McMillion & Hirtensteiner, LLP - Labor News
McMillion & Hirtensteiner, LLP's Labor News charts the latest developments in labor and legal issues with regular updates published as they are released to the media.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: November 2007
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: November 2007 HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force -- the number of people working or looking for work -- rose by 3,000 persons in November to 6,336,000. Resident employment was up by 24,000 individuals, while unemployment was down 20,000 since October. Since November 2006, the civilian labor force and employment were up 5,000 and 38,000, respectively, while unemployment was down 33,000. Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent in November, a drop of three-tenths of a percentage point from October. The state unemployment rate has been at or below 4.5 percent for 10 consecutive months -- also the same amount of time that the state rate has been below the national rate, which remained at 4.7 percent in November. Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs count rose by 6,200 jobs to a record-high of 5,815,200 in November. The monthly gain was the largest for the state since March 2007. Services providing industries posted a record-high of 4,875,100 jobs, while three sectors -- education & health services, leisure & hospitality, and professional & business services posted record-high job counts in November. Pennsylvania has added 187,000 jobs since January 2003. EDITOR'S NOTE: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows. Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands) November October November
2007 2007 2006
PA
Civilian Labor Force 6,336 6,333 6,331
Employment 6,071 6,047 6,033
Unemployment 265 285 298
Rate 4.2 4.5 4.7 U.S.
Civilian Labor Force 153,870 153,253 152,449
Employment 146,703 146,007 145,623
Unemployment 7,167 7,245 6,826
Rate 4.7 4.7 4.5 Change from Year-to-Date Change from
October 2007 Change(1) November 2006
volume percent volume percent volume percent
PA
Civilian Labor Force 3 0.0% 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Employment 24 0.4% 32 0.5% 38 0.6%
Unemployment -20 -7.0% -32 -10.8% -33 11.1%
Rate -0.3 ---- -0.5 ---- -0.5 ---- U.S.
Civilian Labor Force 617 0.4% 1,095 0.7% 1,421 0.9%
Employment 696 0.5% 777 0.5% 1,080 0.7%
Unemployment -78 -1.1% 318 4.6% 341 5.0%
Rate 0.0 ---- 0.2 ---- 0.2 ---
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
November October November
2007 2007 2006
Total Nonfarm Jobs 5,815.2 5,809.0 5,770.8 Goods Producing Industries 940.1 940.3 951.6
Natural Resources & Mining 21.6 21.4 20.6
Construction 260.9 260.4 261.9
Manufacturing 657.6 658.5 669.1 Service Providing Industries 4,875.1 4,868.7 4,819.2
Trade, Transportation & Utilities 1,133.3 1,133.5 1,128.8
Information 107.1 106.7 107.8
Financial Activities 334.1 334.0 334.2
Professional & Business Services 697.1 695.1 681.3
Education & Health Services 1,095.7 1,095.0 1,066.3
Leisure & Hospitality 499.7 497.5 489.5
Other Services 261.8 262.1 260.3
Government 746.3 744.8 751.0
Change from Year-to-Date Change from
October 2007 Change(1) November 2006
volume percent volume percent volume percent
Total Nonfarm Jobs 6.2 0.1% 36.6 0.6% 44.4 0.8% Goods Producing Industries -0.2 0.0% -12.3 -1.3% -11.5 -1.2%
Natural Resources & Mining 0.2 0.9% 1.0 4.9% 1.0 4.9%
Construction 0.5 0.2% -3.2 -1.2% -1.0 -0.4%
Manufacturing -0.9 -0.1% -10.1 -1.5% -11.5 -1.7% Service Providing Industries 6.4 0.1% 48.9 1.0% 55.9 1.2%
Trade, Transportation &
Utilities -0.2 0.0% 1.4 0.1% 4.5 0.4%
Information 0.4 0.4% -0.8 -0.7% -0.7 -0.6%
Financial Activities 0.1 0.0% -0.3 -0.1% -0.1 0.0%
Professional & Business
Services 2.0 0.3% 12.4 1.8% 15.8 2.3%
Education & Health Services 0.7 0.1% 27.4 2.6% 29.4 2.8%
Leisure & Hospitality 2.2 0.4% 10.4 2.1% 10.2 2.1%
Other Services -0.3 -0.1% 1.7 0.7% 1.5 0.6%
Government 1.5 0.2% -3.3 -0.4% -4.7 -0.6% (1) Change from December 2006 Note: December 2007 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released Jan. 17, 2008. CONTACT:
Troy Thompson
717-787-7530
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
CONTACT: Troy Thompson of the Department of Labor & Industry,
+1-717-787-7530 Web Site: http://www.state.pa.us/
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posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 4:09 PM
SEIU's Top Ten Reasons David Rubenstein Purchased the Magna Carta
