works, or how much one works (including time off after childbirth or other life events). They include a variety of arrangements such as job sharing, phased retirement of older workers, and telecommuting, that allow workers to continue making productive contributions to the workforce while also attending to family and other responsibilities.
This report presents an economic perspective on flexible workplace policies and practices. The first section reports some of the changes in the U.S. workforce that have increased the need for flexibility in the workplace.
•
Women comprise nearly one-half of the labor force; in nearly one-half of households all adults are working.
•
In 2008, approximately 43.5 million Americans served as unpaid caregivers to a family member over the age of 50. Nearly one-fifth of employed people were caregivers who provided care to a person over age 50.
•
The increasing demand for analytical and interactive skills—those largely obtained through post-secondary education—means it is all the more important and common for individuals to pursue additional education while also working.
The second section examines the current state of flexible work arrangements and reports that many employers have adapted to the changing realities of American workers.
•
Overall, over one-half of employers report allowing at least some workers to periodically change their starting and quitting times. However, less than one-third of full-time workers report having flexible work hours, and only 39 percent of part-time workers do. This discrepancy between the employer and employee reports may be due to differences in data collection or because more employers would be willing to accommodate the needs of individual workers but these workers are not aware of it.
•
Less-skilled workers have less workplace flexibility in terms of the scheduling of when they work than do more highly-skilled workers.
•
Flexibility in where to work is less common: only about 15 percent of workers report working from home at least once per week.
•
Finally, most employers offer at least some workers the ability to return to work gradually after a major life event such as the birth or adoption of a child, although job sharing appears less widespread.
The report concludes with a discussion of the economic benefits of workplace flexibility arrangements.
•
Almost one-third of firms cite costs or limited funds as obstacles to implementing workplace flexibility arrangements. However, the benefits of adopting such management practices can outweigh the costs by reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers, and increasing productivity.
•
The costs and benefits of adopting flexible arrangements differ across industries and employers of different sizes.
•
Because many employers may not have accurate information about the costs and benefits of workplace flexibility practices and because some of the benefits may extend beyond the individual employer and its workers, wider adoption of such policies and practices may well have benefits to more firms and workers, and for the U.S. economy as a whole.
•
A factor hindering a deeper understanding of the benefits and costs of flexibility is a lack of data on the prevalence of workplace flexibility arrangements, and more research is needed on the mechanisms through which flexibility influences workers’ job satisfaction and firm profits to help policy makers and managers alike
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] ILO: INTERNATIONAL LABOUR MIGRATION: A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH [31 March 2010]
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)
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR MIGRATION: A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH [31 March 2010]
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/migrant/download/rights_based_approach.pdf
[full-text, 324 pages]
Press Release 31 March 2010
A “rights-based approach” is required to meet the needs of the world’s 105 million migrant workers http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_125324/index.htm
GENEVA (ILO News) – Amid growing challenges due to the global economic crisis, a new ILO study highlights the need to adopt a “rights-based approach” to provide a “fair deal” for the world’s 105 million migrant workers.
The new study, entitled “International Labour Migration: A rights-based approach", examines trends in international labour migration, its impacts on origin and destination countries, and conditions of work experienced by migrant workers. The study also explores how standards can be used in the formulation and implementation of migration policies and practices.
The study brings out the positive contributions made by migrant workers to both their countries of employment and origin. However, it also highlights the decent work and protection deficits they still experience today, including low wages, non-payment of wages, unsafe working environments, a virtual absence of social protection, denial of freedom of association and workers’ rights, discrimination and xenophobia.
“International migration is primarily a labour market, employment and decent work issue, and less a security and asylum seeker-refugee issue”, says Ibrahim Awad, chief of the ILO’s International Migration Branch. “The challenge is to govern migration in such a way that it can serve as a force for growth and prosperity in both origin and destination countries, while protecting and benefitting migrant workers themselves.”
“The current global financial and economic crisis highlights the role that the ILO should play in the international arena in looking at the integration of employment and financial policies,” Mr. Awad said.
The ILO study also says:
• International migrants estimated at 214 million in 2010 represent only three per cent of the global population;
• Women make up almost 50 per cent of international migrants;
• Migrant workers (economically active among total migrant population) are about 105 million in 2010; and,
• Migrant workers – who migrate for employment - and their families account for about 90 per cent of total international migrants.
