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Quinn says health insurance reform bill is at risk (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Noted economics columnist, Jane Bryant Quinn, in her nationally syndicated column today, says the "Medical Savings Account" amendment threatens to sink the otherwise popular health insurance reform bill. House and Senate versions have already passed, and the two houses of Congress are trying to work out a compromise to send to the President. Most in both parties seem to want it, but it may not happen.

Honduran child labor alleged (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
TV talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford is in the middle of a storm over claims that fashionable women's clothing carrying her designer label is made by Honduran children working 13 hours per day under near-starvation conditions. A spokesperson for Gifford says they didn't know, and that they've severed all ties with the plant in question. The Scripps Howard News Service has distributed the story nationwide this morning.

Protection of American workers insufficient, some say (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
The New York Times Computer News Daily tells about the effects of U.S. foreign workers policy in hi-tech industries.

Analysis of minimum wage issue (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
David Rosenbaum writes in the New York Times about the politics of the minimum wage issue. Much ado about 90 cents, he says. It's certainly not a solution for the problems of the broad middle-class. Nonetheless, 12 million workers would get an automatic raise, and, for many, it could be important. Here's a story about one of those persons.

Ag war brewing? (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
El Mundo reports that Spanish farmers want a boycott of French agricultural products. Spanish trucks carrying strawberries and other products have been attacked by French farmers in recent weeks.

Strike in South Africa (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is on nationwide strike in South Africa today. According to Business Day, mining officials expect little effect on mining.

Reform apparently not hottest issue with public. (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
A Swiss public opinion poll indicates that the public isn't too interested in proposals to reform the federal government and reorganize government departments. More on their minds, more than half said, are issues like rising unemployment, according to Neue Zuercher Zeitung.

Austrian minister calls summit with union leaders (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Kurier reports that Social Minister Franz Hums wants to talk with union leaders about saving health insurance costs. In the new budget, the government would like Austrians to contribute more themselves through higher co-payments.

Belgium's largest union rejects jobs creation plan (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
The Belgian government wants to put a limit on wages and reduce social security taxes, but the FGTB, Belgium's biggest trade union, has rejected the Prime Minister's job creation plan. The CSC, the country's second-largest union, narrowly approved it.

Heavy industry employment up in Italy (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Italian papers are reporting this morning that employment in the nation's major industrial companies increased by 0.1 percent in January, but was still down for the year.

Social Democrats support unions in opposition to proposed cuts (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Germany's opposition SPD agrees with union opposition to the government's attempt to push through "anti-labor" measures, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine. The paper also reports that the government's Economic Council says the German economy is effectively standing still with only 0.5% growth forecast for the year.

Advice for managers (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains an article by Stephanie Mehta suggesting that managers "think small" if they're looking for a job.

Easier to obtain visas in Hungary (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
The Hungary Report says that the Hungarian government has decided to make it easier for asylum seekers who are in Hungary illegally to get a visa and work legally in the country.

Last year's strike hurt Boeing's earnings (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Boeing Corporation's earning were down more than a third in the first quarter, according to the New York Times. The 10-week strike in late 1995 is blamed. The Times also has an analysis of the new world of health insurance today. It became a worker benefit after the Second World War when the government capped wages to control inflation.

Russian communist candidate attempts to reassure businessmen (Tuesday, 4/30/96)
Communist presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov met with top Russian businessmen to calm their fears about the economy, should he be elected. President Yeltsin has gained in the polls recently, but the atmosphere in Russia's presidential election campaign has become highly polarized. Some fear civil war.

Hundreds of jobs may go with closing of Examiner (Monday, 4/29/96)
The San Francisco Examiner, one of the early papers established by William Randolph Hearst, may be set to shut down, according to reports in the San Jose Mercury News. If it happens, many jobs will go.

Indian inflation lowest in years (Monday, 4/29/96)
The inflation rate in India has hit a 10-year low at 4.19 percent, according to Bloomberg. As we've reported earlier, India is taking on an increasingly important international economic role as a major hi-tech center, among other things. Indian national elections are underway, and the ruling party appears vulnerable. A complex bribery scandal has been big news there lately.

Strike may be averted (Monday, 4/29/96)
De Telegraaf reports from the Netherlands that the threat of industrial action has diminished at Unilever. Unions had been demanding a 36-hour work week across the board. Now, they appear to be willing to accept a shorter work week for some employees who are willing to work non-standard hours in return.

Emergency powers may be invoked in Belgium (Monday, 4/29/96)
The Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, in response to union opposition to the government's austerity measures intended to put limits on wages and increase employment, says he may use emergency powers to push through intended reforms. Belgium's Le Soir reports.

Things heat up in Germany over austerity measures (Monday, 4/29/96)
German labor leaders threaten to call a strike in response to a package of spending cuts and other measures approved last week by the country's ruling coalition. The coalition wants to make major cuts in social spending and also reduce worker protection against layoffs. Most major German newspapers are reporting the story today, including Frankfurter Allgemeine, and you can also read about it from the other side of the world in the Singapore Business Times or in London's Electronic Telegraph here on the web. Fifty-thousand persons also demonstrate in Bonn against keeping retail stores open on evenings and weekends in order to boost the economy, according to reports in Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The government wants to change laws originating in the 1950's that were intended to protect retail workers from having to work during nonstandard hours.

Union chief faces a fight (Monday, 4/29/96)
The New York Times reports that Jan Pierce, head of the Communications Workers of America is in for a battle on several fronts. Among other things, he wants to stop the merger of Nynex and Bell Atlantic. The Times also has a story today on the public relations problems for companies engaged in layoffs and how to spin things in the right direction.

Special section for women on finances (Monday, 4/29/96)
Today's Detroit News contains a "strategies" section for women on "weathering change". Several articles.

Recession in Taiwan (Monday, 4/29/96)
The Singapore Business Times reports that Taiwan has fallen into a recession largely as a consequence of China's recent efforts to intimidate the island with its "war games" around the time of the Taiwanese election. Business activity was slowed.

British government asks middle classes to help pay for nursing care (Monday, 4/29/96)
Britain's middle classes are being asked to "gamble" their pensions or their homes on the chance that they will need long-term residential care at the end of their lives. The London Times has the story. The Times also reports that directors of British companies have enjoyed major pay increases.

Anxiety increases in Hong Kong (Monday, 4/29/96)
By previous arrangement with Britain, China will take control of Hong Kong in July 1997. Despite various assurances over the years, many persons in Hong Kong are nervous that political liberties will be shut down and that other bad things might happen. Over recent months, the rate of emigration seems to have been increasing, and large numbers of people have been making contingency plans. The Hong Kong Standard reports that hundreds of union members demonstrated in Labour Day celebrations in Hong Kong yesterday, demanding more protection for their rights. The Standard also reports on conflict over the proposed Unfair Dismissal Law.

Workers' memorial day scheduled (Monday, 4/29/96)
Bill Peterson writes in today's St. Paul Pioneer Press about worker safety and Sunday's remembrance of workers who have lost their lives or health on the job.

April employment report due Friday; may clarify things (Sunday, 4/28/96)
Unusual isolated events such as particularly bad weather and the GM strike have made interpretations of some recent economic indicators more difficult, according to economists. The next monthly jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor may make things clearer about the overall growth of the American economy.

"Leaky boats" series ends today (Sunday, 4/28/96)
The 4-part Minneapolis Star Tribune series, "Rising tide, leaky boats" ends in today's edition. Emphasis this time is on the employer's role in the new economy, among other things. Today's articles are on the web, as is the entire series. Worth your time. The paper also contains an article this morning about people who are dipping heavily into their pension funds because of downsizing, and how dangerous this is. Also, University of St. Thomas professor Frederick Zimmerman writes about how the problem of wage stagnation runs deeper than often thought. For instance, corporate profit levels are far below what they were 25 years ago, and that's ominous. Rising overhead is hurting the American standard of living. Unfortunately, Zimmerman's opinion piece does not appear to be on the paper's web site. Finally, the National Institutes of Health study has good news for working parents who are feeling guilty about leaving their young children in day care, and you can read about it right here.

Mexican population doubles since Tet Offensive (Sunday, 4/28/96)
The Tet Offensive in Vietnam occurred during the infamous year of 1968, which was also the year Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were murdered. It was not a good year for a variety of reasons, but the point is that for many, it seems so recent. Long enough for Mexico's population to double to 91.1 million persons, though, and it will double again before most young American children receive their AARP cards. The Los Angeles Times reports on how the population explosion in Mexico is the enemy of economic development, literacy, health, and environmental protection. Also, there are few places on the earth where such a generally affluent society shares such a long border with such an economically troubled society than is the case with the border that the U.S. shares with Mexico, so we can expect the political conflicts over immigration to continue, as people desperate for work attempt to move to the United States. The LA Times also reports that Democrats, feeling that they have benefited politically from the minimum wage issue, intend to push ahead on other voter pleasers, such as portable pensions.

An experiment in integrating a work organization (Sunday, 4/28/96)
The American News Service has distributed an article by Tom Mitchell describing one company's effort to involve workers and promote greater understanding of the realities facing management. The company is Foldercraft in Kenyon, Minnesota, and all of the more than 200 employees participate in business meetings in which information about company finances and operations is shared openly. In this case, the meeting's atmosphere is festive and playful, including games and prizes, the apparent purpose being to make the meetings fun. However, this might seem patronizing to many workers.

The approach arises in part from a University of California study of Fortune 1000 companies that concludes that workers cannot meaningfully contribute to their organizations' success if they are kept in the dark about company realities. Much has been written over the past thirty years or so about the need to integrate entire organizations and make them more "team-like," as well as the need to instill a sense of ownership throughout the organization. For instance, we'll be reviewing Carl Frost's new book, Changing Forever, which reports on the Scanlon Plan for organization development. However, it isn't clear how well most of these approaches can work within the sort of climate created by large-scale "downsizing." A sense of ownership can easily turn into a sense of betrayal.

