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June 1999

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Senate resistance to Summers virtually non-existent (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
It is expected that Lawrence Summers will be confirmed as Secretary of the Trreasury, and very soon, according to a man who should know. Meanwhile, his precedessor is defending the way the global financial crisis was handled.

Doing the unpopular thing (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Fed Head Alan Greenspan is quite popular because of his part in steering the American economy through turbulent waters and achieving such a high level of success in the process. However, raising interest rates tends to be unpopular among persons directly affected. Nonetheless, the Washington Post's John Berry says that's about to happen. Federal Reserve officials are meeting this week to decide.

Bangladesh workers barricade transportation arteries (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Thousands of travelers have undergone a change of plans because of protests by workers who are making their feelings known about pay issues.

Americans in general seem to like managed care more than most physicians do (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
A new Harris Poll finds that Americans don't feel particularly cranky about managed care and seem somewhat optimistic about the future of American health care.

Job cuts here as well as there, and also over there (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
One of the defining characteristics of the new economy is a good deal of churning, with or without forward movement. Some companies are hiring furiously or experiencing labor shortages, while other companies are laying people off, and, before long, these companies may trade places, all the time being affected by local events as well as events on the other side of the globe. Among the latest job cuts are those at Australia's Rio Tinto's Mount Thorley coal mine, copper producer Phelps Dodge, pharmacy company Omnicare, and paper producer Mead Corporation. Meanwhile, as Roxana Hegeman reports, job security is at the top of the list as contract negotiations begin at Boeing, the huge Seattle-based aircraft company.

Physicians charged with fraud (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Thirteen doctors have been charged with providing false disability reports for workers at General Motors and DaimlerChrysler.

The de-prioritizing of training (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Andrew Backover of the Fort Worth Star Telegram explains why implementation of the new Workforce Investment Act in Texas may put training on the "back burner."

Surplus information (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
There will be a budget surplus of $10 million to $15 billion during fiscal 2000, not counting Social Security, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

What to do about a boss around whom you would not want to light a match? (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Kirstin Downey Grimsley passes on some advice to a correspondent whose boss drinks too much in all the wrong places. Needless to say, it's a difficult situation.

Clinton's Medicare plan would affect different people differently (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
David Hilzenrath says that a person's income level will have quite a lot to do with how President Clinton's intended inclusion of prescriptions under Medicare will affect him or her. Today's Washington Post editorializes about how plugging one hole in Medicare can enlarge another.

Among the effects of the Japanese recession (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Less wealthy lawmakers and a higher suicide rate seem to be among the numerous consequences of the most severe recession in Japan since World War II, according to this story from Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun.

How to deal with a much younger interviewer (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
What happens as interviewers get younger and interviewees get older? Columnist Amy Lindgren has some thoughts and some specific recommendations for handling the situation if you're the older interviewee.

Connecting on the links (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
Many business deals continue to be made on the golf course, and, as Anu Manchikanti reports, many women are feeling left out. Cheryl Leonhardt's book, Breaking the Grass Ceiling: A Women's Guide to Golf for Business, may be helpful.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Jaycees (Wednesday, 6/30/99)
For many years, young people, particularly in business, have been helped by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce to get the most and best out of their careers and also to combine work with community service.

Clinton proposes his Medicare plan today (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Prescription medications would be covered for those who pay an additional $24 per month, but with a limit, and a co-payment would be required. Both the payment and the limit would increase over the next several years. However, in his New York Times article, columnist William Safire wonders about the cost. With a much larger surplus than expected, the President seems open to Republican tax-cut proposals, but says fixing Medicare and Social Security must take priority.

This may be the week for higher interest rates (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Fed officials meet this week, and it's expected that higher interest rates will result. The increase will be modest, though, and John Berry of the Washington Post says consumers won't take a big hit.

More unsettling numbers in Japan (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Reed Stevenson writes from Tokyo that the latest government data show a drop in industrial output. A slight improvement in unemployment isn't providing much cheer either. Experts still see weakness in most directions. The deepest recession in Japan since World War II is bringing about some cultural changes too. One thing that may soon be consigned to history is the concept of lifetime employment. Michael Millet reports from Tokyo for the Sydney Morning Herald.

U.S. supports movement to expand WTO coverage (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Some, including members of APEC, would like to see the industrial sector covered in World Trade Organization tariff negotiations, and the U.S. government thinks it's a good idea. Meanwhile, Steven Pearlstein writes in the Washington Post about Canadian ambivalence toward free trade ten years after the agreement with the U.S. However, Steven Pearlstein quotes data from the Canada West Foundation showing that it is the protected Canadian sectors that have suffered.

Broken promises, according to Hechinger employees (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
A bankrupt Hechinger Company will not be giving priority to the severance packages employees had been expecting as part of an agreement, and they're crying foul.

Kosovo Albanians and Serbs continue the fight, but now it's for jobs (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Jeffrey Smith writes from Pristina about the latest round in the Kosovo conflict.

What constitutes "overtime?" (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
More than 40 hours per week, or more than 8 hours per day? Kevin Livingston writes in Cal Law about the changes brewing up in the California Legislature.

A change of minds on "junior wages" in Australia (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
An Industrial Relations Commission report claims that large numbers of teenagers would lose their jobs if "junior wages" were eliminated. Here's more from Tim Colebatch and Andrea Carson of Melbourne's The Age.

Taking more control of health as well as health care costs (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star tells about wellness programs and how they are working.

More on the meaning and implications of those disability decisions (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Lynette Clemetson of Newsweek examines how recent Supreme Court rulings have sharpened some definitions and criteria having to do with disability and employment discrimination.

Do you really need professional help in finding the right college? (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
Not necessarily, says nationally syndicated columnist Jane Bryant Quinn, but costly independent counselors are available.

It may be an interesting News Year's Eve in D. C. (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
The District of Columbia's government has acknowledged that all instances of the Y2K bug may not have been fully eradicated by the end of this year, so emergency personnel will be mobilized throughout the District to be sure that key services are not interrupted. The Washington Post had the story in yesterday's edition.

A thousand bank teller positions cut (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
It's the latest consequence of the big merger between Wells Fargo and Norwest.

Clinton to tour regions left behind (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
President Clinton will go out on the road next month to call attention to rural and urban areas that have been left out of the American economic surge.

Recreation at work (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
During a period when employers are having to compete for workers, a variety of incentives are employed. Carol Kleiman reports that a growing number of employers are installing recreation facilities in the workplace.

Harassment suit settled (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
What makes this suit somewhat unusual is that it involves people of the same sex.

Organization effort at Alabama Mercedes plant (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
The United Automobile Workers wants to organize the Vance plant, but is facing considerable resistance.

Boomerang workers (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
People are changing jobs more often, but the latest trend involves people who leave and, then, come back, often under better circumstances. Here's more from Shelley Donald Coolidge of the Christian Science Monitor.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: A Career Planning Center for Beginning Scientists and Engineers (Tuesday, 6/29/99)
There are an awfully lot of career sites on the web, and some of them are becoming more specialized. Here's a A Career Planning Center for Beginning Scientists and Engineers sponsored by the Sloan Foundation.

Can you stand more good news? (Monday, 6/28/99)
For the moment, at least, the budget deficit is history. Moreover, surpluses are going to be larger than expected, so President Clinton thinks the national debt can be paid off during the next few years too--by 2015, in fact. Also, the White House thinks generous surpluses can be used to secure both Social Security and Medicare. Here's more on the President's plan for Social Security from today's New York Times. Knut Engelmann reports that outgoing Treasury Secretary Rubin expects inflation to remain low, and Johathan Peterson of the Los Angeles Times wonders if all these good numbers mean that the United States is entering a new golden economic era. At the very least, America will begin the 21st century on a foundation of unprecedented strength. Optimism seems to be spreading among American consumers. The Commerce Department reports that personal incomes are up in the United States, but spending is up even more, while savings are being depleted at record rates.

Mbeki wants changes in South Africa's labour laws (Monday, 6/28/99)
South Africa's new president would like to achieve consensus from government, labour, and industry on employment and growth issues. Here's more from the Financial Mail.

Familiar issues surface at Boeing (Monday, 6/28/99)
Boeing and the Machinists are set to begin negotiations for a new labor contract, and issues that led to a walkout four years ago are coming back to the surface. In other labor news, a tentative agreement has been reached between Steelworkers of America and two major steel producers.

Despite appearances, the euro has not been a failure so far, writer says (Monday, 6/28/99)
James Flanigan suggests that we should not be mislead by the euro's value against other major currencies. Things are better than they may appear, he says.