The study concludes that national and international governance of labour migration should recognize that most migration is in search of decent work, and thus provide greater legal opportunities for labour mobility; that policies should be based on recognition of mutual benefits to both origin and destination countries; that protection of migrant rights is central to realizing development benefits of migration for all parties; that comprehensive approaches to irregular migration are needed including addressing its root causes.
The study also calls for bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation between governments, social partners, and other stakeholders concerned with migration to improve the governance of the migration process, ensure protection of migrant workers, and secure development benefits of labour migration for all parties.
The study draws upon recent international debates on the issue of labour migration, as reflected in the 2004 ILO Resolution on a fair deal for migrant workers in the global economy, the related ILO plan of action for migrant workers, and the ILO’s Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration adopted in 2006. The development of the ILO Multilateral Framework was a major step by the ILO in defining a rights-based approach to labour migration.
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] CECC: GOOGLE & INTERNET CONTROL in CHINA: A NEXUS BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS & TRADE? [24 March 2010]
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-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
"Google and Internet Control in China: A Nexus Between Human Rights and Trade?"
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/hearings/2010/20100324/index.php?PHPSESSID=c245eb28528a6fc5c9b1130d0fe03645View a recorded webcast of this hearing here.
Witnesses: [CLICK on WITNESS NAME for TRANSCRIPT]
Alan Davidson, Director of U.S. Public Policy, Americas, Google, Inc.
Christine Jones, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, The Go Daddy Group
Sharon Hom, Executive Director, Human Rights in China
Edward Black, President and CEO, Computer & Communications Industry Association
Testimony submitted for the record by Rebecca MacKinnon, Visiting Fellow, Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University
The recent Google controversy with China raises the question of whether China's regulation of the Internet is both a human rights and a trade issue. Witnesses will examine the challenges and hazards China's regulation of the Internet poses both to advocates of free expression and to foreign companies doing business in China; and possible ways for policymakers and private actors to respond to China's regulation of the Internet from both the human rights and trade perspectives. Witnesses will include technology industry representatives and human rights advocates.
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] CHINA’S ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. INTERESTS [online 30 March 2010]
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
________________________________________________________________________
CHINA'S ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. INTERESTS
HEARING BEFORE THE U.S.CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
_________
February 4, 2010 [online 30 March 2010]
http://www.uscc.gov/hearings/2010hearings/transcripts/10_02_04_trans/10_02_04_trans.pdf
(full-text, 214 pages]
CONTENTS
_____
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
CHINA'S ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. INTERESTS
Opening remarks of Chairman Daniel M. Slane ……………………………………...1
Opening remarks of Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew, Hearing Cochair………..2
Opening remarks of Commissioner Larry M. Wortzel, Hearing Cochair…………….14
PANEL I: CONGRESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Statement of Dana Rohrabacher, a U.S. Congressman from the State of
California ……………………………………………………………………………...3
Prepared statement…………………………………………………………………...7
Statement of J. Randy Forbes, a U.S. Congressman from the State of Virginia………9
Statement of Madeleine Z. Bordallo, a U.S. Congresswoman from the Territory of
Guam………………………………………………………………………………….12
Statement of Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, a U.S. Congressman from the Territory of
Samoa ………………………………………………………………………………...41
PANEL II: ADMINISTRATIIVE PERSPECTIVES
Statement of the Honorable David B. Shear, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC……………..16
Prepared statement………………………………………………………………….18
Statement of the Honorable Robert Scher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
for South and Southeast Asia, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, DC ……...23
Prepared statement………………………………………………………………….27
Panel II: Discussion, Questions and Answers …………………………………........38
PANEL III: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Statement of Ms. Catharin E. Dalpino, Visiting Associate Professor; Director
of Thai Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC…………………………58
Prepared statement………………………………………………………………....61
vi
Statement of Mr. Ernest Z. Bower, Senior Advisor and Director, Southeast Asia
Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC………..68
Prepared statement…………………………………………………………….....71
Statement of Mr. Walter Lohman, Director, Asia Studies Center, The Heritage
Foundation, Washington, DC………………………………………………………80
Prepared statement……………………………………………………………….83
Panel III: Discussion, Questions and Answers ………………………………90
PANEL IV: SECURITY ASPECTS
Statement of Dr. Andrew Scobell, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University,
College Station, Texas………………………………………………………………...109
Prepared statement…………………………………………………………………..111
Statement of Mr. Bronson Percival, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic Studies,
CNA, Alexandria, Virginia……………………………………………………………121
Prepared statement…………………………………………………………………..123