More lack health coverage (Sunday, 4/28/96)
A study commissioned by the American College of Physicians reports that an additional 3 million persons have lost their health insurance coverage since President Clinton launched his drive for universal coverage three years ago, bringing the total to a record 42 million Americans who lack coverage. The Los Angeles Times and others have reported the story. Not so many years ago, health insurance was relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain, and many in the baby-boom generation and before were able to get all the way through college and, in some cases, graduate or professional school without accumulating any long-term debt. The dramatic changes in both areas are additional indications of the eroding American standard of living.

Best to assume that you'll be laid off eventually (Sunday, 4/28/96)
The churning may be good for the economy, but still is not welcomed by individuals, whose lives tend to be disrupted, not only financially, but also socially and psychologically. Amy Lindgren, columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes today that it's best not to lose sleep over the possibility of job loss. Instead, expect that it's likely in today's volatile market, and start preparing now. This way, you'll be in a better position if it happens. For one thing, begin to save aggressively, look around ahead of time for companies that offer health coverage to part-time or temporary workers, and quit working so hard. There's no evidence that people who take work home with them are less likely to be "downsized," she says.

GM wants to change pattern (Saturday, 4/27/96)
General Motors sees their own problems as special, requiring special arrangements with the UAW. Aggressive bargaining lies ahead as GM tries to cut parts costs. Here's Reuters' story, and here's the story from CNN Financial.

Japanese business-government link to get less tight (Saturday, 4/27/96)
Nihon Keizai reports that banks will no longer provide workers to the Finance Ministry on a temporary basis. The practice has been criticized because it has allowed some banks to have exclusive access to government information.

Economic data summarized (Saturday, 4/27/96)
Here's the latest summary of economic indicators in the United States from USA Today.

Current Indian government in jeopardy (Saturday, 4/27/96)
National elections begin today in India, and the outcome is uncertain. The current government has been responsible for free-market reforms in the country, and a loss of its majority could threaten those policies, making the Indian economy's future uncertain, according to CNN Financial. The country has also been shaken by a series of bribery scandals recently. CNN Financial also has a story today on an AFL-CIO report indicating that rates of work-related deaths and injuries have fallen most in those industries that have been closely monitored by government safety inspectors. The report also claims that "repetitious work, poor job design, and violence" are producing the greatest health and safety problems in American work settings, according to the Detroit News. CNN Financial also reports that one of the women suing Mitsubishi for sexual harassment has received death threats.

Michigan rally for harassment-free work place (Saturday, 4/27/96)
Women gather at Michigan's capitol to call for elimination of harassment at work, according to the Detroit News.

New jobs plus jobs saved in Ireland (Saturday, 4/27/96)
Improvement in the jobs situation in Dublin and Kerry, in part because of foreign investment. Here's the story from the Irish Times. In its international coverage, the Times also reports that the one-day strike planned in South Africa has hit the nation's currency hard and may slow development of a new constitution. The ruling ANC has supported the strike.

Japan to promote foreign investment (Saturday, 4/27/96)
The Singapore Business Times reports that the Japanese government has announced that it will encourage foreign investment to stimulate the sluggish Japanese economy which has caused significant employment problems throughout the country.

Protection for foreign workers urged (Saturday, 4/27/96)
A massive rally by human rights activists is scheduled, according to the Korea Herald.

Employment should begin young for some (Saturday, 4/27/96)
Britain's Secretary for Education and Employment wants the very young to get an early start on their transition into the work world, according to the London Times. The paper also reports this morning on a monetary award to a social worker who was driven to a "nervous breakdown" by work stress.

Mitsubishi wants to get it over with (Friday, 4/26/96)
Reuters reports this morning that the Mitsubishi Motors chairman wants to settle the big sexual harassment suit against the company as quickly as possible and move on. Earlier, company spokespersons had denied that the alleged events took place, and organized a large demonstration of employees and their families in Chicago last week. The New York Times explains why it may be a safe bet that there is little sexual harassment on Mitsubishi assembly lines in Japan. Reason: virtually no women workers.

Boys need a day of their own, organizers say (Friday, 4/26/96)
Yesterday's annual "Take our daughters to work" day renewed cries of discrimination against boys, as well as responses to those cries. Boys should be taken to work too, but on a different day, say some of the "daughters" movement leaders. Girls have special needs, organizers say, because the traditional ways of socializing girls lead to a rapid erosion of self-esteem and confidence beginning around puberty, and this puts them at a long-term disadvantage in the workplace.

Britannica stops door-to-door sales in North America (Friday, 4/26/96)
When an entire encyclopedia is available on CD-ROM for a few dollars, it's not a good time to try to make a living selling an expensive print version door-to-door. Still, Britannica is not just any old "supermarket encyclopedia." Nonetheless, while the print version will still be published, even Britannica has moved to an expensive CD-ROM version, as well as access on the Internet for a fee. No more door-to-door sales in North America, though, and this means the loss of a lot of jobs and considerable restructuring overall.

Minimum wage increase may be coming, but not quite yet (Friday, 4/26/96)
Democrats have rejected Senate Majority Leader Dole's offer of a vote on the minimum wage increase, because it would come with strings attached, they say. The health bill has suddenly started moving ahead as if walking through wet concrete too, despite the Senate version's passing unanimously only days ago. Democrats are at odds with Senator Dole on this one too.

Welfare is history in Wisconsin, governor says (Friday, 4/26/96)
Wisconsin's Governor Tommy Thompson has signed into law what he and others hope will be the beginning of the end of traditional welfare in the United States. From now on, recipients will be required to work in order to receive benefits. Also, recipients will not be able to participate in the program for more than five years over a lifetime. Here's the Reuters version of the story, and here's a look at it through the eyes of the New York Times. Germany's Chancellor Helmut Kohl is proposing bigger changes in the "welfare state" than have been expected, suggesting a similar political mood in Europe. Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine reports that government wage talks have begun, with the government insisting on longer work days and cuts in sick pay and holiday pay, among other things. Today's Wall Street Journal contains a story about how the formerly prosperous town of Sindelfingen is coping with job losses. We've been reporting for sometime on a move in several European countries to reduce the traditionally generous government-supported benefits long enjoyed by many in European societies. Many European countries have long maintained greater government participation in social welfare than has been the case in the United States.

United Steelworkers support Clinton (Friday, 4/26/96)
The head of the United Steelworkers of America announced yesterday in New York that the union will back Bill Clinton's reelection. Many unions solidly supported Democratic candidates for many years; but, in recent elections, significant numbers have voted Republican, complicating the task for union leaders who want to "deliver" for Democratic candidates. Incidentally, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal report this morning that General Motors is willing to risk another strike in order to secure additional concessions from the United Auto Workers. GM feels that it must make manufacturing more "cost-competitive" in order to survive in the current market environment. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are also reporting that Marriott and 27 other companies are joining in an employer group in order to try to find solutions to problems such as high turnover and absenteeism and child-care problems among low-wage employees.

Belgian government proposals rejected (Friday, 4/26/96)
La Libre Belgique reports today that the FGTB labor union has rejected government plans for increasing employment levels, including a plan whereby Belgian wages would not rise faster than those in other countries in the region.

Strong job anxiety in Austria (Friday, 4/26/96)
Der Standard in Austria reports on a poll that indicates that 80% of Austrians fear that they may lose their jobs. More than two-thirds indicate that they expect the Austrian economy to get worse.

British policeman claims sexual discrimination (Friday, 4/26/96)
A London area policeman says orders to cut his ponytail amount to sexual discrimination, according to the Electronic Telegraph. The Telegraph also reports that a man in Northern Ireland has been awarded £22,000 because a police force rejected his employment application because of his religion. Also, click here if you would like a hint of what work clothes will be like in the next millennium.

New York Teachers Retirement System to reduce tobacco stock holdings (Friday, 4/26/96)
The New York Times reports that the New York teacher pension fund will get rid of some, but not necessarily all tobacco stocks.

Has the machine broken down? (Friday, 4/26/96)
The May 6 edition of Harpers magazine contains a conversation among several experts, including Ronald Blackwell, George Gilder, Robert Reich, and others, in an article called "Does American still work?" We presume that this is intended to be a pun on "the turbulent energies of the new capitalism." Worth a read, at any rate.

More reinventing (Friday, 4/26/96)
What has not been "reinvented" in the past year or two? Now it's capitalism's turn. The April edition of The Washington Monthly has a section featured on the cover called "Reinventing American capitalism: the secrets of upsizing that no one's talking about." Maybe you've had it all wrong. Take a look at the six articles and see. At any rate, we think it's time to move on to the next cliche. We hate cliches. We avoid 'em like the plague.

The problem with aging that most of us will be a part of (Friday, 4/26/96)
The May Atlantic Monthly has a cover story called "Social insecurity," and it's about many of us. "Unless we act now, the aging of Americans will become an economic problem that dwarfs all other national issues." That gives a pretty good hint of what the piece is about.

Maybe the wage gap isn't real after all (Friday, 4/26/96)
The April National Review's article "Wage-gap claptrap zapped" says that Congressional Budget office stats are manipulated.

Winners and losers (Friday, 4/26/96)
The April 23 edition of the Christian Science Monitor asks who wins and who loses with a minimum wage hike. Most affected will be women and Southerners, they say.

Even prestigious old journal discovers the work revolution (Friday, 4/26/96)
The June Foreign Affairs contains a special article on workers and the world economy, and, like most other offerings in this publication over the decades, it's worth a read. We may look back on this period as one of those few in history when opportunity passes us by with historic consequences, according to the article. We may say, "Why was nothing done in time?"