Why Taiwan cares about China's WTO membership (Monday, 6/28/99)
Taiwan wants to join the World Trade Organization, but expects that China's membership must come first. NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade sent vibrations all the way to Taipei.

Who might be envying American farmers? (Monday, 6/28/99)
The American agricultural sector is going through some hard times, but nothing like Russia's. The New York Times' Michael Gordon reports that Russia is likely to need food aid from the U.S.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: G15 Summit (Monday, 6/28/99)
You've no doubt heard a lot about the G7 (the group of seven richest industrial nations in the world) and G8 (same rich nations, plus Russia), but have you heard of the G15? This is a group of seventeen developing countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America organized in order to "foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization" and the G7.

Market for teachers suddenly expands (Sunday, 6/27/99)
President Clinton has announced the availability of $1.2 billion to help American school districts hire 30,000 new teachers in order to reduce class size. When his own very large "baby boomer" generation hit the schools years ago, a lot of young teachers also entered the profession all at once, and a lot of those persons are nearing retirement presently. Everything considered, can we expect growting teacher shortages in many regions?

Administration's Medicare proposal about ready (Sunday, 6/27/99)
Even though the reform of the Social Security system is likely to be left until later, odds seem fairly good that the Medicare program will be restructured under President Clinton's watch, and he would like to see part of the cost of prescription medications covered for those who want to participate. One organization that is likely to be affected by the inclusion of prescriptions under Medicare is AARP, which offers its members discounts on drugs. Andrew Backover of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that some operations are being shifted from Texas to Pennsylvania, and about 120 people will be laid off in Haltom City. Robert Pear of the New York Times says that the President also wants to reduce the long-term cost of Medicare, which may seem like trying to have incompatible things both ways. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans would like to see some tax cuts, which are always attractive when an election is coming up. Adam Entous reports that they've managed to reach some agreement on the specifics.

The Fed's apparently affected by the worker shortage too (Sunday, 6/27/99)
Silicon Valley isn't alone in its struggle to fill available positions. The Federal Reserve is having similar problems with its number two slot.

First-quarter better than expected (Sunday, 6/27/99)
The Commerce Department's report that the American Gross Domestic Product increased by 4.3 percent during the first quarter of this year is even better than forecast by most experts. Glenn Somerville says that corporate profits have also been strong.

L.A.'s loss is Canada's gain (Sunday, 6/27/99)
The average cost of producing a major theatrical movie has escalated tremendously in recent years, while the percentage of films making rather than losing money has not increased particularly, making Hollywood seem like a bigger gambling center than Las Vegas. Producers have been struggling to find ways to cut costs, and, as James Bates reports, one way is to take production to regions where costs are lower. One such place is Canada, where $2.8 billion worth of film production moved last year and tens of thousands of jobs with it. Claudia Eller of the Los Angeles Times offers a little more perspective on an industry that works to entertain the world. Hollywood produced 500 films last year, only a relatively few of which attracted most of the audience and most of the money. Pass the aspirin.

Temp means never having to say "employee" (Sunday, 6/27/99)
What a difference a word can make. For instance, an employee is somebody who is entitled to various costly benefits, so it's not difficult to understand why employers would prefer to call the people who do the work "contract workers," "temp workers," or nearly anything other than "employees." The feds take a dim view of illegal evasions, however, and, as Nancy Rivera Brooks reports, the issue has resulted in a class-action suit against Atlantic Richfield.

Where Y2K is likely to make a big difference (Sunday, 6/27/99)
Throughout history, the poor have often gotten poorer, but here's a new reason. Poor countries have been less able to fix the Y2K problem, and, so, are most likely to have their economies disrupted as a consequence.

The new economy is beginning to look more like the very old economy (Sunday, 6/27/99)
Author and consultant Tom Peters has been talking for years about how the period during which a major portion of American workers have worked for large corporations in career-long jobs, largely protected from some of the market's moods by corporate echelon layers and labor unions, is likely to be seen as a temporary aberration. America began the 20th century with a large proportion of its people, farmers, shopkeepers, and others, going it alone, and seems to be ending the century in similar ways. Margaret Webb Pressler writes about the large number of people throughout the American economy who are starting their own businesses. Along similar lines, Michelle Cottle advises one independent practitioner to use those PR skills in self-promotion.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Accounting Students (Sunday, 6/27/99)
Here's a specialized career site especially for Accounting Students.

Clinton changes direction on Medicare (Saturday, 6/26/99)
President Clinton has decided not to push for a means test as part of a reformed Medicare program because support is lacking on both sides of the aisle in Congress. The Administration is also testing political support for Clinton's plan for including part of the cost of prescription medications in the Medicare program.

Using summer earnings for CDs is recommended (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Certificates of Deposit, that is. Susan Decker of USA Today recommends saving money earned from summer jobs and has some recommendations on how to do it.

China reminds Hong Kong who's in charge (Saturday, 6/26/99)
To the very casual observer, life and work in Hong Kong may seem to be proceeding about as it was during the years it was run by one of the world's great democracies. However, even though less has changed since the handover than some persons expected, there is no doubt about who has the final say on important issues. David Lawder reports that the central Chinese government has overruled Hong Kong on an immigration issue which either can be seen as eroding Hong Kong's autonomy or simply reminding everything that it has none.

Fear of inflation seems to be spreading (Saturday, 6/26/99)
The numbers still look good, but as John Berry reports, the increasing scarcity of labor is leading more experts to expect that inflation may be out just beyond the horizon.

The family-cranky workplace (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Adele Horin writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that the modern workplace seems to be getting even less family-friendly.

California governor calls on hi-tech industry to do its share (Saturday, 6/26/99)
It may seem like a no-brainer, but the idea that business cannot do well in a deteriorating environment seems to be just catching on in some circles. California's Governor Davis wants Silicon Valley's companies to give something back on a routine basis. Here's more from Michael Cronk of the San Jose Mercury News.

Some top experts discuss the meaning and implications of the Internet for business (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Here's a transcript of a conversation that occurred in February on the campus of the Harvard Business School. It comes to you from Harvard Magazine.

"This is your captain speaking, and I'm talking in my sleep" (Saturday, 6/26/99)
American Airlines has answered union allegations that company work schedules have resulted in pilots falling asleep at the controls.

Being an American farmer may not be quite enough fun at the moment (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Lee Egerstrom and Tom Webb write about the hard times down on the American farm, and Dean Carlson, who is both a farmer and a well-known writer, tells what it's like to be the former. Finally, Michael Zielenziger writes from Seoul about how global events have squeezed farmers back in the United States.

What age means if you're looking for work in Australia (Saturday, 6/26/99)
The job-search process seems elongated by the length of the job-seeker's life so far, according to Ian Henderson of the Australian News Network.

Certifiably women-owned (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Jane Applegate tells how businesses can be certified as women-owned and why. Incidentally, what ever happened to "superwoman?" Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman says that she is not alive and well, and should not be mourned.

Columnist repeats what she told a graduating class (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Among other things, columnist Amy Lindgren thinks it's important to remember that one's job is a means, not an end. Being a grad and employed doesn't necessarily mean immediate self-sufficiency, as Janet Bodnar reports. Here are some things to consider if the new grad will be living with his/her parents for a while.

When you're poor, what do you do about teeth? (Saturday, 6/26/99)
The New York Times' Carey Goldberg writes that finding dental care for one's children is a major problem if you're among America's poor.

More and more immigrants are willing to strike (Saturday, 6/26/99)
Sam Howe Verhovek writes in the New York Times about an example at a meat plant in Washington.

A big week at the Supreme Court affects state employees (Saturday, 6/26/99)
The Supreme Court has protected states from private lawsuits intended to enforce federal workplace laws.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Institute for Work and Health (Saturday, 6/26/99)
The Institute for Work and Health is a Canadian organization that conducts research on how ergonomic and psychological factors interact to produce work injuries and disability. It offers consultation and works with other agencies to achieve effective rehabilitation for those who have been injured on the job.

Union victory in North Carolina (Friday, 6/25/99)
Remember "Norma Rae?" Workers at Fieldcrest Cannon mills have voted to allow the Union of Needletrades Industrial and Textile Employees to represent them in what is seen as a major organizing victory. David Firestone of the New York Times explains why it's important.

Unemployment increases in Israel (Friday, 6/25/99)
Zeev Klein reports that the unemployment rate in Israel reached 8.7 percent in April. There are now 200,000 persons without jobs in the country, according to the Israeli government's Central Bureau of Statistics.