SEIU's Top Ten Reasons David Rubenstein Purchased the Magna Carta NEW YORK, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It might be all the eggnog we have been drinking this week, or just the unbelievable irony of it all, but SEIU's folks at BehindtheBuyouts.org couldn't resist some idle speculation about what may have been going through David Rubenstein's head this week when he plunked down $21.3 million to buy the Magna Carta, one of the foundational documents of Western freedoms, human rights, and civil liberties. So, with all due respect to our striking brothers and sisters at the David Letterman Show, here are: SEIU's Top Ten Reasons Why Carlyle Group Co-Founder David Rubenstein Purchased the Magna Carta 1. That $21 mil was burning a hole in his pocket. 2. 13th century feudalism provides blueprint for personnel policies at Manor Care and other Carlyle-owned companies. 3. After executing the expected dividend recapitalization at $1 million per section he could triple his investment within the first six months. 4. Being called a nouveau billionaire doesn't carry same cache as the term "medieval baron." 5. Prop to hold up at next Congressional hearing on tax breaks for buyout billionaires. 6. Only way he can legally take an eraser to those pesky sections about due process (while attempting to steamroll regulations designed to protect nursing home residents). 7. Finding that perfect holiday gift is a bitch when you are worth a gazillion dollars. 8. Human rights charter is the perfect white elephant gift at the Abu Dhabi Government's holiday party. 9. Can't wait to show his buyout industry buddies the part about how all citizens should be subject equally to the laws of the land. 10. The Magna Carta's Return On Investment (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119801881068437867.html )is better than Carlyle's (these days). Bonus Reason: Rubenstein's public statements to the contrary, freedom today does actually have a price. And just in case you were wondering, most of us can't afford it. With 1.9 million members, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. Focused on uniting workers in three sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide, SEIU is the largest health care union, including hospitals, nursing homes, and home care; the largest property services union, including building cleaning and security; and the second largest public employee union. First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Service Employees International Union
CONTACT: Andrew McDonald of Service Employees International Union,
+1-202-730-7338, Andrew.McDonald@seiu.org Web Site: http://www.seiu.org/
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Profile: labor-news
posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 3:41 PM
Hartford Office Cleaners Win New Contract
Hartford Office Cleaners Win New Contract New four-year contract provides wage hikes up to 20% for nearly 2,000 area cleaners HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two weeks before their contract was to expire, the Local 32BJ Bargaining Committee announced agreement on a tentative four-year contract at a rally today in downtown Hartford. Mayor Eddie Perez, House Majority Leader Chris Donovan and elected officials congratulated the workers at the rally. The contract covers workers who clean more than 90 percent of large commercial office space in downtown Hartford and office parks and buildings in other parts of Hartford County. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020918/SEIULOGO ) "This new contract will provide Hartford's office cleaners the opportunity to live the American Dream," said Kurt Westby, Local 32BJ Connecticut Director. "More office cleaners will be able to take their kids to the doctor and have retirement security." The contract provides 17% wage hikes over four-years in the city and nearly 20 % in the suburbs. "Hartford's businesses and Connecticut's government rely on Local 32BJ members to keep their offices running smoothly," said Mayor Perez. "The health and well-being of our city depends on these jobs paying wages that keep families out of poverty and provide health care for working families." Fully employer-paid family health care coverage will be maintained for all full-time workers, and part-time workers have an improved health benefit, which will include life insurance, a prescription drug benefit and dental and optical insurance. Under the new contract, suburban office cleaners won a pension benefit for the first time and gained two personal days. Employers agreed to an improved training program, which includes industry-skills classes as well as English as a Second language courses, and also to a legal services benefit program. Cleaners also won significant gains in expanding the number of full-time jobs and increasing the minimum number of hours for part-time workers over the course of the contract. By the end of the contract, all cleaners working at buildings over 400,000 square feet will have full-time jobs, which will also provide fully employer-paid family health coverage. Part-time work will be increased to a minimum of 25 hours a week, from a current minimum of 20 hours. Hartford-area cleaners have been negotiating their contract alongside 1,800 Local 32BJ members in Fairfield County and nearly 45,000 union members from four other states and Washington, DC. The Hartford contract is the second contract victory in the union's region-wide contract campaign. "This is a big victory for building service workers in Hartford and throughout the East Coast," said Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President. "On the heels of our victories in Hartford and Philadelphia, we are determined to win better pay and benefits for workers in the region, including Fairfield County." With some 100,000 members in six states and Washington, DC, including more than 4,500 in Connecticut, Local 32BJ is the largest property services union in the country. First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020918/SEIULOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: SEIU Local 32BJ
