Workplace Issues Today
Daily News for Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Selected by the Catherwood Library Reference Staff each Monday through Friday, excluding University holidays, WIT is a free alert service, providing abstracts and links to workplace-related news stories covered in the major media. Subscribe to WIT »
Established in 1999, this service also includes a searchable archive.
Yet another plant closure at GM
General Motors of Canada interrupted labor contract negotiations on Monday to announce the closing of a plant that makes automatic transmissions and has 1,400 employees. The factory, in Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River from GM’s global headquarters, will close in about two years. It will be the first time since 1919 that the city, which historically was Canada’s automotive capital, will be without a GM-owned plant. The withdrawal by G.M. comes on top of the shutdown of some Ford operations in Windsor and employee reductions at a large Chrysler plant that builds minivans for that company as well as Volkswagen. The closing also renews concern in Canada about the country’s automotive industry, which is almost entirely based in Ontario.
See “G.M. Plans to Close Canadian Transmission Plant,” by Ian Austen, The New York Times, May 14 2008 (JRL)
Senate approves first responders' right to unionize, but not strike
The Senate on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would give police officers, firefighters and other first responders the right to unionize but take away their ability to go on strike. The 69-29 procedural vote proved the measure would survive any possible filibuster attempt. The Senate will vote to send the legislation to President Bush later this week. The bill would guarantee public safety officers the right to join unions and bargain over wages, hours and conditions of employment. It also would ban them from going on strike. Two states, Virginia and North Carolina, prohibit public safety officers from collective bargaining. At least 20 other states don't fully protect collective bargaining rights for firefighters, police officers, corrections officers and emergency medical service workers, supporters said.
See “Senate gives crucial approval to bill allowing first responders to unionize,” by Jesse J. Holland, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 14 2008 (JRL)
Major U.S. companies work to better Chinese labor conditions
Walt Disney Co. and McDonald's Corp., whose supply chain has drawn criticism, quietly released a long-promised report on a pilot project to improve labor conditions in China. The project, involving 10 factories in southern China that make products for McDonald's restaurants and Disney licensees, tested a new approach for addressing such chronic problems as substandard wages, excessive work hours and few days off. The May 7 report, posted on Disney's website without a formal announcement from the company, found progress at all the factories, which made footwear, toys and other products. The report's completion was touted by organizations that worked with the companies to improve global working conditions. The report is silent on whether Disney or McDonald's plans to implement the new approach more broadly.
See “Disney and McDonald's move to improve labor conditions in China,” by Dawn C. Chmielewski, Los Angeles Times, May 14 2008 (JRL)