Two well-known hi-tech companies to cut jobs (Friday, 6/25/99)
Being the largest U.S. computer retailer isn't quite enough to insure success and profits in a brutally competitive market where many computers are purchased outside the conventional retail channel and where there is tremendous price competition. CompUSA is redefining itself. Job cuts and possible store closings will be part of the restructuring. CNNfn has further details. Meanwhile, IBM will move much of its server disk drive business to Japan and this will result in the loss of 1,100 jobs in San Jose, California. Here's more from the San Jose Mercury News.

Russian Duma acts to please the IMF (Friday, 6/25/99)
Patrick Lannin reports that additional help from the International Monetary Fund is expected now that the Duma has approved some laws that the IMF says are needed in order to gain its approval of additional aid.

Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch make a deal (Friday, 6/25/99)
Negotiators say the new contract will be great for job security, but some members wonder. The ratification vote will be conducted by mail and will take about a month. Here's more from the Akron Beacon Journal.

Some promises from South Africa's new president (Friday, 6/25/99)
Nelson Mandela is no longer president of South Africa, to the relief of many persons in that country and throughout the world. Not that he's seen as having done a bad job. On the contrary, he is widely regarded as a great man and one of the more important figures of the 20th century. However, during the critical years in which he led his country, many people were wishing that he were about 15 years younger, fearing for South Africa during an historic transition period should something happen to him. However, some relaxation may be in order now that his successor been elevated to the presidency by due process. Among other things, President Mbeki is promising to pursue an aggressive program of job creation.

Still more foreign tech workers needed (Friday, 6/25/99)
The new Commerce Department report shows how important high-technology is to the continuing success of the American economy, and hi-tech industries seem able to absorb as many technical workers as they can find. William Branigin of the Washington Post writes that, even though the limit to special visas was raised, industry executives are saying that it needs to be raised again so that more technically skilled persons from other countries can enter the United States in order to work. A shortage of suitably trained personnel could slow hi-tech industries and also slow the American economy as a whole. Similar things are already happening in some other industries. For instance, Jim McCartney reports on a slowdown in construction because of a lack of qualified workers. So far, though, overall economic growth continues to be robust, or, at least, very recently. The latest Commerce Department data show a 4.3 percent rate of growth in the GDP during the first quarter of the year. Incidentally, on the other end of the scale from high-demand, highly-paid technical work, Ron Scherer of the Christian Science Monitor writes about efforts to regulate day labor in the United States.

The symbolism of doctors joining unions (Friday, 6/25/99)
Today's Washington Post has some editorial thoughts about the AMA's move to help some American physicians organize. Unless or until the law is changed, these events will remain largely symbolic, they say, but they could get a lot of people's attention. Emily Yellin of the New York Times tells what some doctors think of organized labor in the medical profession, and Karen Padley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on how the movement might affect Minnesota.

Demand for animators slips a bit (Friday, 6/25/99)
Claudia Eller and James Bates of the Los Angeles Times write about how Hollywood's swiftly changing fortunes are affecting animators. Meanwhile, Andrew Pollack reports that nearly a third of Hollywood's film production last year moved off shore in order to reduce production costs. Still, the L.A. region remains the world's most important film factory town.

The radiating effects of that student strike in Mexico (Friday, 6/25/99)
A strike over a means test that would result in some students paying tuition has disrupted Mexico's largest university for weeks and is being felt throughout the country, according to Julia Preston of the New York Times.

What would it cost for Medicare to cover prescriptions? (Friday, 6/25/99)
More than the White House had hoped, apparently. The Democrats are troubled by some of the numbers and also by the prospect of the influence of this issue during an election year.

Call for job creation for welfare recipients (Friday, 6/25/99)
Many L.A.-area welfare recipients are approaching the deadline by which they must leave the welfare rolls and become employed. Some leaders are saying that many persons have little hope of finding work in the private sector and are urging Los Angeles County to create community service jobs for them.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: An Essay on the Principle of Population (Friday, 6/25/99)
If you've been worrying about the population explosion and the scarcity of resources, Thomas Malthus might be one of the reasons. His An Essay on the Principle of Population was published in London 201 years ago. It has been made available on the web by Western Washington University sociology professor Ed Stephan.

The AMA endorses unionization (Thursday, 6/24/99)
It could affect a lot of doctors in the United States, because there ARE a lot of doctors in the United States. Still, at most, only about 20 percent of American physicians would be involved. Also, the union wouldn't be too similar to traditional unions in heavy industry. For one thing, strikes would not be allowed. Here's more from Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times and Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post .

Cabinet approval of reforms in Germany (Thursday, 6/24/99)
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder hopes a big economic reform package will energize the world's third-largest economy.

Why the poor will find it hard to keep from getting poorer (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Elizabeth Olson of the New York Times writes about a new report from the Red Cross that indicates how vulnerable many of the world's poorest economies are to the effects of climatic changes and an expected increase in the number of natural disasters.

Post-mortem on those Supreme Court decisions (Thursday, 6/24/99)
The Washington Post editorializes on the choice faced by the Supreme Court in deciding who will be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Robin Toner and Michael Kaufman of the New York Times write that advocates for the disabled are not pleased with the choice the Court made. Also, here are some of the possibly broad implications for class-action suits of the Court's decision to throw out an agreement in a big asbestos case.

The economics of "mental health parity" (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Advocates for persons with psychological disorders would like insurance companies to cover mental health services on the same basis as other medical services and believe that ignorance, misunderstanding, and bias have most to do with the fact that this is not already the case. However, some Harvard economists claim that there is more to it, and that economic forces will continue to make a difference.

The Post says it's all but a done deal (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Interest rates ARE going up soon, according to the Washington Post. Do they have inside information? Have they spoken off the record with people who know because they are the ones who will decide? Do you remember "Deep Throat?"

Still more about that Commerce Department report (Thursday, 6/24/99)
That new report from the United States Department of Commerce, entitled "The Emerging Digital Economy II," finds that that information technology workers earned 78 percent more than other workers in 1997. According to USA Today, Commerce Department researchers forecast that almost half of U.S. workers will be "employed in the information technology industry or in a field that uses technology heavily by 2006." Given all this, it should not be a surprise that the incomes of Californians have taken an abrupt lurch upward, considering that Silicon Valley is located in the state that could easily be one of the world's largest and most prosperous countries on its own. Keep in mind, though, that California isn't just computers and movies. For instance, James Flanigan of the Los Angeles Times writes about the good times experienced at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and what it all means for labor negotiations. Don Lee reports on the rise of personal incomes in California.

Some students protest strike by other students (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Striking students at Latin America's largest university have disrupted campus life for 64 days at Mexico City's Autonomous National University of Mexico. Now, other students want it to end so that they can get back to their studies.

Will they receive sympathy cards from their employer? (Thursday, 6/24/99)
American Greetings Corporation will cut 650 jobs in Canada as part of a larger restructuring program.

A self-made man (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Well, at least his increased salary was self-made. Terry Fiedler of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes about a man who gave himself a raise.

Looking back on the Asian crisis and how it has affected the rest of the world (Thursday, 6/24/99)
It will soon be two years since the "Asian contagion" began in Thailand and spread across many other Asian economies. Peter Muello writes from Rio de Janeiro about how events in Asia ended up changing Brazil's plans.

Trying to find meaning in work at work (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Diego Ribadeneira of the Boston Globe reports that a growing number of employers who are deciding not to resist a growing interest in spiritual issues on the part of their employees. We've been reporting for at least two years on the increased diversity that seems inherent in the new economy. For instance, employers are finding that the old standardized incentives aren't working as well as they used to, as an increasing number of people search for their own particular work-related rewards. If the current movement toward increased spiritual concerns on the job were happening in the old economy, it's likely that it would have been more standardized as well.

The human race has spent most of its time on this planet in relatively small groups isolated from one another, which helps explain the great variety of tongues and creeds to which the current world is heir. However, a global economy that includes jet travel, relatively inexpensive international telephone service, and perhaps most of all, the Internet, is making it much harder to be provincial. For American workers, for instance, "spiritual" doesn't simply refer to Christianity or your particular flavor of Christianity. From now on, most of us will have to live and work in the whole world, in a sense, rather than in only a tiny part of it isolated from people with ideas that may make us uncomfortable.