More on child labor (Friday, 4/26/96)
CBS-TV's segment on "60 Minutes" last Sunday on child labor and/or slavery has produced a ripple, particularly because of the boy who has been leading a crusade to change conditions, even to the point of changing the Canadian Prime Minister's mind about a trade deal. Also, see the April Harper's Bazaar for a special report called "The tragedy of child labor." Over the months ahead, as NewWork News develops, we intend to strengthen our commitment to surveying the full range of the world's press, from popular magazines to academic journals. For instance, we believe that it would be a mistake to dismiss pop publications and the impact they can have, given their sometimes enormous circulations. Often, too, major authors seek out these large audiences and will write for popular magazines.

The changing workplace (Friday, 4/26/96)
Check the April 29 edition of Business Week for an article on the office of the future. Work spaces will be designed to be compatible with the growing emphasis on teamwork and flexibility, rather than privacy and hierarchy, they say.

Help with repetitive stress injuries (Friday, 4/26/96)
Typing a moderately brief document can easily result in 100,000 keystrokes. With large numbers of people spending huge numbers of hours at keyboards and in other new work settings, new ailments are becoming increasingly common. Is any doctor as good as any other for computer-induced injuries? Maybe not, according to an article in the June edition of Macworld, the first in a two-part series. They offer help in finding a computer-savvy physician. For instance, check out this site or this one, or the resources section on this one. You can still read the New York Times article on the growing problem with repetitive stress injuries on the web as well.

If you're reading this at work, say hello to your daughter for us (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Today is "Take our daughters to work day," and either you or your daughter can read about it here.

British Columbia Telecom to cut costs, jobs (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal report this morning that BC Telecom Inc. intends to cut costs by US$73.3 million by cutting 2,300 jobs. The company has lost market share during recent years.

German legislators decide to hold off on increasing their own pay (Thursday, 4/25/96)
The German government has been trying to control spending, so has decided that following through with a July 1 pay raise for the parliament's 672 members would be inappropriate at this time. They haven't canceled it, but they've decided to delay it, according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Also, most German papers this morning are reporting that German labor unions are beginning to feel that the "Alliance for Jobs" talks with government and industry officials are a failure. Incidentally, the Los Angeles Times has a story, widely distributed through other papers around the U.S., on how laws restricting retail hours are hampering efforts to boost the German economy. Laws keeping stores closed during times they're open and bustling with customers in other countries were installed in 1956 in order to "protect workers from predatory bosses," and they remain in effect, despite the economic slowdown in Germany.

Fewer cuts than expected in Belgium (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Le Soir reports this morning that the troubled savings bank, Anhyp, has reached agreement with its trade unions on cutting 205 jobs. As many as 600 of the company's 1,080 jobs could have been eliminated.

Strike at Singer Mexicana (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Reforma reports that workers at Singer Mexicana have been on strike for nearly two weeks because agreement hasn't been reached on a wage dispute. Workers at the Querenaro plant want a 45 percent increase; the company is offering 18 percent. Agreement has already been reached on a 2.5 percent increase in benefits.

Help for women business owners (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Knight-Ridder reports that the Women's Entrepreneurial Growth Organization in Akron, Ohio has helped many women start businesses, but has had its own troubles. Recently, however, the organization has signed a contract with the University of Akron's Fitzgerald Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, and things look better. Also, Women, Men and Media report that front-page newspaper references to women have declined again. They were down last year too, and made up only 15% of front-page references. The organization also says that more than half of the references to females on major newspaper pages were as "victims or perpetrators of crimes or bad conduct," as opposed to stories about achievement. Finally, PRNewswire reports that more women are traveling for business purposes, now comprising 38% of all business travelers.

Five-year "school-to-work" program in Florida (Thursday, 4/25/96)
According to Florida's Bradenton Herald, a state-funded $3 million "school-to-work" program is a partnership between business and education and is a major part of the efforts of the Suncoast Workforce Development Board. It is intended to create new school curricula and business-related opportunities for students out of college or high school. The paper has a web site.

Pennsylvania battle over workman's comp law (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Jerry Byrd of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that a major conflict has developed over Pennsylvania's 80-year-old workman's compensation law. Business says premiums are too high, but persons injured on the job have organized and are fighting back. The Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers will hold a rally in Harrisburg on April 29. The immediate conflict is over a bill in the Pennsylvania legislature that would make it more difficult for workers to get workers' compensation and keep it. Insurers would decide when a worker is ready to return to the labor force, and this could cut off payments.

Case made for liberal arts education in the new economy (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Davis Laird, President of the Minnesota Private College Council, writes in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today that, in a knowledge-based global economy, four-year liberal arts colleges have a critical role to play in helping to develop the critical thinking and other broad skills that will be required.

All of which is familiar, easy to say, and probably true so far as it goes, but, nonetheless may miss a few key points. We feel that many existing higher education institutions need to bring themselves up to at least the 18th or 19th century in the way they conduct their own affairs. Fundamental changes are needed in the way most people prepare for work, and alternatives to existing institutional structure will become increasingly important.

Also, what has been traditionally referred to as "liberal arts education" does not require work-related justification, and, rather than trying to pretend it does in order to placate some persons in business or legislatures, it's probably best for educators to exert leadership and begin trying to teach these folks that the quality of life in society overall probably will depend on their changing their minds. Liberal arts education is important for its own sake as people more fully develop their potential as human beings and as citizens in a democracy. However, there will be growing alternatives along these lines too, and many conventional institutions are not prepared to compete all that effectively, given their present condition, current costs, and market realities. It is why so many have already decomposed significantly. All together now, in close harmony like the Everly Brothers: "It's time for a searching examination of academe's most fundamental assumptions."

3M will cut 351 jobs in New York (Thursday, 4/25/96)
Minnesota-based 3M Corporation will close its manufacturing plant in Rochester, New York, and that will cost 351 jobs, according to today's St. Paul Pioneer Press. Also, in today's Pioneer Press, veteran columnist Nick Coleman says that the "world of work isn't what it was." Er, well, yes, Nick, that's right. He does have some useful points, though, and you can read his column on the paper's web site, if you're a subscriber. Those of us who have been involved professionally in new work issues for years were astonished that much of the press and most of the politicians seemed to be missing the story for so long. Now, both seem to be finding it.

Health bill sails through Senate (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
Everybody's reporting that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed its modest health care reform bill yesterday. Here's Reuters' version of the story. It's not over yet, though, because negotiators will have to work out a compromise with the House version, suggesting why, despite earlier indications, nobody, including a presidential candidate in the Senate, seemed opposed to it yesterday. Better to let others appear to be against fresh air, exercise, and good grades during an election year. The House version contains provisions that would make a final bill unsignable, according to President Clinton, and observers in both parties are saying that the widely publicized mental health provision in the Senate bill will not survive the final cut. Today's Wall Street Journal emphasizes that the unanimous vote doesn't mean easy sledding from here on.

A grand a week? (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
The April 29 edition of Newsweek contains a cover story on the "scary cost of college" and how some are building up huge debts that may become the determining factor of their entire lives. Some "prestigious" schools are charging more than $25,000 per year now, despite the fact that far less expensive schools offer excellent educational opportunities for those who are interested in substance rather than shadows, and despite the fact that it is possible to obtain a truly excellent education for nothing at the public library. According to our records, America managed to get through most of its first century without a single Ph.D., at least home-grown. The first American Ph.D. degree was awarded at Yale in 1861. Now, nearly every third person who asks if you would "like fries with that" may have one, although we recognize that this might be a slight exaggeration.

Something has gotten a little crazy, though, but with the willing complicity of many of the people who are complaining about it, it seems. In a retail store, if something is priced higher than we like, we're free not to buy it. This should suggest the appropriate response when someone seems to be encouraging us to spend most of our active lives paying off student loans, rather than making house payments. Many of the most expensive schools seem to depend on people who are willing to buy nearly anything, so long as it costs enough, bringing to mind Oscar Wilde's remark about people who know "the price of everything and the value of nothing." America's grand gullibility about "degrees" seems destined to collide with reality as we enter the new millennium.

Top airline boss sued for harassment (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
Virgin Atlantic Airways chief executive is sued for sexual harassment . The accused says he expects the case to be thrown out.

Boeing to add more than 8,000 jobs during the year (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
Reuters reports today that Seattle's Boeing, one of the largest aerospace industry players, will be hiring in large numbers this year. They laid off in large numbers previously. Reuters also reports that some Republicans are worried that Bob Dole has weakened his presidential chances because of the minimum wage issue. The Wall Street Journal today contains a story about how one fast food organization is planning to handle a minimum wage increase. Higher prices or fewer jobs? Also, see the Journal today for an analysis of organized labor's new assertiveness in an article called "Organized labor shows a pulse; GOP feels ill."

E-mail is helping (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
It's secretary's week, and the New York Times has a story by Steven Greenhouse today on how e-mail is receiving a welcome by secretaries all over. Remember, to access stories on the Times web site, you must register, but, so far, it doesn't cost.

Major changes in Korean labor laws (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
Today's Korea Herald reports on a dramatic easing of South Korea's restrictive labor laws, but not everyone agrees on the issues. Much debate lies ahead. The Herald also reports today on Samsung Motors' plan to hire 200 foreign technicians.

Australian teachers strike (Wednesday, 4/24/96)
Jock McCardell reports from Australia that 10,000 striking teachers assembled in downtown Sydney and marched on Parliament House. Teachers want a 12.5% pay increase in order to compensate for buying power they say has been lost to inflation. The new Australian government has initiated an austerity program and major budget cuts are expected in many human service areas, including higher education, as we have reported earlier. Also, from Adelaide, a Chinese professor has told the 6th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women that China needs stronger programs to keep girls in school in China's rural areas. Many are being forced out of school by what Professor Wang Jiaxiang calls the "feminisation'' of Chinese agriculture." Men are more mobile than women with family obligations, and are more likely to pursue work opportunities off the farms. Women have ``a triple burden'' - carrying on farm work, plus their traditional domestic farm duties, and looking after the young and elderly. When it gets to be too much, they often pull girls out of school to help.