Dr. Richard P. Cronin, Senior Associate, Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, DC..130
Prepared statement…………………………………………………………………..133
Panel IV: Discussion, Questions and Answers……………………………………….147
PANEL V: CHINA AND REGIONAL FORUMS
Statement of Dr. Ellen L. Frost, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International
Economics, and Adjunct Research Fellow, INSS National Defense University,
Washington, DC…………………………………………………………………...161
Prepared statement………………………………………………………………166
Statement of Dr. Donald E. Weatherbee, Professor Emeritus, University of South
Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina………………………………………………182
Prepared statement………………………………………………………………185
Panel V: Discussion, Questions and Answers……………………………………193
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
Statement of Jim Webb, a U.S. Senator from the State of Virginia………………206
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] World Bank: China Quarterly Update, March 2010 [17 March 2010]
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
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
China Quarterly Update, March 2010 [17 March 2010]
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/CHINAEXTN/Resources/318949-1268688634523/CQU_march2010.pdf
[full-text, 17 pages]
[excerpt]
OVERVIEW
In spite of the global recession, China's economy grew 8.7 percent in 2009. Massive investment‐led
stimulus was key, but real estate investment gained prominence more recently and household
consumption growth has held up very well. The domestic growth momentum continued in the first
months of 2010. Exports declined in 2009 as a whole, even as China gained global market share. With
imports strong, external trade was a major drag on growth in 2009 and the external current account
surplus declined sharply. Exports rebounded strongly through 2009, though, and exceeded the pre‐crisis
level in early 2010. In a heated real estate market, surging property prices triggered policy measures to
expand supply and curb speculation.
We project 9.5 percent GDP growth for this year, with a shift in the composition. Government‐led
investment is bound to decelerate. But, exports are likely to continue to recover amidst a pick up in the
global economy and real estate activity is likely to grow strongly this year. Consumption growth should
remain solid. Inflation is on course to be significant in 2010, after being negative in 2009. But, with
global price pressures likely to be subdued amidst large spare capacity internationally, China's inflation
is unlikely to reach high rates in 2010. We expect the external surplus to remain broadly unchanged this
year.
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] BLS: JOB AVAILABILITY DURING A RECESSION: AN EXAMINATION OF THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS PER JOB OPENING [25 March 2010]
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
________________________________________________________________________
ISSUES in LABOR STATISTICS
Summary 10-03 / March 2010 • U.S. Department of Labor • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job availability during a recession: an examination of the number of unemployed persons per job opening [25 March 2010]
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/opbils80.pdf
[full-text, 4 pages]
[excerpt]
Combining the unemployment level, seasonally adjusted, and total job openings data, seasonally adjusted, produces a ratio between the two series that can serve as an indication of how the number of unemployed persons per job opening changes over time. This number has been used by researchers and the media as an additional way to analyze the current recession. There are
some caveats that accompany using the JOLTS and CPS data sources since they are two distinct surveys that are sampled and designed to collect different types of information. However, this ratio can providea way to look at the changingcomposition of labor supply as it relates to labor demand.
________________________________________________________________________
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 30, 2010
Tweet[IWS] BEA: PERSONAL INCOME AND OUTLAYS: FEBRUARY 2010 [29 March 2010]
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 2010 [29 March 2010]
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2010/pi0210.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2010/pdf/pi0210.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2010/xls/pi0210.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2010/pdf/pi0210_fax.pdf
Personal income increased $1.2 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, and disposable personal income
(DPI) increased $1.6 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, in February, according to the Bureau of Economic
Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $34.7 billion, or 0.3 percent. In January,
personal income increased $30.4 billion, or 0.3 percent, DPI decreased $26.0 billion, or 0.2 percent,
and PCE increased $38.5 billion, or 0.4 percent, based on revised estimates.
Real disposable income increased less than 0.1 percent in February, in contrast to a decrease of
0.4 percent in January. Real PCE increased 0.3 percent, compared with an increase of 0.2 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
****************************************
[IWS] NLRB BOARD Appointees: MARK GASTON PEARCE & CRAIG BECKER [27 March 2010]
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
________________________________________________________________________
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Press Release 27 March 2010
White House announces recess appointments of two attorneys to fill Board vacancies
http://www.nlrb.gov/shared_files/Press Releases/2010/R-2730.htm
or
http://www.nlrb.gov/shared_files/Press%20Releases/2010/R-2730.pdf
President Barack Obama today announced the recess appointments of attorneys Craig Becker and Mark Gaston Pearce to fill two vacancies on the National Labor Relations Board.