Senators tied up over patients' rights issue (Thursday, 6/24/99)
The Senate Democrats are trying to force immediate consideration of patients' rights legislation, but the Republicans want to operate on a different time-table. Here's more from Frank Bruni of the New York Times about the "paralysis" in the Senate that is in its third day.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CNNfn (Thursday, 6/24/99)
Ted Turner transformed his father's small billboard business into a broadcast empire that stretched across much of the world, and, then, sold it all to Time-Warner. His Cable News Network also has helped make the world a more connected place and has accelerated the development of a global information economy. Speaking of economics, CNNfn is the financial arm of CNN, on-line and on the air..

"Disability" clarified (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
The Supreme Court has settled the issue of the kinds of problems that qualify as "disabilities" under the Americans with Disabilities Act by narrowing the term's definition. Here's much more from veteran New York Times writer Linda Greenhouse in a series of three articles: Number one, number two, and number three. Also, during a busy day, the Supreme Court agreed that segregating many psychiatric patients in hospitals, rather than providing treatment in community settings, constitutes illegal discrimination, and, as Joan Biskupic reports, some persons will now find it easier to win punitive damages in discrimination cases.

Economic report says interest rate increases are coming (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Economists at the University of California, Los Angeles expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by three-quarters of a percent during the next six months. Meanwhile, outgoing Treasury Secretary Rubin expects inflation to remain low.

Chile's president announces stimulus package (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Economic hard times threaten political stability in Chile, and President Frei is trying to do something about it. He's made major changes to his Cabinet and has announced a plan to stimulate his country's economy. Among other things, unemployment has been on the increase.

News that may not be news to you (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
One of the late Congressman Morris Udall's most famous wisecracks was that "everything's been said, but not everybody has said it." Nearly everybody has been reporting on the growing shortage of skilled workers, so now it's ABC News' turn. Mark Kreuzwieser of the Carolina Morning News reports that some employers in the hospitality industry are looking overseas for the workers they need. Finally, Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star says that data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources indicate that the majority of American teens are working and also working more.

Choking on food? (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Jeremy Smith reports from Rio de Janeiro that food issues could hold up the establishment of an enormous free-trade zone involving Europe and Latin America.

More on hi-tech's economic impact (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Tom Kenworthy of the Washington Post has additional details from the new Commerce Department report showing the key role that the Internet is playing in stimulating economic growth in the U.S. In general, the hi-tech sector's influence is far out of proportion to its size, and it's growing fast. Expect a major portion of Americans to be working in technology-related areas within a few years. Here's more from Bloomberg News via the New York Times. Meanwhile, a conference is going on at Colonial Williamsburg to discuss something that is as inevitable as death: taxes and commerce on the Internet.

Another opinion on Medicare payments to HMOs (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
A report from the General Accounting Office says that Medicare may be too generous. This is not what HMOs have been saying. Meanwhile, Robert Kuttner says that we should expect a lot of argument about prescription medications on Capitol Hill during the months ahead

Student loan fraud (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Academic cheating doesn't refer just to what some students do in the classroom An audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Education finds a good deal of fraud when it comes to student loans as well. The government intends to plug some holes from which a lot of money has been leaking. Here's more from Kenneth Cooper of the Washington Post.

Is it harmful or beneficial to your child to be left in child care facilities while you work? (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Well, yes, no, and maybe, depending on the studies you read. Today's Wall Street Journal contains an article by Sue Shellenbarger that explains the state of knowledge and ignorance on this vital topic. Also in the Journal today, Jonathan Kaufman writes about how the combination of jobless immigrants and a hot economy has resulted in an increase in the number of household servants in the United States.

Job cuts at Novartis (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
The big agricultural chemical company will cut 1,100 jobs worldwide. Speaking of agriculture, American farmers are going through a very difficult period for a variety of reasons, including some of the lowest commodity prices in a generation. Some intense lobbying is going on in Washington in an effort to get a $6.5 billion aid package through the Congress.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Retail Worker (Wednesday, 6/23/99)
Retail Worker is a new site for retail workers involved in union activism. It was established by "veterans of union drives" at two major bookseller chains.

Why it's difficult to attract top managers to the civil service (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Stephen Barr of the Washington Post reports on the results of a new survey indicating that unimpressive pay levels are proving a major obstacle to attracting the right people.

What if you live too long? (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Nationally syndicated columnist Jane Bryant Quinn writes that more people may get what they wish for, but that can cause additional problems. What if you outlive your financial resources? Persons who will spend about a third of their lives retired, say, face circumstances most of our ancestors didn't have to worry about and could not have imagined.

Women more likely to declare personal bankruptcy? (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Research from a Harvard professor adds additional fuel to the controversy over whether bankruptcy and gender are related. Other data show a fairly clear relationship between gender and overall economic circumstances. Women are significantly more likely to live below the poverty line, for instance. Why are these issues being discussed so much at this particular time? Because legislation is brewing in Congress that would make it more difficult to walk away from accumulated debts.

The difference that computers are making (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
The Washington Times reports on testimony before the Congress' Joint Economic Committee last week in which some economists indicated that, despite measurement difficulties, there is growing evidence that information technology is now playing a central role in the American economy. For instance, according to Commerce Department data, during the past eight years, business investment in computer technology has grown from 7.7 percent of the total investment in durable equipment to 45.7 percent. An analyst from the Brooking Institute says that there is evidence that computers may really be behind much of the recent increase in productivity in the American economy.

Chasing a moving target (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Change seems to be accelerating in many parts of the American economy, and Information Week reports that information technology executives are having to make mid-course corrections and re-set their priorities more and more frequently as conditions change. Some are changing their priorities as frequently as once per month.

WSJ reports on technology (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains a special section on technology. Many articles; all worth reading.

What it means to lose a job (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
John Gallagher writes in the Bergen Record that this is about the best of times for many persons who are laid off. However, if, ah, WHEN the economy cools, such an experience will be as traumatic as it's usually been.

New harassment guidelines from the EEOC (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
What are the limits of liability when harassment occurs on the job? Michael Fletcher reports on new guidelines from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that may help clarify things.

Broke, broker, and brokest (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
A former broker went broke and now operates a street stand in Seoul. It's a sign of the times in South Korea. Here's more from Michael Zielenziger.

Reading about your own career (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Columnist Amy Lindgren has some suggestions for summer reading if you want to give your career a boost.

Get tech skills if you want to be a librarian (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Books and other printed matter are not likely to disappear from the scene anytime soon, despite the advantages of distributing information electronically. However, as nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman reports, libraries aren't quite what they used to be, and, at the very least, 21st century libraries will require an increasing number of people who are expert in hi-tech.

Incidentally, another consequence of hi-tech is the faster rate at which billionaires are appearing on the scene. Donna Murphy Weston reports that there are 465 of them in the world now. Also, contrary to what some might expect, people don't necessarily stop working when they become fabulously wealthy, because, to say that work isn't just about money is really one of the great understatements. The richest 200 working folks now have combined wealth amounting to more than a trillion dollars, according to the much-quoted article appearing in Forbes. Incidentally, Jennifer Bott tells about the growing variability of effective work incentives. That is, in the new economy, pay alone won't satisfy and motivate everybody.

Becoming a research subject in order to get treatment (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
The most spectacularly successful economy in the history of the earth contains more than 40 million persons who do not have health insurance. The New York Times' Gina Kolata and Kurt Eichenwald report on what some persons need to do in order to obtain medical treatment.

The lion and lamb can lie down together after all (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
Who wudda thunk it? Low unemployment and low inflation can coexist after all. Newsweek columnist Robert Samuelson discusses another major surprise for a lot of economists.

Opposition to "junior pay rates" in Australia (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
The Australian government has been talking about introducing junior wage rates in building and manufacturing industries. Unions are threatening to strike if it happens. Here's more from Paul Robinson and Andrea Carson of Melbourne's The Age.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: American Council for Capital Formation (Tuesday, 6/22/99)
For a quarter century, the American Council for Capital Formation has advocated public policies supporting economic growth. Many prominent individuals have been affiliated with the Council, and it is heavily populated with Republicans.