World economy's future looks good, except for workers (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
International Monetary Fund officials meet and see blue skies ahead, except for employment. One of the defining characteristics of the revolutionary new world economy will continue to be problems creating enough good jobs, even during otherwise good times, and it's a worldwide problem.

Fantasy versus reality in Hollywood (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
The New York Times reports today about charges of discrimination in Beverly Hills by African Americans, as Jesse Jackson and Hollywood unions plan a meeting to find ways to increase minority hiring in the film capital. Incidentally, dozens of unions are represented in the film industry. Members of more than 50 work on the huge Warner Brothers lot alone, helping to explain why one of the largest buildings at WB is filled with lawyers and accountants.

Disability burden shifted to companies (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
The Bloomberg news service reports this morning that the Dutch Cabinet has reached agreement on how to save US$442.2 by reducing the number of workers entering the state disability system and shifting more of the cost to employers.

March rush to retirement (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
Salzburger Nachrichten reports from Austria that more than 175,000 workers took early retirement in March before new eligibility limits go into effect. The country will raise the age for early retirement as part of an austerity budget intended to help them qualify for the European common currency.

South African government abandons effort to improve pension funding (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
South Africa's Star Business Report reports today that the South African government will cut contributions to pension funding and merge 10 state funds into one. The Business Report also says that about half of Standard Bank's 638 employees who were asked to accept buyout offers have accepted. The others may be fired as the bank attempts to cut costs.

German metalworkers willing to discuss wage increases early (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
IG Metall union workers in Stuttgart are willing to open talks about wages one year early in order to reach agreement on job security and lowering labor costs, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine and other papers.

Opposition vows to prosecute current Indian Prime Minister (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
India's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has said that, if it wins the election, it will prosecute the current Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao for his part in the bribery scandal that has rocked Indian politics recently. The opposition party's leadership claims that Rao accepted money from businessmen who were attempting to secure government contracts. The Times of India reports.

Mathematics takes a public relations hit because of unabomber case (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
The Wall Street Journal this morning reports that, while math has had an image problem for awhile, which has discouraged students from getting the math training they need, it's nothing like the fallout from the case involving the man who is probably America's most notorious mathematics Ph.D. Being a Harvard grad, University of Michigan Ph.D., and Berkeley professor apparently isn't everything. The WSJ also reports today that the Republicans are adopting a risky strategy on proposed Medicare cuts during the '96 campaign by talking about them openly in ads.

Guilty pleas by former union officials (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
Four former officials of a powerful New York construction union plead guilty in a case involving bribes and organized crime, according to the New York Times today.

Volunteer work is work, after all (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune contains a nice story this morning about one family's commitment to volunteer projects and how their involvement benefits everybody, including their family. The story's on the web. The paper's filled with good stuff today. For instance, it contains a major article analyzing the impact of an increase in the minimum wage on poverty, and this story's on the web too. Leonard Inskip's column on how trainees can be helped to the get the skills that businesses want follows up on the "Rising Tide, leaky boats" series that the paper has been running on Sundays, but this particular piece, unlike the rest of the series, does not appear to be on the web. Neither does John Brandl's column in which he describes a conversation with a Russian city council member last month who expressed astonishment that a Minnesota woman with five or six children could be eligible for $1,000 or more per month in government support. Millions of Russian families have incomes of less than $1,000 per year, he says, although he doesn't discuss the relative buying power of this amount across the two societies. Brandl is a University of Minnesota professor. The paper also contains a Reuters story this morning reporting that 220,000 workers in the world die each year from work-related accidents or illnesses contracted at work. The data come from a United Nations agency.

Minimum wage move on track, according to St. Paul paper (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
New studies during an election year put worker needs on the front page and on the agenda, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press The paper also contains a column by Gail MarksJarvis asking, rhetorically, why the "hard-line view" on minimum wage by Minnesota business lobbies? In this case, she's talking about the movement in Minnesota to require businesses that benefit in some way from government support to pay a "livable" wage to their employees. She sees inconsistency on the part of business groups in their attitudes toward subsidies, depending on whose interests are being served.

Quinn tells of election year gift to persons over 65 (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
Jane Bryant Quinn reports in her nationally syndicated column this morning on the increase in the Social Security's "earnings test." The new law raises the amount you can earn without having your benefits docked. You're supposed to remember when you enter the voting booth this fall, she says.

Advice on interviewing (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
Mark McCormack, in his nationally syndicated "Success secrets" column says a lot of young candidates find new ways to ruin their chances in interviews. He says eagerness is a plus, and a thank-you note afterward probably won't hurt either. His column is syndicated by King features.

Mental health provision could kill insurance bill (Tuesday, 4/23/96)
The Los Angeles Times reports that fierce business opposition to dramatically expanded mental health coverage could doom the popular insurance bill coming up for a Senate vote today. The bill is popular overall, and would make it easier for people who lose their jobs or change jobs to keep the health coverage, even with "preexisting conditions."

More pressure on government-supported benefits in Europe (Monday, 4/22/96)
Kurier reports in Austria that a recent poll indicates that 60% of Austrians think that college students should be required to pay tuition. Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky opposes any change in the country's free college policy. Also in Austria, Der Standard reports that BMW-Austria is negotiating with trade unions to begin Saturday production shifts at its Steyr factory. Unions will approve the plan if the work week is also reduced from 38.5 hours to 36 hours. Finally, Die Presse reports that unions at Semperit Reifen AG have offered a plan to dramatically cut costs to prevent the factory from closing with loss of 2,400 jobs.

ANC supports strike in South Africa (Monday, 4/22/96)
The African National Congress supports a one-day national strike in support of a Constitutional change that would prohibit employers from locking out striking union members. The Star reports the story today.

Growing conflict over social welfare cuts in Germany (Monday, 4/22/96)
Most major German newspapers this morning, including Frankfurter Allgemeine, report that German Finance Minister Theo Waigel wants to cut government spending by US$33.3 billion, with at least a fifth of that coming from social welfare programs. Social Democrats in the German parliament say don't mess with planned subsidy increases for families with children. Also in Germany today, Handelsblatt reports that the country's economy will grow by only about 1 percent, according to Finance Minister Waigel. This falls short of forecasts, but no recession is on the horizon, according to him.

Soft job market for college grads in Japan shifts their attention (Monday, 4/22/96)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains a piece about Japan's young college graduates beginning to consider small firms now that large firms have reduced their hiring. There has been a similar pattern in the United States for several years. America's largest corporations have been reducing their employment levels, while virtually all new jobs have been coming from small businesses. The Journal also has a story today about American firms exporting office jobs now, as well as production jobs. Emphasis is on local hires.

Stock options for all employees soon, according to Flanigan (Monday, 4/22/96)
James Flanigan writes in the Los Angeles Times today about the wage gap and what seems to be coming. The Times also tells about a new law that will help seniors but hurt others, as well as about the conditions under which terminations require notice or severance, and also about a new study on which occupations are still having the most problems with drug or alcohol abuse.

Big shortage of truck drivers (Monday, 4/22/96)
Trucking companies across the U.S. are turning away business because they can't get enough drivers, according to CNN Financial, which also reports today that unions oppose the proposed merger between Nynex and Bell Atlantic because they fear it would cost jobs.

Columnists support minimum wage increase (Monday, 4/22/96)
Marjorie Kelly, publisher of Business Ethics magazine, says people who work full-time should be able to live on what they earn, and Ellen Goodman, in her syndicated column today, says that raising the minimum wage is good economic policy. Goodman writes for the Boston Globe and her column is distributed throughout North America by the Washington Post Writer's Group. Her column is available on the St. Paul Pioneer Press web site, if you're a subscriber.

A whole week for secretaries (Monday, 4/22/96)
A week for secretaries, but what about the rest of the year? "Secretary's Week" is assessed in a Minneapolis Star Tribune article, and it's on the web.

Depression in architecture (Sunday, 4/21/96)
The New York Times reports on the big upheaval in the architecture profession. Available jobs have plummeted in many regions. Many architects are changing fields.

Tokyo criticized for attitude on child prostitution (Sunday, 4/21/96)
The Japan Times reports this morning that CASPAR, an organization working to stop child prostitution, is critical of the continuing corporate practice of organizing "sex tours" to other Asian countries. The Japanese government has yet to respond to an offer to participate in the first world congress to stop sexual exploitation of children to be held in Stockholm. We've reported on this issue numerous times during recent weeks. Incidentally, a law has been proposed in Britain that would penalize UK citizens for exploiting children in other countries. Also, in the Japan Times this morning is a story about a worker at Jyuso Inc. filing a criminal complaint against a board member and three others, claiming that the four established a dummy company to obtain all of the Jyuso stock owned by its employees in order to keep shareholders from suing the firm. Both stories can be found on the same page of the Times' web site.

China to allow market to influence wages (Sunday, 4/21/96)
The Hong Kong Standard reports that China will link worker incomes in state-owned enterprises to the profitability of their firms over the next five years.

St. Petersburg minimum wage up slightly (Sunday, 4/21/96)
The "living minimum" edged up a bit in March in St. Petersburg, according to the St. Petersburg Press, because of price increases on some food items.

Gallup didn't ask them (Sunday, 4/21/96)
A recent Gallup Poll found that many Americans say that they'd rather work for a man. Many employees in Minnesota's Twin Cities react, and strongly. Also from Minnesota today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune's major series on the wage gap, "Rising tides; leaky boats," continues, and the whole series is on the web. The Strib also has a major story on how downsizing and other structural changes are putting pressure on survivors in the banking industry, and you'll find the first edition of Dale Dauten and Mark Nelson's new column, "Job Talk." However, the column doesn't appear to be on the paper's web site.

