IWS Documented News INTERNATIONAL

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Introducing ILR International eNews (Quarterly)--Free Subscription
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/news/enews/

ILR International Programs at Cornell is pleased to bring to your attention the first issue of ILR International eNews, featuring online highlights of the ILR School's teaching, research, and outreach activities around the world.  We will publish eNews quarterly and invite all who may be interested to subscribe and share it with others.

To view this issue go to http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/news/enews/ 

If you wish to subscribe, scroll down the page and fill in the information in the lower right corner.

Featured Highlights of ILR International eNews, vol. 1, no. 1

Message from the Chair: Sarosh Kuruvilla 

Alumni Profile: Michelle Green, MILR '99, Living & Working in Angola

ILR Launches HRM Field Study Course in Europe

New Graduate Student & Faculty Exchange Program with European School of Management

Undergraduate Credit Internship: Enforcing International Labor Standards

Summer 2006 International Experience Grant Recipients

Faculty Research: Rose Batt's International Call Center Study

ILR and Warwick Business School Hold Seminar in U.K.

ILR Leads Seminar for South Korea Delegation


Subscribe to International eNews at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/news/enews You may unsubscribe at any time.

Please contact us via http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/contact.html with editorial comments and suggestions for ILR International eNews. Thank you!

ILR International Programs
_______________________________
Robin Remick
Managing Director, International Programs       
ILR School, Cornell University
344 ILR Research Bldg.
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
T. 607.254.2950
E. rjr4@cornell.edu
W: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 5:37 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

OFFICE OF INDUSTRIES
U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION (USITC)
STAFF RESEARCH STUDY 28
June 2006
Publication 3864


The Effects of Increasing Chinese Demand on Global Commodity Markets [29 June 2006]
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/research_working_papers/pub3864-200606.pdf
[full-text, 108 pages]

Press Release
http://www.usitc.gov/ext_relations/news_release/2006/er0629dd3.htm

Abstract
China�s stunning economic growth in recent years has increased the country�s demand for
energy and other commodities used by a wide range of industries. This study examines the
effects of China�s rising demand for commodities on global markets, focusing on crude
petroleum, aluminum, forest products, and ferrous scrap. The study explores the factors
behind the shifts in trade and prices for each of the four commodities, and finds that the
�China impact� on global markets is complex and varies across products. We find that
increasing Chinese demand is one factor contributing to the price increases for crude
petroleum in recent years, but that global production over the 1995-2004 period more than
kept pace with the increased demand from China, mitigating the impact of Chinese demand
on global prices. China�s expansion of its aluminum and forest products industries has led
to increased imports of input products such as wood pulp and alumina. This shift in trade
patterns has led to increased global prices for aluminum, while paper prices have remained
generally stable. Global market prices for ferrous scrap have increased sharply, reflecting
increased demand from China and other countries.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Chapter 2 Crude Petroleum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Summary of Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Factors broadly affecting demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Demand for crude petroleum in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
China�s demand in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Factors broadly affecting supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Supply of crude petroleum in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
China�s supply in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Trade trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Chapter 3 Unwrought Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Summary of conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Demand issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Factors broadly affecting demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Demand for aluminum in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
China�s supply in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Supply issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Factors broadly affecting supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Supply of aluminum in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
China�s supply in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Trade trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Chapter 4 Forest Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Summary of conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Pulp and paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Factors broadly affecting demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Demand for pulp and paper in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Factors broadly affecting supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Supply of pulp and paper in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
China�s supply in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Trade trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Wood Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Factors broadly affecting demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Demand for wood products in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
China�s demand in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Supply of wood products in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
China�s supply in global context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Trade trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Chapter 5 Ferrous Scrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Summary of conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Factors broadly affecting demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Demand for ferrous scrap in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Factors broadly affecting supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Supply of ferrous scrap in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Trade trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Chapter 6 Next steps and suggestions for future research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Economic Analysis of the Effects of China�s Increase in Demand on Global Commodity Prices . . . . .. . . . . A-1
Overview of commodity market research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Petroleum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-8
Forest products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-10
Ferrous scrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-11
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1


______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:52 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL EDITION


European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (often referred to as the Dublin Foundation)
http://www.eurofound.eu.int/index.htm