What do doctors do when they get angry, REALLY angry? (Monday, 6/21/99)
Form a labor union, maybe. Debate on the issue has been going strong at the American Medical Association's annual meeting, despite the AMA's rather traditional stance on most political and economic issues. Incidentally, if professions used to be one thing and businesses another, maybe you've been assuming that your medical records are really confidential too. Well, not necessarily, and, as Robert Pear of the New York Times reports, this isn't likely to change anytime soon. Insurance companies, which are helping to make so many physicians mad, are exerting their influence in Congress as well, with the consequence that a privacy bill may be about to die. Finally, changes in the Philadelphia health care industry are partly responsible for relatively slow job growth in that region, according to Bob Fernandez of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

They could save a little energy at the Energy Department (Monday, 6/21/99)
Like other ideas for which there is no systematic foundation, the so-called "lie detector" simply will not go away, but, then, astrology has survived for thousands of years, and it has no basis in fact either. All of the highest-quality research clearly indicates that there is no such thing as a "lie detector," meaning that there is no machine that is capable of detecting lies. None. Zero. However, the federal government won't allow a little thing like that to stand in its way. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has ordered the "polygraph" testing of 5,000 workers at the Department of Energy. Your tax money at work, as well as additional evidence for the desperate need for lawyers and politicians to get some genuine scientific training in relevant areas so as not to inflict their naivete on the rest of us so much.

How to answer the tough job interview questions (Monday, 6/21/99)
Columnist Amy Joyce describes Peter Veruki's new book, The 250 Job Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked ... And the Answers That Will Get You Hired.

Assisted economic suicide (Monday, 6/21/99)
That's what the Washington Post thinks of a new "living wage" bill.

Are you on a downward slide? (Monday, 6/21/99)
You may be if you work for Leo Burnett Connaghan & May, but it's all in fun, and it's three stories long. Here's an explanation form Anthony Dennis of the Sydney Morning Herald. Also in the Morning Herald today, Helen Trinca tells about a nationwide illegal strike of manufacturing workers.

Role reversal in Duluth (Monday, 6/21/99)
H. J. Cummins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tells about an example of a family in which dad stayed home to take care of the kids while mom went to work. She says he was a natural, and she wasn't. How come? Also in the Strib today, some editorial thoughts about "Jubilee 2000," as well as an explanation of what that's all about, and, finally, the reason President Clinton pointedly indicated his opposition to ABUSIVE child labor the other day, as opposed to child labor generally.

The summer slump for free-lance workers (Monday, 6/21/99)
The heat of summer seems to slow quite a lot of things down, including the rate at which many people who work independently are able to find work.

Wanna hire a New York politician? (Monday, 6/21/99)
A number of them will be available before long because of term limits. Also from New York, James Mcgowan of the Capital District Business Review tells about a job sharing program that is still a fairly well-kept secret.

The need for better PR on the part of Irish unions (Monday, 6/21/99)
Padraig Yeates reports for the Irish times on a new report from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on the need to improve relations with the Irish public.

Is there really a hi-tech generation gap? (Monday, 6/21/99)
Bob Dole thought it was okay to be President in his 70's, and CBS "60 Minutes" star Mike Wallace is 81 and seems pretty much at the top of his game. Similarly with radio's Paul Harvey, who is also in his ninth decade. However, in hi-tech, if you're over 30, somebody who's about 20 may be prescribing Geritol and prunes and suggesting that you may need a personal care attendant. Diana Kunde of the Dallas Morning News discusses the controversy over age bias among techies. Her article comes to you today via the Akron Beacon Journal.

Safety on the job (Monday, 6/21/99)
It doesn't seem unreasonable for women to expect to be able to work and be safe at the same time. For example, domestic abusers tend to follow women into the workplace, and a new organization called Safe+Work wants to do something about it.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Crash Course in Wills and Trusts (Monday, 6/21/99)
Attorney and financial planner Michael Palermo offers his Crash Course in Wills and Trusts, and says that, despite widespread belief, estate planning is not just for the wealthy.

ABC makes a deal with its technicians (Sunday, 6/20/99)
A tentative agreement has been reached between ABC and many of the people you don't see on television but who put the programs on the air.

Clinton to visit areas left behind (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Overall, the American economy has been the envy of the world recently, but it's the envy of many communities within the U.S. as well. When he returns from Europe, President Clinton intends to visit some of the urban and rural areas that need help in order to participate in America's broad economic success.

Global warming to affect the health of Europeans (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Europe's climate is changing, and research published in the British Medical Journal indicates that disease and death rates will increase as a consequence. Speaking of health, the richest man in the world has contributed $10 million to the World Health Organization through his foundation. It seems fairly likely that Bill Gates' net work will have reached at least $100 billion by the end of this year.

Privatizing Medicare not popular among some seniors (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Groups of elders have been making their views known to lawmakers in Washington. They don't like privatization plans for Medicare.

Japanese jobs plan falls short, some believe (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun discusses the Japanese government's plan for dealing with that county's high unemployment. They still don't have a coherent strategy, according to the paper.

A retailer strengthens online presence and brings jobs to Duluth (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Fingerhut has been a major mail order retailer for a long time and intends to make greater use of the Internet. It may mean an additional 350 jobs for Duluth, Minnesota.

For years, Duluth remained a well-kept secret, but has become a significant tourist center recently. It is a beautiful, picturesque city originally built by the iron mines of Northeastern Minnesota that supplied a lot of the iron for the Industrial Revolution in North America. Then, following the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, it became something truly unique: a major international seaport in the middle of the North American continent, which it remains to this day. When the market for Minnesota iron began to falter several decades ago, Duluth became economically depressed, and its population began to shrink. Presently, it's a smaller city than it used to be, but is in better economic condition. It can always use more jobs, though, so Fingerhut's plans will be welcomed in that community.

More welfare-to-work success (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Dee DePass writes in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about the Goodwill/Easter Seals Bank Skills Training Program that is giving people the skills they need to move from welfare to the world of work.

"Made in the USA" sometimes really means "Made in the Mariana Islands" (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Janet Moore and Jon Tevlin report that Dayton Hudson Corporation is a defendant in an anti-sweatshop suit. The company sells clothing in its stores that is produced in factories where workers lack most of the protections assumed by American workers. Why can they put "Made in the USA" on them? It's a technicality, as the writers explain.

Is 33 too late to retire? (Sunday, 6/20/99)
What do you do with the rest of your life if you have more money than you can reasonably spend by the time you're in your early thirties? The San Francisco Chronicle's Ilana DeBare discusses some of Silicon Valley's young entrepreneurs who have it made very early. Incidentally, who ever said that work is only about making a living?

Correspondent advised to go for it (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Liz Pulliam tells a correspondent that it is reasonable to expect an employer to try to pay as little as possible, but equally reasonable for an employee to try to maximize his/her income. Also in today's Los Angeles Times, what to do with yourself and your career when there is a change in management, and an innovative job-sharing plan involving two executives.

Interpreting Greenspan (Sunday, 6/20/99)
Michael Weinstein attempts to figure out what Chairman Greenspan is doing and whether he has changed direction over his fears of the possibility of future inflation. Meanwhile, Louis Uchitelle says that, whatever the chances that inflation will be a threat sometime soon, it still isn't showing up on radar. Also, Michelle Cottle advises a correspondent to choose talent over short-term harmony when choosing a successor. Finally, a man at Harvard whose boss is in trouble considers issues that anyone in his position has to face. Many persons working in the Administration may have experienced similar conflicts in recent months.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CTDNews (Sunday, 6/20/99)
CTDNews claims to be "North America's leading source for information on cumulative trauma injuries (CTDs) and workplace repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome to low-back pain."

Help is on the way for some of the world's poorest nations (Saturday, 6/19/99)
The group of seven richest industrial countries seem prepared to forgive at least half of the debt load that is hampering economic growth and social stability in many of the most impoverished nations on the earth. Charles Babington of the Washington Post has some details from Cologne, where the G7 + Russia have been meeting. Incidentally, this fraternity sometimes is referred to as "G8," which simply means the seven rich countries plus Russia, which is the opposite of rich, but which everybody else worries about because of its impact on the rest of the world in the long-run. For instance, leaders in the rich, politically stable countries often have nightmares about what real failure in Russia could mean for everybody. The world needs for Russia to succeed in building a stable democratic, open-market system. David Hoffman writes about Russia's immediate needs and how the Kosovo crisis has complicated things. The Russian Prime Minister insists that his country will meet IMF criteria for new financial assistance, incidentally.

Losses and job cuts at Iomega (Saturday, 6/19/99)
Once upon a time, Syquest and Iomega competed on more-or-less even terms for removable hard drive supremacy in the personal computer universe. Syquest won that competition, and its products became the standard. Iomega didn't drop off the face of the earth, even though little was heard from the company for years. Then, suddenly, it released its Zip Drive, and, almost immediately, gravely wounded Syquest, which it eventually bought and shut down. For several years now, Zip drives and the 100-megabyte Zip disks have been ubiquitous, even though Iomega has continued to struggle with profitability and various internal problems. As Denise Duclaux reports, those troubles continue. Iomega has reported a loss for the second quarter and also says that it will cut about 450 workers. Among Iomega's concerns is the fact that Syquest's founder has started another company called Castlewood. When it finally gets its act together, you may see its $199. removable hard drive and the $29.99 2.2 gigabyte cartridges everywhere there are personal computers. Yes, that's 2.2 GIGABYTES for $29.99. Various versions of the Castelewood drive still don't seem to be shipping, however.