Deeper cuts than expected in Australia (Sunday, 4/21/96)
Joch McCardell, reports that the new Australian government, faced with a AUD$8 billion deficit, may cut up to 15,000 white collar public service employees, most of whom are in Canberra and would probably migrate to Sydney or Melbourne in search of work. Major cuts in university budgets are also expected, a move widely regarded as representing an historic transition in Australian higher education in the new economy.

Central Pennsylvania better off than most U.S. regions, but... (Sunday, 4/21/96)
Mary Warner, writing in Harrisburg's The Patriot-News, reports that central Pennsylvania's large employers appear stable or growing, and the area has one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates. However, restructuring, often coming quietly and gradually, is affecting this area as well. In fact, "downsizing" appears to be spread pretty evenly across the state, according to a new study. Cuts just aren't big enough in each case to make the newspapers, so underlying realities can be surprising.

Affirmative action group in Philadelphia urged to act (Sunday, 4/21/96)
Myung Oak Kim, in the Philadelphia Daily News, writes that California consultant Barry Shapiro told a meeting of the American Association for Affirmative Action in Philadelphia Thursday that affirmative action could die in the current climate. He urged an immediate response. "Mobilize. Contact everyone you know. Don't delay," he urged. He said that the anti-affirmative action movement is being led by people who still regard people of color and women as basically inferior.

Business groups oppose expanded mental health coverage (Saturday, 4/20/96)
Reuters reports today that business groups want to stop a proposal approved by the U.S. Senate that would expand services for mental health. The provision is part of a bill that would make it easier for workers who change jobs to keep their health coverage.

Ready for early retirement? (Saturday, 4/20/96)
The Times of London reports today on a Barclays Bank survey on early retirement and also analyzes the conditions necessary to support it. Also from the UK today, the Electronic Telegraph reports that electrical retailer Powerstore's troubles threaten 1,000 jobs.

California unemployment heading down (Saturday, 4/20/96)
California's troubled economy seems to be on the way back, and, as we've reported earlier, experts see its long-term prospects as very good. Job gains during March were the smallest in five months, but did result in a .1 percent reduction in the state unemployment rate, which now stands at 7.6%, still significantly higher than the national average. On the other hand, on the opposite side of the country, Massachusetts reports unemployment better than the national average at 4.8, a six-year low. Remember when all the good stuff was out west and New England was supposed to be dying?

"School-to-work" movement gains momentum (Saturday, 4/20/96)
Don Lee, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reports on a hot movement to connect public school experience to the work world. What does a lot of school experience have to do with work? Well, maybe nothing, we would answer, but work isn't the only important reason for education. See our story yesterday on the Forbes article. Incidentally, the Times contains many articles relating to work and careers in their Job Tips and Career News sections, and they're all on-line.

Job creation and reduced income taxes will require restraint in Ireland, official says (Saturday, 4/20/96)
Padraig Yeates, Industry and Employment Correspondent for the Irish Times, reports that the Irish Minister for Enterprise and Employment has warned that workers will have to be even more restrained in their pay demands. Here's the story.

Take our daughters to work has web site (Saturday, 4/20/96)
April 25 is "Take our daughters to work" day," and you can visit the web site set up by GNN now. The campaign began in 1993 as a way of building girls' self confidence and helping them to explore the work world. The Ms. Foundation for Women, America Online, and GNN are cooperating in the effort this year. Incidentally, Professional Secretaries Day is April 24 which is intended to honor the contributions of secretaries. However, a study commissioned by the Olsten Corporation indicates that corporate restructuring has significantly reduced the secretarial ranks over the past five years. "Office workers welcome recognition," said Ellen Bravo, of the National Association of Working Women. "But what really matters is the message you get all year 'round."

Bard College conference scheduled (Saturday, 4/20/96)
A conference titled "The Employment Act of 1946: Fifty Years Later," is scheduled at The Jerome Levy Economics Institute of Bard College April 25 and April 26. It will focus on anxieties arising from corporate downsizing, job insecurity, and stagnant wages in the new economy. Key experts from business, government, and the academic world will contribute.

Dole defeat may clear way for health care passage (Friday, 4/19/96)
The popular bipartisan health care bill has been on again, off again, and is on again now, according to Reuters. Passage may be imminent after Senate majority leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole suffered a late night defeat. Reuters also reports this morning that Speaker Gingrich wants to link an increase in the minimum wage to a tax cut to help the middle class. Another story reports that the National Association of Manufacturers claims that wage stagnation claims are exaggerated. In addition, the Clinton Administration will soon release a report indicating that "downsizing" isn't new and hasn't gotten greatly worse recently, according to the Bloomberg news service.

Apple's record loss leads to more job cuts (Friday, 4/19/96)
Troubled Apple Computer Corporation reports a loss of $740 million in its second quarter and says it will cut more jobs than originally planned, a total of 2,800 during the next year. The loss is approximately ten times the company's first quarter loss, but reflects major restructuring and inventory reduction charges. The company has chosen to "bite the bullet" and get the worst over quickly. Apple's Macintosh technology is widely regarded as mostly superior to its competitors, but a series of bad business decisions going back many years has greatly weakened the company's position in the market. Apple's new Chairman, Gilbert Amelio, has a reputation as a "turnaround artist," having brought troubled National Semiconductor back to profitability. He has indicated that the Internet will play a key role in Apple's recovery, and a number of alliances with other companies are pending.

Mortality rates influenced by income gap (Friday, 4/19/96)
Robert Pear, writing in the New York Times today, quotes a new Harvard study to be published in the British Medical Journal indicating that the growing gap between rich and poor in the United States is linked to overall mortality rates and deaths from heart disease, cancer, and homicide. The Times also contains a helpful summary of the facts and issues surrounding the controversial proposed increase in the national minimum wage.

Agreement reached in Belgium (Friday, 4/19/96)
Meetings have been going on between representatives of the Belgian government, employers, and unions to find ways to cut unemployment by half within six years. Agreement has been announced. Wage increases will be capped and corporate labor taxes will be reduced. The story is reported in most Belgian papers this morning, including L'Echo.

Also agreement in Germany (Friday, 4/19/96)
In the continuing effort on the part of European countries to reduce the burden of traditionally generous social programs, Germany's coalition government has agreed on a package intending to reduce social security and pension premiums, according to Frankfurter Rundschau.

Daschle predicts minimum wage will become less minimal (Friday, 4/19/96)
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle says that Congress will pass an increase to the national minimum wage, but he wasn't specific about when. However, the fact that some House Republicans want to increase the minimum wage by a dollar, while Democrats have been trying to get a 90 cent increase, is taken as encouraging.

No, no, no, not the U.S. (Friday, 4/19/96)
It's "a mess, but the economy's booming." No, the April 22 edition of Forbes magazine is talking about Italy, not the United States. Forbes can be found on Compuserve but no longer on the campaign trail.

Devaluation in academe (Friday, 4/19/96)
The April 22 edition of Forbes magazine also contains a piece by Peter Brimelow on "devalued diplomas." Higher ed's costs are up, but quality is down, he says. When articles about education appear in business publications, there is often the implication that things would be pretty much perfect if we would simply turn education over to business, because who more than business people could possible know better what's wrong with it and how it can be fixed? At the very least, we could "get practical."

We believe that higher education has gotten far too costly, and that, in the current context, these costs will not be sustained much longer, suggesting market-driven restructuring throughout the higher education service delivery system which is already underway. We also believe that preparation for work in the revolutionary new world economy requires something quite different from traditional college or even post-grad-level experience in most cases. However, we feel that education for living and education for citizenship are at least as vital as education for work, and that society will neglect these only at its mortal peril. Given our long involvement in both "cultures," we also feel it would be disastrous to turn education as a whole over to business, which tends to feel that it is "practical" only if it affects the economy or the individual's ability to make a living, but not if it affects one's entire life or the quality of life in society as a whole. We have not been greatly impressed with the business community's sophistication when it comes to overall quality of life or societal institutions in general. We'll examine these issues at length on this site over the months ahead.

Safire notes thrift may be "in" (Friday, 4/19/96)
In his nationally syndicated column yesterday, William Safire notes that concern about a poverty-stricken old age, combined with job security fears, threatens to make saving a growth area. President Clinton has proposed a program whereby workers who save for retirement would get tax breaks, and Republicans have proposed similar things themselves. Traditionally, Americans have saved far less than people in other industrial countries. Safire's column is syndicated by the New York Times News Service.

Trouble finding help (Friday, 4/19/96)
The April edition of Nation's Business contains a cover story on the growing problem of finding and keeping good workers. It includes a discussion of "school-to-work" programs in order to help deal with the growing shortage of skilled trade workers. Most people are 28 or 29 by the time they get their first full-time job with benefits, the article says, suggesting too many years of fumbling, in most cases. We should be able to do better. This edition also contains a piece on women-owned businesses. Thirty-six percent of U.S. companies are owned by women now, according to the article, a total of 7.9 million firms. The top states for women entrepreneurs, ranked, are California, Texas, New York, and Florida.

"People's capitalism" largely an illusion (Friday, 4/19/96)
A large number of American households do own some stock, but, according to Robert Kuttner in the April 22 edition of Business Week, there is still a high concentration of equity ownership in the United States. Most Americans depend on wages and salaries, and these are largely stagnant. The top 5% hold 77% of the equity; the bottom 80% own 1.8% of stocks and other equity instruments. There has been an "epic shift of bargaining power from labor to capital," he says. The same edition also includes a review of Roy Beck's book, The Case Against Immigration and how he thinks it hurts America's working poor. Pat Buchanan may or may not want to reassemble the Berlin Wall on the U.S./Mexican border, but it's clear that anti-immigrant feelings are not confined to the U.S. either. Also, in this edition of Bizweek is a story about "xenophobia and jobs in Germany." It reports on a study of violence against foreigners in Germany and finds little relationship with economic conditions, so there must be something else to it. Business Week is on the web, but not all of the articles are included.