The Foundation is a European Union body, one of the first to be established to work in specialised areas of EU policy. Specifically, it was set up by the European Council (Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1365/75 of 26 May 1975), to contribute to the planning and design of better living and working conditions in Europe.
Role: To provide information, advice and expertise – on living and working conditions, industrial relations and managing change in Europe – for key actors in the field of EU social policy on the basis of comparative information, research and analysis.
Themes: Employment and working conditions; Work–life balance; Industrial relations and partnership;  Social cohesion
Target Audience: Employers; EU policymakers;  Governments;  Trade unions
Three main tasks: monitoring and understanding change; research and exploring what works; communicating and sharing ideas and experience
 

Material and data can be searched by –

• subject -- http://www.eurofound.eu.int/bysubject/index.htm
• sector -- http://www.eurofound.eu.int/bysector/index.htm
• language -- http://www.eurofound.eu.int/bylanguage/index.htm
• country -- http://www.eurofound.eu.int/bycountry/index.htm
 
There are four main divisions of information:
 
(1)  European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
      http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/ which includes­
 

 Comparative Information -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/comparative_index.html

 

Annual Reviews (by country) -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/annualreports.html

Comparative Studies -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/comparativestudies.html

Thematic Features -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/thematicfeature.html

Other EIRO reports -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/others.html

 

        EU Level Developments (1997-) -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/eu_developments.html

 

            EU Level -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/country/eu.level.html

            Transnational -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/country/trans.national.html

 

        By Country (1997-) -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/country_index.html

 

By Sector (1997-) -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/sectors/1_2006.html

 

        By Date (1997-) -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/date_index.html

 

European Industrial Relations Dictionary

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/industrialrelations/dictionary/

 

European Industrial Relations Links

http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/relatedsites.html

 

Advanced Text Search -- http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/search/adv_search.php

 
 
(2)  European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC)
         http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/    which includes--
 

EMCC identifies, assesses and processes relevant information on the driving forces of change in the European economy, which can be searched by a browsing feature --

By Matrix -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/browse.htm

By Topic  -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/topic.htm

By Sector -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/sector.htm

By Country -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/country.htm

 

There are specific resources and/or databases such as

 

European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/erm/

The European Restructuring Monitor is a tool designed to provide a quick overview of restructuring activities in Europe and their employment consequences. It provides information on individual restructuring cases and allows for the compilation of statistics comparing countries, sectors and types of restructuring. All information is based on the analysis of daily newspapers and the business press in the EU25 and the two acceding countries: Bulgaria and Romania.

 

Included are –

Fact Sheets (includes nearly 5000 restructuring cases)

http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/erm/index.php?template=searchfactsheets

 

ERM Quarterly -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/erm/index.php?template=quarterly

 

Statistics -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/erm/index.php?template=stats

 

Sector Futures -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/sector_futures.htm

Focusing on the trends and drivers of change in selected sectors of the economy, EMCC presents a series of forward-looking features. Three separate articles are published for each sector. The first paints a broad picture of the changing dynamic of the sector, the second presents future scenarios and the third draws out key policy issues.

 

EMCC Dossier -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/emcc_dossier.html

EMCC dossiers highlight specific issues and events relevant to the major economic changes, and to the European social and political agenda. Each dossier places the issue in context, gathers information from different sources and enables the user to consider the wider picture. The dossiers are published on a regular basis.

 

 

Sort by date -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/emcc_dossier_date.html

Sort Alphabetically – http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/emcc_dossier.html

 

 

EMCC Publications -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/publications/ef_publication.html

 

Sort by date -- http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/publications/ef_publication_bydate.html

Sort Alphabetically – http://www.emcc.eurofound.eu.int/indexes/publications/ef_publication.html

 
 
(3)  European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO)
http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/  which includes­

 

EWCO News Updates (2003-)

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/newsupdates.htm

News updates are short articles based on newsworthy developments in the area of quality of work at national level. Each national correspondent provides 4-6 such articles each year.

 

Survey Data Reports (2003-)

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/surveys/surveyreports.htm

Survey data reports are summaries of national working conditions survey findings in countries covered by the EWCO network. Results from these surveys provide an interesting complement to the results of the Foundation's own working conditions surveys.