Can organized labor continue to exert significant influence? (Saturday, 6/19/99)
Over the past forty years or so, there has been a tremendous decline in the proportion of the private sector workforce that is unionized, meaning that organized labor's role has been diminished, compared to what it was a generation ago. Very recently, though, labor has experienced a resurgence. Susan Alexander wonders in the St. Paul Pioneer Press whether it can keep it up.

Not as opposed to incivility as to capitalism, apparently (Saturday, 6/19/99)
The thousands of anti-capitalist protesters who converged on London's financial district yesterday left a mess, as well as nearly 50 wounded persons.

Why has the American economy been getting more productive? (Saturday, 6/19/99)
Recent productivity numbers have been quite impressive and encouraging, and productivity is important, because, ultimately, it determines a society's overall standard of living. But WHY has productivity been on the increase in the United States? One economist offers an explanation, and another says, "But, on the other hand..." It was President Truman who once remarked, with some exasperation, that he would like to have a one-armed economist advising him.

Another sign of American prosperity (Saturday, 6/19/99)
Americans are doing a better job of keeping up with their home mortgage payments.

Why you will want to know a lot about the people who work for you (Saturday, 6/19/99)
A problem employee can leave a trail of destruction in no time. Columnist Jane Applegate tells how employers can make it less likely that they are hiring workers from hell.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Backgrounds Online (Saturday, 6/19/99)
Backgrounds Online offers extensive background checks to employers so that they will hire "safe, honest, and competent employees." One problem is that some studies have indicated that a fairly large proportion of public records on individuals contain inaccurate information. Best to take a look at your own record to see what others are seeing.

G7+Russia summit in Cologne begins today (Friday, 6/18/99)
The meetings continue through Sunday. Also, the fact that top leaders from several key countries will be in the same place at the same time will provide a convenient opportunity for American President Clinton to talk with the UK's Tony Blaire and Russia's President Yeltsin about matters of mutual interest, iincluding the repair of relations with Russia. Martin Curtsinger writes that high on the agenda will be plans for the rebuilding of the Balkan region following months of NATO bombing. Kishiko Hisada of Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun says that the summit is likely to have implications expending deep into the 21st century on several fronts.

The hints are getting stronger (Friday, 6/18/99)
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan yesterday gave strong suggestions that a modest interest rate increase is likely to come soon as a means of protecting the strong American economy.

Trouble at Compaq; jobs to be cut (Friday, 6/18/99)
Compaq Computer Corporation has climbed to the top of the heap in recent years, closely followed by Dell. Even though Compaq is the world's largest manufacturer of personal computers at the moment, its stock has taken a very big hit this year, and a second-quarter loss will lead to cost cutting and job cuts.

Summers likely to be approved (Friday, 6/18/99)
Quick Senate confirmation is expected for Robert Rubin's successor at Treasury.

Anti-capitalists demonstrate in London (Friday, 6/18/99)
Persons who blame the world's environmental and social problems on capitalist institutions are demonstrating in London's financial district today.

Progress noted on plan to compensate slave laborers (Friday, 6/18/99)
Large numbers of people were forced to work as slaves during Germany's infamous Nazi period. U.S. Under Secretary of State Stuart Eizenstat says major progress has occurred in talks between representatives of 16 German companies and the workers.

Federal employees win one in the High Court (Friday, 6/18/99)
When questioned by an inspector general, federal employees now have the right to union representation. We know because the Supreme Court said so yesterday. Here's more from Joan Biskupic and Stephen Barr of the Washington Post.

Guess who agrees on universal medical coverage (Friday, 6/18/99)
Two prominent Congressional figures who usually occupy opposite sides on most issues weigh in to favor doing something serious about the growing American health care crisis. At least 40 million people lack health coverage in human history's largest and strongest economy. Moreover, the numbers of uninsured are growing at the rate of 100,000 per month, say Dick Armey and Pete Stark. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reports that HMOs are saying that an additional $3 billion is needed to support Medicare at its intended level of service. Without the additional money, many HMOs will be forced to drop out of the program or cut services, they say.

A surplus of grads in Japan (Friday, 6/18/99)
For the first time since 1984, there are more graduating college seniors looking for jobs than there are jobs to absorb them in Japan, according to Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun. Meanwhile, the jobs picture has been improving in some of Australia's hardest hit regions, according to Mark Metherell and Amanda Vaughan of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Some NWA attendants dissatisfied (Friday, 6/18/99)
Northwest Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its flight attendants, but opposition to ratification is growing. In other airline news, Dan Reed of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that pilots at American Airlines are claiming that they are not being adequately trained to use a new navigational system.

If you need money, here's a VERY bad deal for you (Friday, 6/18/99)
Peter Kilborn of the New York Times writes about the astronomical interest rates charged by "payday loan companies."

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Canada Career Consortium (Friday, 6/18/99)
The Canada Career Consortium is an alliance of organizations from the private sector as well as government and is a rich source of information to guide career decision making and the search for employment.

Implications of the good news about inflation? (Thursday, 6/17/99)
Following a leap upward the previous month, the Consumer Price Index remained steady last month, according to the latest government data. Does this mean that the Fed will not raise interest rates after all? Not necessarily, according to this report from Caren Bohan. Markets in both the United States and Asia liked the news, though.

Clinton gets what he wants from the Senate (Thursday, 6/17/99)
In a unanimous vote, the United States Senate yesterday passed legislation that, should it become law, would remove a major obstacle preventing many persons with disabilities from getting jobs.

Writing off the really big debts (Thursday, 6/17/99)
You've probably heard the old wisecrack that if you owe a little money, you've got a creditor, but if you owe a lot, you've got a partner. Michael Weinstein of the New York Times that a case can be made for writing off some very big debts owed by very poor countries, and it's not all a matter of altruism.

The still-hard work life of women of color (Thursday, 6/17/99)
Columnist Amy Gage of the St. Paul Pioneer Press describes findings from a new report issues by the Center for Women Policy Studies about how racism and sexism are affecting the fasted growing segment of the American workforce.

The perils and frustrations of biz travel (Thursday, 6/17/99)
If you travel as part of your work, you may be interested in Paula Bern's response to a correspondent who found that "confirmed reservation" doesn't necessarily mean what it says.

And YOU get a free turkey at Thanksgiving? (Thursday, 6/17/99)
Al Galdi of ARCNET is expressing his appreciation to his employees by adding a new BMW to their benefit package. Is this the beginning of a trend? Don't count on it.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Vocational Qualifications (Thursday, 6/17/99)
What does an individual have to know and be able to do in order to handle a particular job in a real-world work setting? The National Vocational Qualifications are awards based on standards established in industry and come to you from the Centre for Training and Development at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

Let the talks begin (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
The United Auto Workers are beginning negotiations with Detroit-based auto companies. Ben Klayman reports that DaimlerChrysler says it will remain neutral in the UAW's effort to organize workers at Mercedes and Freightliner plants in the U.S. Meanwhile, among the things that the UAW will be discussing with General Motors are the company's plans for building a new $500 million plant in Lansing, Michigan, which depends on an agreement with the UAW. The Detroit Free Press has some thoughts about automatic pay increases during a time of low inflation. Meanwhile, the Canadian Auto Workers are working to organize Japanese automobile plants in Canada.

Clinton supports ILO initiatives on child labor (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
The International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations with 174 member countries, has been working to eradicate the most abusive forms of child labor throughout the world. American President Bill Clinton is in Geneva and has thrown his support behind these efforts. The Washington Post's William Branigin reports that some of the most egregious examples can be found in Pakistan.

What will the Chairman say on Thursday? (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Wall Street seems to be expecting an interest rate increase sometime soon. Here's more from Caren Bohan of the The Nando Times.

Expect to hear much more about prescription medications (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Medicare does not cover the increasingly high cost of prescription drugs, and argument about fixing the entitlement program is beginning to center on this issue. Meanwhile, while some are still thinking about the possibility of government-sponsored universal health care coverage in the United States, many Latin American countries are moving in the other direction. Milt Freudenheim and Clifford Krauss of the New York Times have more on the increasing health care role of private companies throughout the region.