Court ruling defines "employer" narrowly (Friday, 4/19/96)
The January edition of the Harvard Law Review reports that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that part-time and hourly workers not present in the workplace are not "employees" for purposes of the 15-employee threshold in Title VII discrimination cases. The Review says that the court's interpretation of the statute is inconsistent with that adopted in other circuits. Extension of this interpretation would deny discrimination protections to many part-time workers.

The best career advice (Friday, 4/19/96)
The January edition of Cosmopolitan magazine contains several related articles with tips from counselors on where to obtain good advice about careers. Check your library for this edition.

The abuse of testing: part of the solution or part of the problem? (Friday, 4/19/96)
The February 5 edition of Industry Week reports that some screening tests used by Fortune 500 manufacturing firms in making hiring decisions have been found to be faulty and actually lead to higher turnover rates. We're reminded that Bach is supposed to have composed the Brandenburg Concertos as part of a job application, and didn't get the job! Also, one of the winners in the "stupid assessment techniques" competition must be the selection procedures used by the American military at the time Muhammad Ali was turned away because he "failed" the Army's IQ test. It is said that 85% of the people taking that particular test scored higher than he did at the time, leading military officials to conclude that he wasn't smart enough to serve in the American military. If he were really only at the 15th percentile on intelligence, he might not have found his way to the testing center. It's likely that nearly any psychologist briefly observing Mr. Ali's behavior, verbal or otherwise, would conclude that he is and probably always has been considerably above average in intelligence, certainly not deficient. The problem seemed to be that he could not read most of the test, which is a skills problem, not an intelligence problem.

Psychologists expert in psychometrics and the use of testing in work-related selection and placement have preached for years that we should be careful to use tests, not let them use us. Nonetheless, tests continue to be abused, misapplied, and misinterpreted in work and other settings. Incidentally, the research is clear: there is NO SUCH THING as a "lie detector" either. More or less along these lines, the January 8 edition of The National Law Journal reports that dissatisfaction with academic skills as a basis for recruiting young lawyers has lead to supplementary procedures based on a knowledge of characteristics that correlate with success in the firm.

Women can be accused as traitors (Friday, 4/19/96)
According to the February edition of Vogue magazine, women CIA agents who file complaints about discrimination are in danger of being regarded as traitors to the agency.

Sweeny wants to recapture allegiance of American workers, Quinn says (Friday, 4/19/96)
Jane Bryant Quinn, in her nationally syndicated column, says that the new president of the AFL-CIO thinks conditions are ripe for turning organized labor around after years of declining membership and declining influence. Sweeny won the presidency of his organization in the first contested presidential election in AFL-CIO history.

Delta to hire more flight attendants (Friday, 4/19/96)
Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal report that Delta Air will hire 300 more flight attendants because of the Summer Olympics, expecting heavy passenger loads.

Personnel cuts in Spain (Friday, 4/19/96)
The Expansion reports that Iberdrola SA, a Spanish power company, will cut its staff by 25 percent in order to save more than US$199 million in personnel costs. The company acquired major debt because of a 1983 ban on nuclear power plant construction.

Benefits cut in Austria (Friday, 4/19/96)
According to Wiener Zeitung, The Austrian parliament has approved cuts in social welfare benefits expected to save US$1.8 billion through 1997. Support for parents on maternity leave will be reduced and a delay in the age when Austrians can retire with full pensions will be affected, among other things. Also, Der Standard reports that the country's striking college students plan to resume demonstrations next week to protest plans to cut higher education benefits.

UK's Labour Party announces reform plan (Friday, 4/19/96)
Britain's Financial Times reports that the Labour Party will announce its plan for reforming the child benefit system in order to save 700 million pounds per year. The savings would be used for better training and education for children of low income families.

Wage increase rejected in Philippines (Friday, 4/19/96)
Philippine President Ramos cited the need for competitiveness in the global economy when rejecting a proposed $US$2.10 a day wage increase proposed by labor groups claiming erosion of buying power because of inflation.

All's back to normal at Lordstown (Thursday, 4/18/96)
Attendance and production are at normal levels at the GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio following a wildcat strike. More than 5,000 workers responded to a court order to return to work, according to Reuters and nearly everybody else this morning. However, not everybody has the story about job growth being more plentiful in the West and South, but Reuters does, and here it is. The West will lead job growth into the 21st century, according to a report. In part, this is related to the increasing influence of the Pacific Rim in world economics.

Republican split over health care (Thursday, 4/18/96)
The two senators from Kansas, Dole and Kassebaum, are at odds over the bipartisan bill that Kassebaum has co-sponsored with Democratic Senator Kennedy that would make it easier for some workers and displaced workers to keep or obtain health care coverage. Interestingly, 20 House Republicans have introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage, and Bloomberg reports that Speaker Gingrich is telling House Republicans to get ready for a vote on the issue. The Wall Street Journal contains a piece today about how a Republican split is making it difficult for the Republican leadership to block a drive to increase the minimum wage. Political parties are coalitions by definition, and it is remarkable that they are able to mobilize people with a great variety of views on many issues under any conditions.

However, as we've reported previously, organized labor is facing similar difficulties in the United States in its effort to support candidates generally favorable to labor, which it considers to be mostly Democratic candidates. The reason is that many unions members have voted Republican during recent years, in part following President Reagan's success in attracting some Democrats during the '80's. It may be that traditional party labels or even stereotypical "liberal" vs. "conservative" labels are becoming outmoded, as contemporary issues cut across traditional categories. Additional evidence is the so-called "passionate center" represented by a number of major political figures previously identified with both major parties who are not easy to categorize at this point.

Computer entrepreneur stereotype doesn't fit (Thursday, 4/18/96)
Women, including older women, are making it big as entrepreneurs in hi-tech. The New York Times' Computer News Daily has the story.

Sensitivity training planned for Fleet Financial (Thursday, 4/18/96)
The Wall Street Journal reports that Fleet Financial Group Inc. is responding to recent allegations by employees and members of the community by creating a "diversity council" and scheduling training for hundreds of managers.

Belgian talks aim to reduce unemployment (Thursday, 4/18/96)
La Libre Belgique reports that talks began yesterday between representatives of government, employers, and unions with the goal of reducing unemployment in Belgium by 50 percent within the next five or six years.

Jobless pattern in UK similar to U.S. (Thursday, 4/18/96)
London's Financial Times reports that unemployment in the United Kingdom has fallen to the lowest rate in five years, and this is leading to talk of increasing interest rates. Similar fears of inflation are beginning to surface in the United States following two months of strong job growth.

Auterity in Austria (Thursday, 4/18/96)
Austria's Wiener Zeitung reports that the country's major political parties have agreed on an austerity budget that would cut public sector employment and limit wage increases in an effort to qualify Austria for a European currency union.

Possible loss of mining jobs (Thursday, 4/18/96)
Cost cuts at Eastern Transvaal Consolidated mine could lead to job losses, according to South Africa's Business Day.

German unions oppose plan (Thursday, 4/18/96)
German newspapers this morning are reporting that unions are claiming that government savings plans will jeopardize the effort to cut unemployment by the year 2000. They also oppose the government plan to raise the retirement age for women to 63 years, saying that this would put even more strain on the labor market. Other reports indicate that the German budget deficit more than doubled during the first quarter, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Pilots strike in France (Thursday, 4/18/96)
Pilots of Air Inter have called a two day strike in an effort to block a merger with Air France. Air Inter is operating at a deficit. La Tribune reports the story.

Inflation high in the Philippines (Thursday, 4/18/96)
A Philippine government report shows inflation at 11.8 percent in March, according to BusinessWorld. Annual rates have been running in double digits for the past seven months, and inflation has eroded the buying power of workers for three years.

Hong Kong labor organization disputes government unemployment claims (Thursday, 4/18/96)
The Hong Kong Standard reports that the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions says unemployment in Hong Kong is more like 10.5 percent than the 3.1 percent reported by the government.

Forget minimum wage increase for now (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
Senate majority leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole withdrew the immigration bill from consideration by the Senate after Democrats had tried to attach their minimum wage increase to it. Here's USA Today's version of the story, and here's Reuters'.

Brasilia meeting to combat growing child sex slavery around the globe (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
Vast numbers of impoverished women and children throughout the world are forced into slavery in a booming prostitution industry, a story we've reported earlier. This morning, Reuters reports that experts from throughout the world are meeting in Brasilia in a five-day seminar to find ways to eliminate this predatory feature of the revolutionary new world economy as it applies to millions of children.

Some faculty decide to stay out longer (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
Die Presse in Austria reports that some faculty members at Vienna University will continue their strike until April 22 in protest of cuts proposed in a new two-year budget. Part of the conflict is over benefits.

Minister "shocked" (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
As we reported yesterday two unions in the Netherlands have agreed to settle their dispute with Philips Electronics, while two other unions, the largest, are considering a strike because agreement has not been reached over a shorter work week. The Dutch Social Affairs Minister Aad Melkert says he's shocked that the two unions are settling for 6% increase over two years. Several Dutch newspapers, including the Telegraaf are reporting the story this morning.

Job creation talks begin in Belgium (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
La Libre Belgique and other Belgian news organizations are reporting that the Belgian government will meet with trade unions and employers in order to try to find ways to boost job creation. Employers want lower labor taxes; unions want tax breaks to be linked to job creation.