 

Topic Reports (2004-)

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/topicreports.htm

Topic reports are significant pieces of comparative analysis covering developments at EU and national level on a pre-selected theme. They are based on structured contributions from the national correspondents, each covering their own country. A synthesis 'topic report' is prepared by a lead correspondent and the national contributions are also published.

 

List of National Correspondents

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/network.htm

The network of national/EU correspondents provide regular news updates on working conditions throughout Europe, in addition to reports on national surveys and on particular topics.

 

Annual Reviews of European Working Conditions (2004-)

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/annualreports.htm

 
 
(4)  EurLIFE -- an interactive database of statistical indicators
http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/qualityoflife/eurlife/index.php

EurLife is an interactive database on living conditions and quality of life in Europe, offering data drawn from the Foundation's own surveys and from other published sources.
The data provided deals with the objective living conditions and subjective well-being of European citizens. It covers the 25 current EU Member States and three candidate countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
 
Indicators are categorized into the following areas­
Health | Employment | Income deprivation | Education | Family | Social participation | Housing | Environment | Transport | Safety | Leisure | Life satisfaction
 

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:27 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education, and Health and Safety (ETUI-REHS)

European Economic and Employment Policy Brief
2/2006

Assessing the reassessment of the OECD jobs Strategy: eppur si muove ?
by Andrew Watt
http://www.etui-rehs.org/media/files/eeepb/2006/2_2006
[full-text, 14 pages]

This is the second issue of the European Economic and Employment Policy Brief in 2006. This issue examines the outcome of the OECD’s two-year review of its Jobs Strategy. It shows that the OECD has shifted its position on a number of important policy issues since the Jobs Strategy ­ which has often been used by governments to support policies of deregulation and welfare cutbacks ­ was originally launched in 1994. The new Jobs Strategy recognises that different policy ‘packages’, and notably the ‘Nordic’ model, which incorporates strong welfare states, centralised wage bargaining and extensive use of active labour market policy, can be successful in reducing unemployment. A limited role is also given to macroeconomic policy in speeding up the impact of structural reforms. However, in spite of the weight of evidence produced by the OECD’s own research, the policy recommendations of the new Jobs Strategy remain tilted towards the US-style ‘liberal’ model. And the treatment of macroeconomic policies, while a step in the right direction, still underestimates the key role of macro policy in strategies to reduce unemployment.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 7:48 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Watson Wyatt

Employers Anticipate Further Restrictions on Retiree Medical Plans, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds [28 June 2006]
Most Now Relying on Medicare Subsidies to Offset Costs
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=16207

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2006 ­ Despite widespread use of the Medicare federal subsidy, a vast majority of employers are planning to curtail their retiree medical plans for current and future retirees in the next five years, according to a new study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a global human capital consulting firm.

The survey of 163 companies found that only 5 percent of employers do not expect to place any additional restrictions on their medical benefits for future retirees over the next five years and 7 percent do not expect to implement further restrictions for current retirees. Fourteen percent of employers plan to eliminate the benefit entirely for future post-65 retirees and 6 percent plan to eliminate it for their current post-65 retirees.

“One bit of good news for employees is that the vast majority of employers currently providing retiree medical benefits will continue to do so,” said Cara Jareb, director of retiree medical consulting at Watson Wyatt. “The bad news is that retirees ­ especially future retirees ­ will have to pay more for their coverage.”

Nearly two-thirds of employers (65 percent) anticipate increasing the financial contributions for future retirees and half (50 percent) expect to change their plan design.  Twenty-four percent intend to tighten eligibility for future retirees and 10 percent expect to place a new or lower cap on their employer contributions.  As more companies adopt account-based programs for current employees, 26 percent anticipate offering this option to their future retirees

AND MORE...including TABLES....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:36 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Mercer (UK)

Pension financial risk ­ survey of FTSE 350 companies
UK
London, 28 June 2006
http://www.mercerhr.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1231860

   * 60% of respondents have made ‘special’ pension contributions in the last year
   * Use of derivatives to hedge liabilities has shown limited growth so far
   * Over half have increased the longevity assumptions they use to calculate pension liabilities

Last year, 60% of companies made ‘special’ pension contributions - over and above normal or statutory contributions - to help plug their scheme deficits, according to a survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting and The Association of Corporate Treasurers. CFOs and treasurers in over 100 companies, most of which were in the FTSE 350, participated in the survey.