CONTACT: Lynsey Kryzwick, +1-917-683-4474, or Kate Ferranti,
+1-212-388-3469, both of the SEIU Local 32BJ Web Site: http://www.seiu32bj.org/
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posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 2:57 PM
Whittier Hospital RNs Choose CNA/NNOC in Landslide 87% Election Victory
Whittier Hospital RNs Choose CNA/NNOC in Landslide 87% Election Victory LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- By a landslide 87 percent vote, registered nurses at Whittier Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area Wednesday night elected the nation's fastest growing union, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), to represent them. The final count was 144 to 21 in the secret ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. CNA/NNOC will represent 300 RNs at the hospital. Following the Whittier vote, CNA/NNOC has now grown by more than 350 percent in the past decade, and won elections for nearly 25,000 RNs at 73 hospitals since 2001. CNA/NNOC's growth has been especially explosive in Southern California. In 2000, CNA/NNOC represented 6,000 Southern California RNs in 13 hospitals. With Whittier, the numbers have grown to over 23,000 RNs in 49 hospitals. Additionally, CNA/NNOC has won elections for 800 RNs in the past two weeks in two states, California and Nevada. RNs at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno voted to join CNA earlier this month. Overall, CNA/NNOC has more than 76,000 members in all 50 states today. "An 87 percent vote -- what an incredible testament to the determination of the Whittier nurses to join together and with CNA/NNOC on behalf of their patients, their colleagues, and the nurses across California," said Geri Jenkins, RN, a Southern California member of the CNA/NNOC Council of Presidents. "I'm so proud of the Whittier nurses, and our phenomenal, ongoing growth in Southern California." "We are happy about our CNA/NNOC victory," said post-partum care RN Irma San Luis. "It will help bring a strong united nurse voice for patient care at Whittier." "Our victory unites us with San Gabriel colleagues so together we can improve patient care and nursing standards for all Southern California RNs," said Cecilia Caspe, RN. RNs at Whittier, a former Tenet Healthcare hospital, will now be part of the AHMC Healthcare system with San Gabriel Valley Medical Center, itself once part of the Catholic Healthcare West chain. AHMC was formed in 2004. First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: California Nurses Association
CONTACT: Jill Furillo, +1-916-417-6203, or Charles Idelson,
+1-510-273-2246, or David Monkawa, +1-818-292-3568, all of the California
Nurses Association Web site: http://www.calnurses.org/
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posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 10:07 AM
OSHA Publishes Proposal on Shipyard Employment
OSHA Publishes Proposal on Shipyard Employment WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will announce today in the Federal Register (http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTE R&p_id=20234) they are accepting public comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on General Working Conditions in Shipyard Employment. The proposed rule aims to help reduce hazards and provide greater protection for shipyard employees. The agency will be accepting public comments on the proposed rule until March 19, 2008. "Working in shipyards is one of the most hazardous occupations in the nation," said Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Shipyard employees perform industrial operations such as abrasive blasting and welding, operate heavy equipment and often work in confined spaces onboard vessels. This proposed rule would help reduce the hazards these employees face." The proposal updates and clarifies provisions in the shipyard employment standards (29 CFR Part 1915 subpart F) that have largely gone unchanged since OSHA adopted them in 1972. OSHA proposes to revise and update existing provisions and to add new provisions, including the control of hazardous energy and motor vehicle safety. Proposed updates include establishing minimum lighting for certain worksites, accounting for employees at the end of work-shifts if they work in confined spaces or alone in isolated spaces, and adding uniform criteria to ensure shipyards have an adequate number of appropriately trained first aid providers. The proposal also updates sanitation requirements. Interested parties may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov/, the Federal eRulemaking Portal; by sending three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-2625, Washington, DC 20210; or by FAX at (202) 693-1678 if the comments and attachments do not exceed 10 pages. Comments must include the Agency name and Docket Number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-S049-2006-0675). Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. U.S. Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news relhttp://www.dol.govease will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