Wildcat strikers will return to work in Ohio (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
Workers at the GM Lordstown Ohio plant had walked out over the firing of a local UAW official, but a judge has issued a temporary order telling them to go back to work.

You begin working for yourself on May 8 (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
According to the Los Angeles Times, the average American must work 128 days now in order to pay all his/her taxes. The Times' new web site was sluggish yesterday, but seems zippy today. You have to register to get into it, but there's no charge (yet), and it would probably be worth it if there were. Now, when will the Washington Post come on line?

Maybe 10,000 illegal aliens in Hawaii to work (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
A U.S. immigration official says they're taking jobs from legal residents. The Honolulu Star Bulletin reports.

Civil service strike in Brazil (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
Brazil's government has increasing budget problems too, and a strike of civil service workers began Tuesday over pay issues. It's spotty, though, and it is not yet known whether it will spread. The Financial Times reports the details.

"Redundant" workers offered incentive in Malaysia. (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
More than 1,000 National Union of Telekom workers are offered an incentive to leave, but management emphasizes that it is voluntary. They have nothing to fear, according to spokespersons. Also, while the elevator business may have its ups and downs, The Star reports that Pernas Otis Elevator Co. in Malaysia emphasizes training to keep employees current and to strengthen the company's human resource investment.

Tice says wage-gap doesn't tell the basic story (Wednesday, 4/17/96)
In his St. Paul Pioneer Press column this morning, editorial writer T. J. Tice says the debate over the growing gap between haves and have-nots obscures the central reality that most people's incomes have leveled off. "One hopes...that today's complex economic dissatisfactions won't be wholly reduced to mere class envy and resentment," he says. CEO salaries, like the incomes of sports and entertainment stars, seem outrageous, but have few practical implications, presumably meaning that if the $30 million or so that Mike Tyson collected for a couple of minutes of work recently were spread evenly among those who are hurting, they would still be hurting. Income growth has sharply slowed for all income groups, according to Tice. He doesn't identify the assumptions underlying his remarks about "class envy and resentment."

More labor problems at GM (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
More than 5,000 workers walk out at a General Motors assembly plant in Ohio in protest of the firing of a UAW official. The strike has not been authorized by the union.

Swiss union urges cut in hours (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
Tages Anzeiger reports that the Swiss Labor Union Association has urged banks in Switzerland to cut hours rather than jobs if Union Bank of Switzerland and CS Holding merge. Twenty thousand jobs could be at risk in Switzerland.

Med school class could be restricted because of cost cuts (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
Austria's Der Standard reports that the Vienna University faculty proposes freezing first-year med school classes as part of the government's effort to cut costs in its proposed budget. The budget has been opposed by students and some faculty. Four weeks of strikes have just ended. Also in Austria, unemployment is up 12.3 percent among persons between 15 and 24 so far this year, according to Salzburger Nachrichten. Cost cutting by companies is blamed.

Some unions settle, others prepare to strike (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
Two unions prepare "industrial action" at Philips Electronics in the Netherlands, while two others have agreed to a new two-year contract. The conflict has been over the length of the work week and pension provisions. Trouw reports this morning.

Strib series on welfare ends today (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
The third of a 3-part series examining European approaches to welfare and their implications for the United States is in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune, and also on its web site. Programs that are controversial in the U.S. are common in Europe, the article says. Governments in Western European countries traditionally have been more involved in social welfare than in the United States. However, with economic restructuring, weakened European economies, and a growing need to cut costs, generous social programs and employee benefit packages are under increasing scrutiny there as well.

Chancellor Kohl wants to include employers and unions in government cost cutting program (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
The German Chancellor will meet with employers and union leaders on April 23 to work out final arrangements in a plan to save US$33 billion, according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Also, Frankfurter Allgemeine says that the opposition Social Democrats are threatening to delay the government's plan for welfare spending reform until tax and social spending plans are clarified.

L.A. mayor urged to take a stand on affirmative action initiative (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
A City Councilman has delivered a petition to Mayor Ridley urging the mayor to "show leadership" in relation to the California initiative on the November ballot that would largely end affirmative action in government hiring and contracting in the state. The story is in the Los Angeles Times. The Times has been among the world's great newspapers conspicuously absent from the web, until now. The paper's new site is huge, rich, and deep, with additional features coming, including searchable archives (for a fee) going back to 1990. The only problem at the moment is that response seems sluggish, although this may be mostly the increasing overload of the Internet as a whole. Among other things, you'll find a "cutting edge careers section" published in late February with a number of relevant articles. An article by Don Lee on "GM gypsies" is running in other papers around the country today. It tells about General Motors workers who are trying to avoid layoff and loss of benefits and make it to retirement by moving from one GM plant to another throughout the country. The story originated in the L.A. Times.

They don't like to say it, but... (Tuesday, 4/16/96)
The Dow Jones News Service reports that some Federal Reserve Board officials have expressed growing concern about inflation in the American economy. They have insisted on speaking anonymously. The American economy is in its 6th year of expansion since the last recession. Job growth has been strong, and unemployment is below 6%, all good news that makes the monetary officials nervous.

Reich urges minimum wage increase on Brinkley show (Monday, 4/15/96)
U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich appeared on ABC TV's "This Week With David Brinkley" Sunday and urged Senate majority leader and Presidential candidate Bob Dole to pass a minimum wage increase through the Senate. Supporters of the increase emphasize that the buying power of the minimum wage has declined tremendously. Opponents say it would cost jobs and hurt those it is intended to help by pricing some jobs out of the market.

Austrian unions flexible on work rules (Monday, 4/15/96)
Austria's unions have been losing government and private jobs. They're indicating now that, in order to save jobs, they may be willing to accept compensatory time off instead of overtime in some cases. The government and the unions are talking. Die Presse reports the story this morning.

German unions threaten strike (Monday, 4/15/96)
Frankfurter Allgemeine reports that German unions are threatening to strike in response to a new government approved spending cut package that would include cuts in sick pay. German benefit packages have been among the most generous in the world, but the German economy has softened, in part because of structural changes and, in part, because of the costs of reunification.

Construction workers urge minimum wage (Monday, 4/15/96)
According to Handelsblatt this morning, German construction employers fear a "political strike" if the Labor Ministry doesn't agree on a minimum wage for construction workers. Workers are concerned about threats to their jobs and incomes from cheaper foreign workers.

Inflation in France may produce minimum wage increase (Monday, 4/15/96)
France's minimum wage is indexed, so, with an increase in March retail prices, it may have to be raised 2 percent, according to Les Echos. The American minimum wage is not linked to inflation, so it does not automatically rise as consumer prices rise.

WSJ article today on wrongful termination suits (Monday, 4/15/96)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains an article by Margaret Jacobs indicating that executives often win in wrongful termination suits. The Journal has a web site, but it does not include the contents of articles.

Protestors march for affirmative action in San Francisco (Monday, 4/15/96)
An anti-affirmative action initiative is on the November ballot in California, and some are seeing it as part of a "nationwide assault on minorities, women and the poor." A march yesterday may not have drawn the numbers expected.

Important series on welfare continues (Monday, 4/15/96)
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune continues its 3-part examination of welfare alternatives and what American may learn from other countries. Today, Germany's programs for keeping the less educated employable and off welfare are examined. It's on the web. The paper seems to have increased the amount of content that is available on its web site at no charge, but the opinion piece by Marjorie Kelly, publisher of Business Ethics, appears to be available only in its print edition. In her column, Ms. Kelly says that the widening pay gap could bring economic upheaval because of growing rage. It may be a choice between massive change or institutional collapse as the millennium draws to a close.

As indicated previously, we believe that the worldwide revolution in work is the last really big story of the 20th century, and, until recently, most of the conventional press has been missing it. Many still do not see its fundamental implications, including politicians.Incidentally, USA Today has a story today discussing the political implications of the Internet, something that we have also discussed previously. Assuming that it doesn't come to a screeching halt because of overload before bandwidtch can be increased dramatically, we expect fundamental alterations in the functioning of political institutions, and this is one of the reasons politicians in many countries have been so concerned about the Internet during recent months.

Government cuts may be counterproductive for business (Sunday, 4/14/96)
Dave Beal, writing in today's St. Paul Pioneer Press, says that the "slash and burn crusade" may reduce the level of business activity. The same edition of the paper contains an "Entrepreneurs" section today with an article called "how can employers help workers become leaders?" Several experts share their views.

"Leaky boats" series continues (Sunday, 4/14/96)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune's major four-part series, "Rising tide, leaky boats: plugging America's wage gap" continues today with various articles and opinion pieces. In this second part of the series, education is featured, including thoughts about the importance of education for those left behind in the new work world, how business can lead an education revolution, "school-to-work" programs, and apprenticeships. The whole series is on the web, including last week's articles. The series continues next week. The paper also begins a major 3-part examination of welfare this morning, taking a look at how America might learn from French experiments.

"Take our daughters to work" day coming up (Sunday, 4/14/96)
April 25 is "Take our daughters to work" day. Got questions? Here are some commonly asked ones, and some answers.

You have a right to see what's in your personnel file, maybe (Sunday, 4/14/96)
Information in your personnel file can dramatically influence your career. If you want to know what's in there, can you find out? The answer isn't simple, but here it is anyway.

Summer jobs situation for students looks good (Sunday, 4/14/96)
The New York Times reports that there will be more summer job and internship opportunities than usual this summer.

Lockout or strike? Big fuss at ComGas in Boston (Sunday, 4/14/96)
The Boston Glove has several stories this morning about the labor conflict at Commonwealth Gas Co. Here's one, another, and yet another. The paper also reports on some unconventional ways of searching for a job.

Teacher training standards criticized in Ireland (Sunday, 4/14/96)
"Real" degrees vs. "Mickey Mouse" degrees discussed at Irish conference on teacher education.