The greatest driver for these payments were scheme-specific funding requirements (30%), whereby companies have to top up under-funded schemes to reduce their deficits, and general risk mitigation (25%). Few companies (7%) made special contributions purely to reduce their Pension Protection Fund (PPF) levy or for tax reasons (7%).

Mr Keogh, Worldwide Partner at Mercer, commented: “It is interesting that scheme-specific funding was the primary reason why companies made additional pension contributions last year, as the relevant legislation was technically not in effect, but clearly having an influence. This year we are likely to see more companies following suit.”

According to the survey, only 12% of companies undertook a specific financing agreement, for example taking out a loan, to fund a special contribution. Nevertheless the finance must have come from somewhere, and the special pension contribution will have been a factor in overall cashflow planning. “Borrowing money to fund a pension scheme involves paying back a loan by raising another. There can be tax benefits to doing this, which some companies seem to be taking advantage of,” said Mr Keogh.

AND MORE....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:19 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Net International Investment Position at Yearend 2005 [29 June 2006]
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/intinv05.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/intinv05.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/intinv05.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/intinv05_fax.pdf

The U.S. net international investment position at yearend 2005 was -$2,693.8
billion (preliminary) with direct investment valued at current cost, as the value
of foreign investments in the United States exceeded the value of U.S. investments
abroad (table 1).  At yearend 2004, the U.S. net international investment position
was -$2,360.8 billion (revised).

      The -$333.0 billion change in the net investment position from yearend 2004
to yearend 2005 was largely due to record private net foreign purchases of U.S.
securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, and to depreciation of most major
foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar, which lowered the dollar value of
U.S.-owned assets abroad.  The impact of these net purchases and exchange-rate
changes was largely offset by price appreciation of U.S.-held foreign stocks that
surpassed by a large amount price appreciation of foreign-held U.S. stocks.

      With direct investment valued at the current stock market value of owners'
equity, the net investment position was -$2,546.2 billion (preliminary) at yearend
2005, compared with -$2,448.7 billion (revised) at yearend 2004.  The -$97.4 billion
change in the net investment position on this basis resulted from the same factors
as above.  Price increases on direct investment were larger on this basis than with
direct investment valued at current cost.  Other highlights include:

      Foreign acquisitions of assets in the United States were $1,212.3 billion
    in 2005, down from $1,450.2 billion in 2004.  Foreign official acquisitions
    were $199.5 billion, down from last year's record $387.8 billion, as a result
    of sharply reduced net purchases of U.S. Treasury securities.  Partly offsetting
    were stronger private net foreign purchases of U.S. securities, including U.S.
    Treasury securities.  Net private foreign purchases of U.S. Treasury securities
    were a record $199.5 billion, up from $102.9 billion.  Net private foreign
    purchases of U.S. securities other than U.S. Treasury securities were a record
    $474.1 billion, up from $381.5 billion in 2004, of which net purchases of U.S.
    bonds were $388.4 billion, up from $321.9 billion, and net purchases of U.S.
    stocks were $85.8 billion, up from $59.5 billion.  U.S. banks' liabilities
    increased $179.8 billion, down from last year's increase of $336.7 billion,
    and U.S. nonbanks' liabilities increased $30.1 billion, down from $93.3 billion.
    Foreign direct investment in the United States increased $109.8 billion, down
    from an increase of $133.2 billion.

      U.S. acquisitions of assets abroad were $426.8 billion in 2005, down from a
    record $867.8 billion in 2004, as U.S. direct investment abroad and U.S. banks'
    and nonbanks' claims slowed sharply from last year's pace.  U.S. direct
    investment abroad increased only $9.1 billion, down from an increase of $244.1
    billion in 2004.  U.S. banks' claims increased $213.0 billion, down from an
    increase of $361.6 billion in 2004, and U.S. nonbanks' claims increased $44.2
    billion, down from an increase of $120.0 billion.  In contrast, net U.S.
    purchases of foreign securities, mostly foreign stocks, increased to $180.1
    billion from $146.5 billion.