NLRB Chairman Wilma Liebman, who has served on the Board for 12 years, welcomed the new members saying, “I look forward to beginning work with them, and especially to addressing cases that have been pending for a long time.” Three of the Board’s five seats have been vacant since January 2008. The two remaining members – Chairman Liebman and Member Peter Schaumber – have issued decisions in nearly 600 cases in which they have been able to agree. Last week, the Supreme Court heard argument in a case challenging the Board’s authority to have issued decisions with two members.
Becker has served as Associate General Counsel to both the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale College in 1978 and received his J.D. in 1981 from Yale Law School where he was an Editor of the Yale Law Journal. After law school he clerked for the Honorable Donald P. Lay, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. For the past 27 years, he has practiced and taught labor law. He was a Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law between 1989 and 1994 and has also taught at the University of Chicago and Georgetown Law Schools. He has published numerous articles on labor and employment law in scholarly journals, including the Harvard Law Review and Chicago Law Review, and has argued labor and employment cases in virtually every federal court of appeals and before the United States Supreme Court.
Pearce was a founding partner of the Buffalo, New York law firm of Creighton, Pearce, Johnsen & Giroux, where he practiced union side labor and employment law before state and federal courts and agencies. In 2008, he was appointed to the New York State Industrial Board of Appeals, an independent quasi-judicial agency responsible for review of certain rulings and compliance orders of the NY Department of Labor in matters including wage and hour law. Pearce has taught at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations Extension, and is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Prior to 2002, Pearce practiced union side labor and employment law at Lipsitz, Green, Fahringer, Roll, Salisbury & Cambria LLP. From 1979 to 1994, he was an attorney and District Trial Specialist for the NLRB in Buffalo, NY. Pearce received his J.D. from State University of New York, and his B.A. from Cornell University.
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency vested with the power to safeguard employees' rights to organize and to determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative. The agency also acts to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices committed by private sector employers and unions.
###
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tweet[IWS] Dublin Foundation: FAMILY LIFE AND WORK: 2ND EUROPEAN QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY [24 March 2010]
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 Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
Second European Quality of Life Survey: Family life and work [24 March 2010]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef1002.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2010/02/en/1/EF1002EN.pdf
[full-text, 96 pages]
Author: Kotowska, Irena E.; Matysiak, Anna; Styrc, Marta; Pailhé, Ariane; Solaz, Anne; Vignoli, Daniele
Summary: Demographic change and labour market developments impact significantly on the family life and work of Europeans, with far-reaching consequences for the future. The policy approach in this area has in recent years focused on increasing the employment rates of women, finding ways for both men and women to achieve a better work–life balance and, more recently, promoting a rise in birth rates. This report explores the subject of work and family life across Europe, looking at ways to find a better balance between the demands of work and family responsibilities. Based on data from the second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), conducted by Eurofound in 2007, the report analyses tensions between work demands and household and care tasks, against a background of different institutional settings, labour market structures and cultural factors. The findings point to the need for the introduction of measures to adjust working arrangements to the demands of family life, more equal sharing of care responsibilities between men and women, and the improvement of care services for elderly people in order to support family networks in carrying out their care responsibilities. An executive summary is available.
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] Dublin Foundation: FOSTERING SOCIAL INCLUSION: THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL PARTNERS [29 March 2010]
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 Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
Foundation Findings: Opening the door - The role of social partners in fostering social inclusion [29 March 2010]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0944.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2009/44/en/1/EF0944EN.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
Author: Foundation
Summary: The EU designated 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Social exclusion is the consequence of a series of problems affecting an individual or groups, for example unemployment, discrimination, low levels of skills, or low income. Foundation Findings provide pertinent background information and policy pointers for all actors and interested parties engaged in the current European debate on the future of social policy. The contents are based on Foundation research and reflect its autonomous and tripartite structure.
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
[IWS] CRS: THE PROPOSED U.S.-PANAMA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT [22 February 2010]
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)
The Proposed U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement
J. F. Hornbeck, Specialist in International Trade and Finance
February 22, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/RL32540/2010-02-22/download/1013/
[full-text, 33 pages]
Summary
On June 28, 2007, after two and a half years of negotiation, the United States and Panama signed
a reciprocal free trade agreement (FTA). Negotiations were formally concluded on December 16,
2006, with an understanding that further changes to labor, environment, and intellectual property
rights (IPR) chapters would be made pursuant to future detailed congressional input. These
changes were agreed to in late June 2007, in time for the FTA to be considered under Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation before it expired on July 1, 2007. TPA allows Congress to
consider trade implementing bills under expedited procedures. Panama’s legislature approved the
FTA 58 to 4 on July 11, 2007. The 110th Congress did not take up the agreement, and so far there
is little indication that the 111th Congress is ready to act on the FTA.