Michigan food service labor shortage reflected nationwide (Sunday, 4/14/96)
Restaurants throughout the United States are having difficulty finding and keeping good help. Here's the story in Michigan from the Detroit News. The paper also contains a story today on the Supreme Court's recent ruling making it easier for persons to sue for age discrimination. However, it probably won't help persons affected by downsizing all that much.

Analysis of University of Texas decision (Saturday, 4/13/96)
The April 22 edition of The New Republic contains an article called "The day the quotas died," an analysis of the recent landmark court case involving the University of Texas' selection policies. It could be the beginning of the end for affirmative action, according to the authors. The April 29 edition of the publication contains opinion pieces by Matthew Miller, "Why I changed my mind on the minimum wage", and James Cramer, "Let them eat stocks-an answer to the dowsized's pain."

Illegal drug use by workers down overall, but still high in some occupations (Saturday, 4/13/96)
A government survey finds a fifty percent reduction in worker drug use since 1985, but problems remain among construction and food service workers and others.

Swiss labor unions relieved (Saturday, 4/13/96)
Union Bank of Switzerland has decided not to merge with CS Holding, and unions are happy. Merger could have cost as many as 20,000 jobs, mostly in Switzerland, according to Tages Anzeiger. In the Netherlands, Het Financieele Dagblad reports that talks between Philips Electronics and the country's largest unions have broken down. Philips had agreed to discuss a shorter work week, but a strike may still occur. In Germany, on the other hand, a strike has been avoided for the time being in the construction industry. Agreement was reached on a 1.85 percent pay raise. The raise will be retroactive to the beginning of April for workers in Western Germany and begins in September for Eastern Germany workers. Frankfurter Rundschau reported the story yesterday.

Festival for foreign workers in South Korea (Saturday, 4/13/96)
The Korea Herald reports that the Foreign Workers' Labor Counseling Office has invited foreign workers to a cultural festival in Seoul today. Information can be obtained by calling (02) 779-2049 in Seoul.

Reasons given why affirmative action still needed (Saturday, 4/13/96)
The February edition of Glamour magazine contains an article called "Excuse me, are women equal yet?" Eighteen reasons are discussed for why affirmative action is still needed. The article quotes a study indicating that most male executives do not believe there is discrimination against women, but most female executives disagree.

Legal rights of pregnant workers (Saturday, 4/13/96)
An article by Helen Cordes in the February edition of Parenting magazine says discrimination against moms-to-be is still common in the workplace, despite laws. Complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have increased during the mid-'90s.

Professors win discrimination suit against college (Saturday, 4/13/96)
The February 19 edition of Jet magazine reports that a white professor married to a black professor has won a discrimination suit against St. Mary's College.

Women overcoming workplace obstacles (Saturday, 4/13/96)
Look in the March edition of Essence for several stories about changes being made to insure better employment opportunities for women of color. Several cases are presented.

Race and access to high paying jobs (Saturday, 4/13/96)
An article in the special January edition of Industrial and Labor Relations Review reports on research examining the influence of race on access to high paying jobs as well as the wage gap between black and white women.

Cities work to strengthen workforce (Saturday, 4/13/96)
The February 19 edition of Nation's Cities Weekly reports examples of programs carried out by cities in workforce development. Examples from Hampton, VA, Lawrenceburg, TN, Dallas, San Jose, and Berkeley are discussed.

First wholesale prices, then retail (Friday, 4/12/96)
We reported yesterday on the U.S. Department of Labor's report showing a rise in wholesales prices in March. Now, the Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index was up more than expected in March, according to Reuters, the world's largest wire service. The CPI's biggest jump in five years will almost certainly fuel additional concern about inflation and the Federal Reserve's need to head it off by raising interest rates. Higher interest rates make government treasuries and stocks less attractive, which tends to suppress these investment vehicles. Even the anticipation or the suspicion that interest rates may go up tends to dampen prices. Stocks were down yesterday, but Blue Chips opened a little higher this morning. The reason that Wall Street got pessimistic in response to February and March job growth figures is that rapid job growth can be an indication of an economy that is beginning to inflate and will require action by the Fed.

Wall Street and Dole disagree on Clinton's pension proposal (Friday, 4/12/96)
President Clinton is proposing portable pensions that can be taken from one job to another. Wall Street thinks it's a neat way to encourage additional savings, but Presidential candidate Senator Robert Dole says it's just a repackaged version of a Republican plan that Clinton had rejected earlier from a Democratic president who's trying to impersonate a Republican during an election year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Overall, Americans save far less than people in most other industrial countries, which has implications for capital supplies for financing business operations. In Japan, however, business has been financed to a greater extent through large bank loans, which reminds of the old thing about how, if you owe a little money, you've got a creditor, but if you owe a lot, you've got a partner. This helps explain the greater integration of the Japanese economy and its focusing effectively on external competition during recent decades.

Lech Walesa may be able to retire his tools (Friday, 4/12/96)
Polish legislators have voted to authorize life-time pensions for former Polish presidents, including Lech Walesa, who has returned to his shipyard electrician job, citing financial hardship. His return to his old job was regarded by many as an attempt to embarrass legislators into feeling uncomfortable that a man who is not only a Nobel Laureate but also regarded by many as the father of modern free Poland should have no means of support. A possible sticking point is that other former presidents will also be eligible, including communist Wojciech Jaruzelski.

CEO pay improved during 1995 (Friday, 4/12/96)
Business Week reports that corporate CEO compensation went up an average of 30 percent during 1995, a year marked by corporate restructuring and major layoffs. Today's St. Paul Pioneer Press contains several items on CEO compensation, including an opinion piece by syndicated columnist Marilyn Geewax, who says that "workers have reason to resent" huge pay raises in the present climate, as well as an editorial that says executive bonuses are good business, and a column by Dave Beal about Fastenal's CEO, who has no stock options, gets no bonus, and makes $122,000 per year. The paper also has a story this morning about Burlington Northern Santa Fe's plan to cut 400 clerical jobs in St. Paul, Minnesota, and it also reports that the University of Minnesota's plan to modify tenure is leading to a raid of the school's top professors by other universities. Also, as expected, Minnesota governor Arne Carlson has vetoed a bill that would have required companies receiving government aid to pay a "livable wage." The Pioneer Press has an extensive web site that will soon be redesigned, as we understand it, but they charge for full access to stories.

Incidentally, according to the April edition of Presstime, 44 percent of 190 U.S. dailies with circulations over 30,000 now have Web sites. Of those that don't, 81 percent plan to create them. Newspapers used to compete mostly with other newspapers in their own markets. From now on, they'll have to compete with papers throughout the world. Hard for the papers, but also potentially overwhelming for readers suffering from "information glut."

Hungary seeks membership in EU (Friday, 4/12/96)
The president of the European Union, Jacques Santer, arrived in Budapest yesterday to conduct discussions with Hungarian officials about the possibility of membership in the European Union. It is also reported that inflation in Hungary is expected to be 22% this year, and the number of foreigners legally employed in Hungary has increased during the past year to about 21,000.

Inflation at the wholesale level blips up in March (Thursday, 4/11/96)
Recent investor nervousness has been based, in part, on concerns that the American economy may be starting to overheat a bit, given the strong jobs data during the past couple of months and other indicators. Virtually all American news organizations report this morning that Labor Department figures show a .5% increase in wholesale prices during March. Here's Reuters' version of the story, as well as a story about how the Federal Reserve is trying to calm fears that an increase in interest rates may be needed. Another major work-related story this morning is President Clinton's pension reform proposal. Reuters also has this story on the web, and so does USA Today. Pension portability and health care portability are among the Administration's principal work-related concerns at the moment. These are not highly partisan issues, and, in fact, both have considerable bipartisan support. However, things are complicated by the vagaries of a presidential election year. Incidentally, productivity increased more last year than during any year since 1992, but slumped a bit toward year's end. Productivity increases have been linked to large scale layoffs.

Prodigy decides on layoffs (Thursday, 4/11/96)
Yesterday, we reported that executives from the Prodigy on-line service were meeting to decide how many jobs would be cut as the company, jointly owned by Sears and IBM, tries to position itself for a possible sale. Things are clearer today. The New York Times is reporting that 115 of Prodigy's 680 jobs will go. Also, in the turbulent world of hi-tech, Time Warner and Compuserve have announced an alliance. Compuserve is the number two commercial on-line service, and Time Warner is the largest of nearly everything. Well, that's a slight overstatement, but they do have a vast publishing empire including many well-known publications, they own the huge Warner Brothers film factory, and they are the nation's largest cable TV distributor. Pop quiz: who's the second largest in cable TV? John Malone's Telecommunication, Inc., that's who. Finally, Wong, which used to dominate in word processing when word processors were designated machines costing $15,000 each or more, has acquired Dataserve, and, while no layoffs are planned "immediately," some job cuts are expected. "Immediately" is a relatively ambiguous term.

GM increasingly desperate to cut costs (Thursday, 4/11/96)
Bloomberg reports that the General Motors parts making unit will step up efforts to cut costs at 14 plants following concessions won from the United Auto Workers. The recent strike has increased the urgency, according to reports. GM still has higher costs of production than many of its competitors. The Detroit News reports on efforts by GM and the UAW to introduce a "wellness" program to reduce employee health care costs.

Austria wants more flexible hours in building industry (Thursday, 4/11/96)
The Austrian government is supporting an effort to increase the flexibility of work hours to preserve jobs in its troubled construction industry. Part of the plan is to offer overtime in the summer without having to pay overtime, with the difference banked for use in supporting winter jobs. Construction workers would have steadier income, according to the plan, and government officials think 10,000 construction jobs could be saved. Die Press is reporting this story this morning, as well as a story reporting that meetings are scheduled to try to end strikes by university students protesting budget cuts that would result in curtailment of transportation and increased fees.