      Price appreciation in most foreign stock markets substantially increased the
    value of U.S. holdings of foreign corporate stocks and the value of owners'
    equity of U.S. direct investment abroad on a market-value basis.  Price
    appreciation in the U.S. stock market also increased the value of foreign
    holdings of U.S. corporate stocks, but by a much smaller amount.

      Depreciation of most major foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar from
    yearend 2004 to yearend 2005 lowered the dollar value of U.S.-owned assets
    abroad, especially the value of U.S.-owned foreign corporate stocks and U.S.
    direct investment abroad at market value.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES and CHARTS.....

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:07 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) Online
European Level-

Landmark case highlights issue of conflicting rights [28 June 2006]
http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/05/articles/eu0605029i.html

Abstract:
Free movement of organisations is a fundamental principle of the European Union. A case currently before the European Court of Justice addresses the relationship between the rights of organisations to free movement and the rights of workers to take collective action ­ an issue on which the social partners take differing positions.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 5:26 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Catherwood Library, School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR)
CURRENT UNION PERIODICALS
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/default.html

A-E

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/UnionNamesAE.html

F-J

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/UnionNamesFJ.html

K-O

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/UnionNamesKO.html

P-T

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/UnionNamesPT.html

U-Z

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/subjectGuides/usLaborUnions/UnionPer/CurrPer/UnionNamesUZ.html

 
The Catherwood Library has been building and maintaining a collection of union literature since it was founded in 1946. Among the key resources of this collection are our extensive holdings of labor union periodicals. In addition to the current and historic titles that can be found in our library, many labor union periodicals are now available on the web.

This guide lists Cornell University Library location information for current U. S. labor union periodicals as well as Internet sites for periodicals in this class.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 1:51 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________


A Comparative Analysis of the Labor Market Impact of International Migration: Canada, Mexico, and the United States
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w12327.pdf
[full-text, 66 pages]
Abdurrahman Aydemir, George J. Borjas
NBER Working Paper No. 12327
Issued in June 2006

---- Abstract -----
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w12327
Using data drawn from the Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. Censuses, we find a numerically comparable and statistically significant inverse relation between immigrant-induced shifts in labor supply and wages in each of the three countries: A 10 percent labor supply shift is associated with a 3 to 4 percent opposite-signed change in wages. Despite the similarity in the wage response, the impact of migration on the wage structure differs significantly across countries. International migration narrowed wage inequality in Canada; increased it in the United States; and reduced the relative wage of workers at the bottom of the skill distribution in Mexico.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:02 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________


Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans -- Who, What, Why, and Where [June 2006]
by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar
http://www.paramountbooks.com/prodpage.cfm?cat_selected=&product_selected=203

From the pulpits to the op-ed pages, several messages about religion in the U.S. are heard again and again: It's said that Americans are flocking to churches and other religious institutions in greater numbers than ever before. That non-Christian faiths are growing rapidly. And that a new religious fervor among the young is filling up the pews.

All of these frequently heard messages are incorrect, according to an important new book, Religion in a Free Market, Religious and Non-Religious Americans: Who, What, Why, and Where. The book, by professors Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., is based on a major national survey which they conducted. The U.S. Census is prohibited from asking questions about religion, so this survey, the American Religious Identification Survey, contains the most complete and reliable source of data on religion in America today.

Religion in a Free Market argues that religion in America can best be understood as a product on offer in the marketplace of ideas. It says that "religious ferment in America is as strong as it has ever been, so whatever you learned about religion in the U.S. a generation ago is out of date."

Among the key findings: The share of the U.S. population that identified with a Christian faith tradition declined abruptly from 86.2 percent in 1990 to 76.5 percent in 2001.

The share of American adults who say they have no religion rose from 8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2001, which amounts to approximately 30 million people.

Non-Christian faiths' share of the national population rose only very slightly from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 3.7 percent in 2001.

Contrary to impressions of religiously engaged youth, in general the old and middle-aged are far more likely than the young to believe in God and identify with a religious group.

The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2001 queried 50,000 American adults about their religious outlook and whether they believed in God, in miracles, and in a personal relationship with God. The survey also asked about their politics, collected their demographics, including marital status, number of children, household income, and state of residence. In addition, it asked about their use of media and whether they or anyone in their household was a member of a denomination. The results of the survey were weighted to represent the entire adult population.