CONTACT: OSHA Office of Communications, +1-202-693-1999 Web Site: http://www.dol.gov/
http://www.dol.gov/compliance
http://www.osha.gov/
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=20234
http://www.regulations.gov/
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Profile: labor-news
posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 9:51 AM
Mechanics Warn Air Travelers: United Outsources Maintenance to China
Mechanics Warn Air Travelers: United Outsources Maintenance to China Airport Leafleting Alerts Flyers to Potential Dangers of Foreign Repair Operations WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Airline mechanics and supporters from the Teamsters union leafleted eight airports nationwide on Thursday. They alerted passengers to the airline's practice of outsourcing heavy maintenance of its airplanes to China. The Teamsters, who are organizing mechanics from United (NASDAQ:UAUA), support them in their efforts to prevent the sale of the San Francisco aircraft maintenance operation. The mechanics believe that aviation safety is compromised by outsourcing maintenance. United now outsources all of its heavy maintenance of Boeing 747s and 777s to South Korea and China. In the Beijing repair station, only five of 2,179 mechanics are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On Thursday, the protesters stood near United counters at Boston Logan, Chicago O'Hare, Denver International, Los Angeles International, New York JFK, San Francisco International, Seattle Sea-Tac and Washington Dulles airports. They handed out leaflets stating "Passenger Alert: United Airplanes Repaired by Uncertified Mechanics in China." "Outsourcing airplane maintenance threatens mechanics' jobs and it threatens passenger safety," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. The FAA does not require foreign companies to perform drug or criminal background checks on their employees. Foreign companies are also not required to employ FAA-certified mechanics. A substantial majority of United mechanics have submitted cards requesting Teamster representation. The Teamsters are confident of winning an election to represent the mechanics within the next few months. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hard-working men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters
CONTACT: Leslie Miller of International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
+1-202-624-8734 Web Site: http://www.teamster.org/
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posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 8:17 AM
New York Employment Report: Overall Worker Confidence Inches Up in November
New York Employment Report: Overall Worker Confidence Inches Up in November NEW YORK, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Employee Confidence Index increased 0.8 points to 53.6 in November. According to the latest Spherion(R) Employment Report, the monthly survey of New York workers conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of Spherion Corporation, more workers are optimistic about the amount of jobs available, but fewer are confident in the future of their current employer. Results from the New York Employment Report: -- Twenty-three percent of workers believe there are more jobs available,
a six percentage point rise from October. -- More than half (53 percent) of workers are confident in the future of
their current employer, though this is a decrease of seven percentage
points from October. -- Four in 10 workers (40%) are likely to look for new employment in the
next year, an increase of nine percentage points from October.
"The employment situation and overall worker confidence stabilized somewhat in November, with unemployment remaining low and the Employee Confidence Index making a slight increase," said Rich Mazelsky, regional vice president of Spherion Staffing Services. "It's important to note that we continue to experience very strong job growth in a variety of industries, so those in our report who stated that they are likely to look for jobs should have many opportunities to do so."
Link to full Report & Methodology: http://spherion.mediaroom.com/pressroom/index.php?s=43&item=487 About Spherion
Spherion Corporation is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.
With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing 375,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America's largest employers. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion's career blog, The Big Time(SM), at www.spherion.com/careerblog.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Spherion Corporation
CONTACT: Media, Lesly Baer, of Spherion Corporation, +1-800-422-3819,
leslybaer@spherion.com Web site: http://spherion.mediaroom.com/pressroom/index.php?s=43&item=487
http://www.spherion.com/
http://www.spherion.com/careerblog
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Profile: labor-news
posted by McMillion & Hirtensteiner LLP Labor News # 7:04 AM
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