Senate to vote on bill that would enable more persons with disabilities to work (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
President Clinton has been urging Congress to pass legislation that would enable more persons with disabilities to retain federal health benefits and work too. The Senate is expected to vote on the issue today.

Running in wet concrete (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Research from the Computing Research Association indicates that we shouldn't expect much help from universities to alleviate the growing tech skills crisis, given conventional academic organization and culture. Response to change tends to be slow on American campuses, says the report. Rather than leading, most universities are lagging behind in relation to the new economy. The Association calls for new postgraduate and certificate programs that fall outside traditional academic categories. Also, undergraduates in technical fields should also receive training in business and communication skill areas. The Chronicle of Higher Education has the story in its June 18 edition.

Gifted persons from outside the academic community who would like to make a contribution to student learning should be forewarned about the possibility of major culture shock. In effect, expect the academic culture to insist that you waste between a quarter and a third of your time on things that don't need doing and that you significantly reduce your overall efficiency. Those are likely to be among the costs of shifting to the typical American college or university for persons who are accustomed to working on the cutting edge in the new economy. As some wise person once said, what isn't worth doing isn't worth doing well.

Intel gets tax break that may inhibit job growth (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Unlike most communities, Hillsboro, Oregon wants to limit the number of new jobs in its community in order to take pressure off its public infrastructure. Intel will get a $200 million tax break in exchange for its effort to limit job growth in the Portland suburban area. For a hi-tech company, this may not be too much of a problem. For instance, Oracle, the second-largest computer software company in the world, is laying off 325 workers, but not because of financial problems. In fact, the company's fourth-quarter earnings were up 31%. The workers are simply being replaced through a fuller and more effective use of technology. Meanwhile, zillionbillionaire Bill Gates has been among those hi-tech executives testifying in Congress and urging politicians to mostly leave the tech industry alone so that it can continue doing its part to fuel the American economy.

Part-time workers count (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
The Washington Post's Kirstin Downey Grimsley reports that the U.S. Census Bureau needs millions of part-time workers to do the counting in the year 2000 Census. A tight labor market is making it difficult.

Here's a unique occupational category (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
In fact, there is only one of these at a time. It is White House social secretary, and Roxanne Roberts tells what it's like to hold this position.

What determines whether a teen worker can escape withholding (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Janet Bodnar advises a correspondent on the rules governing the withholding of taxes for persons who won't end up owing any tax.

Job fair in the Twin Cities is well-attended (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
Minnesota has one of the lowest unemployment rates in a national economy where unemployment has been running at historically low rates overall. Nonetheless, for a variety of special reasons, many persons have been having difficulty finding jobs. That's what the Downtown Job Fair was for, and 900 persons attended at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The fair was aimed at persons in the state's welfare-to-work plan as well as immigrants.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Master in Entrepreneurship (Wednesday, 6/16/99)
The Asian Institute of Management at Makati City, Philippines offers a Master in Entrepreneurship degree.

A hint from Mr. Greenspan? (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan may have been providing a subtle suggestion that interest rates will rise soon when he said yesterday that, as impressive as productivity has been recently, it can't continue to increase indefinitely, meaning that it can't be counted on to keep inflation under control too much longer. The new economy is not immune to old problems, according the Chairman.

Mercosur attempts to model itself after the European Union (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Mercosur is a South American trade block representing 200 million persons. It set up a commission yesterday to find ways of better coordinating economic policy throughout the region.

Clinton packs his bags for G8 summit (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
President Clinton will meet with other leaders of the world's seven largest industrial countries plus Russia this week and intends to emphasize the need for emphasizing human concerns in the new global economy. The U.S. and six other largest industrial countries will meet because of their disproportionate influence on the world economy, while Russia, despite its cataclysmic economy, has a seat at the table, well, because it is Russia, and, one way or another, can be counted on to continue influencing the world as it has during most of the years of the 20th century.

Talks at Ford center on worker safety (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Todd Nissen reports that Ford Motor Company considers worker safety to be a top priority and an area in which the company intends to improve.

Tech execs ask gov to try not to do too much harm (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Government intervention and regulation can kill the "golden goose," according to leaders of the American hi-tech sector. Top Silicon Valley executives yesterday urged members of Congress, in effect, to overcome the urge to mess things up. Incidentally, the current edition of Business Week contains a major report on the American hi-tech sector. Many articles; all worth reading.

Big layoffs at Iridium (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Iridium received a lot of attention when it was formed in order to develop a 21st century satellite telephone system, but it may have been slightly ahead of its market. The company has been having a variety of difficulties and has decided to lay off 15 percent of its workers as a consequence. An even large system with more satellites in low-earth orbit has been in development with Microsoft's Bill Gates as one of its principal participants, but we haven't heard much about that one lately. There's good reason to believe that satellite technology will play an increasingly important role in the increasingly integrated broad-band global communications system, but it may be slightly early for making money on it.

Merge and purge ahead of last year (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Job cuts because of corporate mergers are running nearly a third ahead of last year's rate. Ben Spiess of the Anchorage Daily News an example affecting hundreds of workers in Alaska.

Hitler's economics (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Ross Gittins of the Sydney Morning Herald explains how Hitler was able to raise the German economy out its hyperinflationary abyss by making war.

How to obtain an increase in your daily bread allotment (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
Michele Himmelbert of the Orange County Register passes on some advice from a new book for people who not only want to earn more but who also like lists: Get a Raise in 7 Days: 10 Salary Savvy Steps to Success.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Federal Labor Relations Authority (Tuesday, 6/15/99)
The Federal Labor Relations Authority administers labor-management relations programs for 1.9 million Federal employees throughout the world.

Workers barricade transportation arteries in Bangladesh (Monday, 6/14/99)
Industrial workers in Bangladesh are engaged in a 48-hour blockade as part of their effort to gain attention for their wage demands. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, a strike in the oil industry has been averted. The government has decided not to freeze the wages of oil workers. Finally, in labor news, flight attendants have reached agreement on a new contract with Trans World Airlines.

Study finds growing number of corporations concerned with their neighborhoods (Monday, 6/14/99)
A study conducted by the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals finds that many companies are working to support and improve their surrounding urban and natural environments.

A threat to human actors? (Monday, 6/14/99)
Patti Hartigan of the Boston Globe says that it may not be long before your favorite movie star may exist only in cyberspace.

Why workers leave their jobs (Monday, 6/14/99)
Job mismatch is the most common reason, according to this story from today's Los Angeles Times.

The drive to obtain paid leave for workers who need to care for a family member (Monday, 6/14/99)
There is growing concern about work-family issues, and the Chicago Sun-Times' Francine Knowles reports that the National Partnership for Women & Families would like to see America move beyond the Family and Medical Leave Act, which gives workers the right to unpaid leave during family emergencies and in some other situations.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Reinventing Undergraduate Education (Monday, 6/14/99)
Many young people are attracted to "big name" universities which gain their prestige mostly from research. However, what many young undergraduate students often find when they arrive on campus are huge classes taught by inexperienced teaching assistants, some of whom can barely speak English. For beginners, the quality of instruction is often far higher at no-name community colleges or non-research liberal arts colleges. The Boyer Commission at the State University of New York at Stony Brook has studied the problem and presents its conclusions and recommendations in Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities.

G7 develops a new plan to help poor countries (Sunday, 6/13/99)
Representatives of the seven largest industrial economies in the world have been meeting and have reached agreement on a plan to write off as much as $70 billion worth of debt in order to give dozens of the world's poorest countries a better chance to climb on board the new economy before the train pulls out of the station and leaves them behind for good.

Auto industry talks begin (Sunday, 6/13/99)
The United Auto Workers and the big Detroit-based American automobile manufacturers are beginning negotiations on new contracts. The UAW wants to increase its membership and also wants its members to benefit from some very good times in the U.S. auto industry. Neither side seems in a mood to foul things up, so strikes are unlikely, according to observers.

Clinton backs ILO move to ban child labor worldwide (Sunday, 6/13/99)
In developing countries across the world, there are almost as many children used as cheap labor as there are people living in the United States. Speaking at the University of Chicago President Clinton endorsed an effort by the International Labor Organization to achieve a worldwide ban on child labor.

An economically weakened Japan may have less clout (Sunday, 6/13/99)
Michael Zielenziger writes from Tokyo that, despite expectations that Asia's overall recovery depends on what happens to Japan's economy, it doesn't appear to be working out that way. Nearly two years after the "Asian flu" began spreading across Asia, many affected economies appear to be on the road to recovery, while Japan is still struggling, its latest growth numbers notwithstanding.