So, in a country where 77 percent of the adult population self-identifies as Christian, what is the dominant religion? Catholics are still the largest group with nearly 51 million adherents in 2001, up from 46 million in 1990. Baptists are the next largest denomination, but their numbers have stayed about the same over the last decade, at about 34 million. At the other end of the spectrum are 33,000 Druids, 22,000 Santeria, and 11,000 adults who identified themselves as Rastafarian.

Religion in a Free Market argues that one reason the religious landscape in the United States is so rich and dynamic is because of the freedom of religion proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the Constitution. Because of this freedom, the U.S. is a hotbed of new religions, with those who are dissatisfied with their current religious group often finding or creating a new one. This freedom creates an open market where religious groups can find new recruits and many of them are turning to established marketing methods in their efforts to bolster their numbers.

An important question on the 2001 survey was whether the respondent had ever switched religions. About 14 percent of the adult population has switched. Catholics and Methodists were most likely to switch. Of the 9.5 million Catholics who switched, 2.6 million, or about 28 percent, chose "no religion." Most of the rest chose another mainstream Christian religion. Among the 3.8 million Methodists who switched, 23 percent became Baptist, and 18 percent became Catholic.

Switching is just one topic covered in Religion in a Free Market. Readers will learn about

How interfaith households make choices for their children. Why single women are good potential members for some religions. The impact of religion on the U.S. economy. Which religions dominate in various geographic regions of the United States and why. Who the Muslims are in the United States. You'll be surprised to learn that few of them are Arab-Americans. Which religions are most likely among ethnic and racial groups.

Most ideas about religion in the United States were formed more than a generation ago and are woefully out of date. Whether you are a reporter, a political consultant, a marketer, a religious leader, or a social scientist, this comprehensive picture of the religious and non-religious in the United States will bring you up-to-date on religion in America and help you understand the important changes that are taking place.

The authors: Barry Kosmin is Research Professor and Ariela Keysar is Associate Research Professor, Public Policy and Law Program at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

American Religion, Religious Brands, & Markets
The National Profile of Religious Identification
Belief and Belonging
Religious Switching
Who are the Religious and Non-Religious?
Household and Family Characteristics
Where Do You Find the Religious and Non-Religious
Gender and Socioeconomics
Socioeconomic Rankings
Patterns of Consumption of Modern Technologies
Religious Affiliation and Recruitment
Membership Patterns Among Specific Religious Groups
Religion and Political Party Preference
The Race and Ethnic Factor
Profile of the American Muslim Population
Current and Future Trends


(ISBN 978-0-9766973-6-7, 320 pages, June 2006)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 5:39 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Watson Wyatt (UK)

(UK) Offshoring undermines job security but not motivation [22 June 2006]
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=16189


UK, June 22, 2006 - One in five UK employees feels insecure in their job because of the risk it will be 'offshored' to a low-cost country such as India or China, while two in five say that they feel less secure in their jobs than they did three years ago, according to new research from consultants Watson Wyatt.

However the research found that while there was a clear negative correlation between offshoring and job security, the negative impact of offshoring on employee motivation and stress and was considerably less strong. People appear not to be looking to switch jobs because of it.

"Offshoring jobs can reduce costs and enhance service. But it can also unnerve and demotivate home country employees," said Jonathan Gardner, an economist at Watson Wyatt. "We wanted to know how much of a concern to employers this should be."

Watson Wyatt undertook the research to see how less secure employees of UK-based companies offshoring work may feel compared with employees of organisations that had not engaged in offshoring. A survey of nearly 5,000 people was divided into those working for organisations that had either offshored work for the UK market directly themselves or had suppliers that had done so - 37 per cent of the sample ­ and those which had not had this experience ­ 52 per cent. (The remaining 11 per cent were unable to answer.)

In the group with experience of offshoring, 36 per cent agreed with the statement that they felt less secure in their job as a result of the trend to offshoring. This compared to 11 per cent in the second group. The first group were also far more likely to feel that there was a large risk of their own job being offshored within the next 12 months ­ 17 per cent compared with 2 per cent. This is partly explained by this group being more likely to acknowledge that their job could be done equally as well offshore as in the UK ­ 13 per cent compared with 5 per cent.