The proposed U.S.-Panama FTA is a comprehensive agreement. Some 88% of U.S. commercial
and industrial exports would become duty-free upon implementation, with remaining tariffs
phased out over a ten-year period. Over 60% of U.S. farms exports to Panama also would achieve
immediate duty-free status, with tariffs and tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on select farm products to be
phased out by year 17 of the agreement. Panama and the United States signed a separate bilateral
agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues that would recognize U.S. food safety
inspection as equivalent to Panamanian standards, which will expedite entry of U.S. meat and
poultry exports. The FTA also consummates understandings on telecommunications, services
trade, government procurement, investment, and intellectual property rights.
The circumstances framing the proposed U.S.-Panama FTA differ considerably from those of two
others that have yet to be considered by Congress. The deep concerns that Congress has
expressed over Colombia’s violence have not been an issue in the Panama FTA debate, which is
framed more by the positive image of a longstanding strategic bilateral relationship based on
Panama’s canal. Nor does Panama compare well with the continuing debate over the proposed
FTA with South Korea, which as a major U.S. trading partner, can affect key industries such as
automobile and beef production. To the contrary, Panama trades little with the United States, even
by Latin American standards, and so the FTA cannot have a major effect on the U.S. economy.
The final text of the proposed U.S.-Panama FTA incorporates specific amendments on key issues
at the behest of congressional leadership. The most significant were adoption of enforceable labor
standards, compulsory adherence to select multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and an
easing of restrictions on developing country access to generic drugs. In these cases, the proposed
U.S.-Panama FTA goes beyond provisions in existing bilateral FTAs and multilateral trade rules,
including those contemplated in the Doha Round.Two other concerns still linger. The first
pertains to a Panamanian labor statute, which some Members of Congress would like to see
amended so that the minimum number of workers required to start a union would be reduced
from 40 to 20, per ILO guidelines. The second relates to questions raised over Panama’s status as
a “tax haven” and its refusal to enter into a tax information exchange treaty. Currently, the
government of Panama is working closely with the USTR to find a mutually acceptable solution
to both these issues. The time frame for completing this process is unclear and may depend in part
on whether the Obama Administration and Congress signal that they are prepared to move ahead
with implementing legislation. For more on Panama, see CRS Report RL30981, Panama:
Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations, by Mark P. Sullivan.
Contents
Panama’s Canal and Economic Relations with the United States..................................................2
Early U.S.-Panama Economic Relations ................................................................................2
The Canal and U.S. Trade Policy...........................................................................................4
Panamanian Trade Relations .......................................................................................................6
Structure and Direction of Panamanian Trade........................................................................6
The Colón Free Zone ......................................................................................................8
U.S.-Panama Merchandise Trade...........................................................................................9
U.S. Foreign Direct Investment ...........................................................................................10
Summary of Trade Negotiations and the Proposed U.S.-Panama FTA........................................ 11
Market Access.....................................................................................................................12
Agricultural Trade.........................................................................................................13
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) ..................................................................14
Textiles and Apparel......................................................................................................15
Government Procurement....................................................................................................16
Investment ..........................................................................................................................16
Services ..............................................................................................................................18
Intellectual Property Rights .................................................................................................18
Pharmaceutical Issues ...................................................................................................19
Labor and Environment.......................................................................................................20
Labor Issues..................................................................................................................21
Panama’s Labor Conditions...........................................................................................23
Environmental Issues ....................................................................................................23
Trade Capacity Building......................................................................................................25
Outlook....................................................................................................................................26
Figures
Figure 1. Map of Panama ............................................................................................................3
Figure 2. Panama Direction of Trade, 2008..................................................................................8
Tables
Table 1. Panama’s Current Account Balance................................................................................7
Table 2. U.S.-Panama Merchandise Trade, 2008..........................................................................9
Table 3. U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in Panama, Mexico, and Central America....................10
Appendixes
Appendix A. Chronology of U.S.-Panama FTA.........................................................................28
Appendix B. Panama: Selected Economic Indicators .................................................................29
________________________________________________________________________
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
****************************************