The summer smorgasbord (Sunday, 6/13/99)
Summer is a good time to sample a variety of career possibilities, according to columnist Amy Lindgren.

Hiring in haste, regretting at leisure (Sunday, 6/13/99)
Many employers aren't as careful as they should be when hiring employees, and mistakes can be costly. Here's more from Jane Applegate of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

When you've been a victim, sometimes it's in your interest not to talk about it (Sunday, 6/13/99)
Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman passes on a consultant's advice to a correspondent who is wondering about whether to tell a prospective employer about past experience with workplace discrimination.

Too many unskilled jobs in Ohio this summer (Sunday, 6/13/99)
The Toledo Blade editorializes about the surplus of jobs for unskilled workers and the hundreds of young people from Europe who are filling some of them this summer.

Clarification on when a "break" is "work" (Sunday, 6/13/99)
A correspondent wonders about whether an employer is obligated to pay for time taken to have lunch. The Los Angeles Times clears things up. Also in the Times, an examination of Bureau of Labor Statistics data on repetitive motion injuries in office settings, and Patricia Kitchen's advice to "follow your dreams" when making career choices,

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Christian Jobs Online (Sunday, 6/13/99)
If you're Christian, and if sharing your religious ideology with your workers or employer is important to you, Christian Jobs Online is available to help persons of like mind find each other.

Informal evidence that the American economy may be too hot (Saturday, 6/12/99)
George Hager and Tim Smart of the Washington Post tell about an economist who went shopping, and what she learned about the American economy as a consequence. Isabelle Clary says that many on Wall Street are expecting that the Fed will soon boost interest rates in order to slow things a bit. Meanwhile, outgoing Treasury Secretary Rubin notes that the global economy has gotten better, but that its recovery is fragile, as Michael Phillips reports in today's Wall Street Journal. The G7 are meeting in Frankfurt, Germany and find quite a lot to be happy about in relation to the global economic situation. They're also discussing ways to provide some debt relief to very poor countries.

Federal agency to protect pensions (Saturday, 6/12/99)
Caldor Corporation has been liquidated and its pension system is underfunded. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a federal agency, will take over about $10 million in pension liabilities.

It will be harder to get into "name" colleges (Saturday, 6/12/99)
Competition has gotten tougher for getting into major, high-prestige colleges and universities for the fall. Here's more from Ethan Bronner of the New York Times. Persons who desperately want to go deeply into debt in order to attend a high-prestige school might want to stop for a moment and recall that, with sufficient commitment, it's still possible to obtain a splendid education for nothing at the public library. Also, some of the most spectacularly creative and successful persons in the new economy either didn't finish college (e.g., Bill Gates) or didn't go at all (e.g., Steve Jobs). Meanwhile, Howard Schneider of the Washington Post reports that reformers want to modernize the Saudi Arabian education system in order to better prepare students for participation in the new economy. Finally, more-or-less along educational lines, Carole Pine writes about the very big business of coaching executives on nearly everything imaginable.

Some of today's airline labor news (Saturday, 6/12/99)
The Teamsters is pleased with the new agreement recently completed between Northwest Airlines and its flight attendants. Christina Mungan and Erik Guyot write in today's Wall Street Journal about the recent deal between Cathay Pacific and its pilots, in which senior pilots accept a pay cut. However, no agreement has been reached yet between Delta and its pilots, and the company has canceled its order for new 777s. Here's that story from Sholnn Freeman of the New York Times.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration Library (Saturday, 6/12/99)
The Institute for Economics and Business Administration Library is located at Japan's Kobe University and is open to outside researchers as well as members of the university community.

Settlement at Cathay Pacific Airways (Friday, 6/11/99)
Hong Kong's airline and its pilots have reached a tentative agreement following a "sickout" that caused the cancellation of a major proportion of the carrier's flights.

Strikes continue in South Korea (Friday, 6/11/99)
Job security concerns are behind the rolling strikes that are continuing across the country. A general strike may come next week.

German companies offer slave labor fund (Friday, 6/11/99)
Sixteen companies establish a $1.7 billion fund to settle claims brought by persons who were forced to work as slave laborers during the infamous Nazi period, but lawyers for the claimants say it's not nearly enough.

Another sign of a cooling American economy? (Friday, 6/11/99)
A top Federal Reserve official says that the fact that the American economy has been creating jobs at a less vigorous rate lately may be an additional sign that the economy is slowing down a bit.

Where can a $100,000 household income qualify for housing assistance? (Friday, 6/11/99)
In Silicon Valley, where the price of houses has gone into the stratosphere.

Teamsters strike meat processing firm (Friday, 6/11/99)
Thirteen-hundred workers go on strike in Pasco, Washington, alleging inhumane and unsafe working conditions.

Report card on America's progress toward its health care goals for the year 2000 (Friday, 6/11/99)
The Department of Health and Human Services has just issued a report called Healthy People 2000 Review in which it says that the United States has fallen significantly behind in its effort to reach health care goals set 20 years ago. In other health-related news, Robert Pear of the New York Times reports that the federal government is saying that some H.M.O.'s have been trying to recruit healthy elderly persons while discouraging the sick or disabled as a cost-saving measure, and the government wants the practice stopped.

Major decline in work-related deaths during the 20th century (Friday, 6/11/99)
Job-related deaths have declined 90 percent since 1913, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

News that may be too good to be true (Friday, 6/11/99)
Stephanie Strom of the New York Times says that the Japanese government is downplaying the significance of the most recent stunning growth numbers in the Japanese economy. The gross domestic product is up, but this doesn't mean Japan's economic troubles are over, they say.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: startup.wsj.com (Friday, 6/11/99)
startup.wsj.com is help for entrepreneurs from the Wall Street Journal.

Agreement at Northwest (Thursday, 6/10/99)
It appears that talks described as a "last chance" to avoid a strike have succeeded. Tentative agreement has been reached between Northwest Airlines and the company's flight attendants.

Is the recession over in Japan? (Thursday, 6/10/99)
The numbers were exceptionally strong during the first quarter, but the Japanese government remains cautious, and Laurina Keys reports that experts still see a lot of uncertainty in Japan's future. Finally, the New York Times' Gretchen Morgenson says that recent reports that the global financial crisis is all but over may be premature.

Initial jobless claims up last week in the U.S. (Thursday, 6/10/99)
Here are some of the details from the latest Labor Department statistics.

The Internet changes everything (Thursday, 6/10/99)
During a recent series of interviews on the new economy conducted by PBS' Charlie Rose in San Francisco, Oracle Corporation's founder and CEO Larry Ellison indicated that "The Internet changes everything" appears on his company's annual report, and it's probably an accurate statement. The Los Angeles Times reports that UCLA is beginning a decades-long study of the impact of the Internet on society and culture. As many as 18 countries will be studied. Also, a University of Texas study finds that the Internet economy already is much larger than most people have expected, amounting to over $300 billion in revenues last year and has produced 1.2 million jobs. Look for the Internet to change how nearly everybody does business, which is also to say that it will change how nearly everybody works.

More trouble in South Korea (Thursday, 6/10/99)
South Korea's economy shows signs of recovery, but as Kim Se-yoon reports from Seoul, allegations that a state prosecutor manipulated an earlier strike has resulted in 20,000 workers throughout the country leaving their jobs in protest yesterday. Also, thousands of workers engaged in a 24-hour strike in La Paz, Bolivia in order to protest government austerity measures.

Charismatic economic leadership (Thursday, 6/10/99)
When most people think of practitioners of the "dismal science," the word "charismatic" may not be the first that comes to mind. However, an MIT economist says that times have changed, and it means that Larry Summers will be faced with special challenges as the new Secretary of the Treasury.

Why have nursery workers been developing asthma? (Thursday, 6/10/99)
Research reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology suggests that Madagascar Jasmine may be the culprit.

Something else that's making doctors mad (Thursday, 6/10/99)
Once upon a time, medical professionals exercised a great deal of control over their profession, but the era of managed care has changed all that. A report published in The Journal of the American Medical Association says that commonly used measures of physician performance may be inaccurate and also may be having a destructive effect on the quality of care. Meanwhile, Alison Mitchell of the New York Times reports on proposed legislation that would secure more "patient rights" for people served by managed care systems, but wouldn't make it easy to sue. Finally, Michael Weinstein distinguishes politics from economics when it comes to Medicare reform.

Big-time debt for students (Thursday, 6/10/99)
Many studen