But the impact on motivation was less pronounced. Some 30 per cent of the group with experience of offshoring said they were less motivated in their job compared with 19 per cent in the group without. Similarly, 21 per cent of the first group said they were less willing to take risks at work and share new ideas compared with 15 per cent in the second group. Employees were also asked if their perceived stress levels at work were usually manageable. Some 58 per cent of the group with offshoring experience thought they were compared with 66 per cent of the group without.

"The impact on motivation seems to be fairly small," said Jonathan Gardner. "Perhaps most telling is the result of the question as to whether or not they were considering finding a new job in the next year."

In the group with experience of offshoring some 36 per cent said they were looking to find a new job in the next 12 months compared with 37 per cent in the group without experience of offshoring. It appears that people may feel less secure and slightly less motivated because of offshoring but they are no more likely to looking for a job elsewhere. According to Watson Wyatt, this may, however, be because they are working in a sector where alternative employers are just as likely to be engaged in offshoring.

"While the majority of employers may consider the short-term demotivational ­ and consequent productivity ­ impact of offshoring acceptable, they cannot afford to be complacent," said Jonathan Gardner. "It should be of great concern if otherwise committed and high performing employees for whose roles their employer has no plans to shift overseas are being demotivated by fears of offshoring."

For further information contact:

Bruce Wraight
Watson Wyatt
+44 (0) 1737 273370
+44 (0) 7771 765154
bruce.wraight@watsonwyatt.com

Claire Barraclough
Watson Wyatt
+44 (0) 1737 273390
claire.barraclough@watsonwyatt.com
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:19 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

ILR Press

Schools of Democracy: A Political History of the American Labor Movement
by Clayton Sinyai
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/ilrpress/titles/4472.html
or
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4472

Cloth, 2006 ISBN: 0-8014-4455-1
$ 55.00   £31.50
Paper, 2006 ISBN: 0-8014-7299-7
$ 22.50   £12.95


In this new political history of the labor movement, Clayton Sinyai examines the relationship between labor activism and the American democratic tradition. Sinyai shows how America's working people and union leaders debated the first questions of democratic theory--and in the process educated themselves about the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. In tracing the course of the American labor movement from the founding of the Knights of Labor in the 1870s to the 1968 presidential election and its aftermath, Sinyai explores the political dimensions of collective bargaining, the structures of unions and businesses, and labor's relationships with political parties and other social movements. Schools of Democracy analyzes how labor activists wrestled with fundamental aspects of political philosophy and the development of American democracy, including majority rule versus individual liberty, the rule of law, and the qualifications required of citizens of a democracy. Offering a balanced assessment of mainstream leaders of American labor, from Samuel Gompers to George Meany, and their radical critics, including the Socialists and the Industrial Workers of the World, Sinyai provides an unusual and refreshing perspective on American labor history.

About the Author
Clayton Sinyai is a Researcher for the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) and Political Director for Laborers' Local 11.

Reviews

“Liberals and conservatives alike should read this book as a useful reminder that true democracy in America depends on the freedom of working people to form independent organizations and have a real voice in decisions about our future. Schools of Democracy documents the fact that America’s promise to value and reward work has been kept only when working families have had strong, democratic unions that can hold corporations and government accountable.”­Andrew L. Stern, President, Service Employees International Union

“Schools of Democracy is a fresh and compelling reinterpretation of U.S. labor history from a political rather than an economic standpoint. Sinyai restores American workers and their unions to their rightful place as key defenders of democratic government and the educated, active citizenry upon which it rests. His book also has the singular merit of treating Samuel Gompers, together with other labor leaders, as the important political figures and public intellectuals that they were.”­Dorothy Sue Cobble, author of The Other Women’s Movement: Workplace Justice and Social Rights in Modern America


"Schools of Democracy is lucid, thorough, and written with confidence and humor. It surveys a wide range of labor history. Clayton Sinyai subjects familiar markers in labor history­the Knights of Labor, the rise of the AFL, the emergence of the CIO, and postwar labor history­to a new standard: how unions legitimated themselves according to democratic theory."­Alan L. Draper, St. Lawrence University


______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:01 AM