Term
| 11: NPR - Product Labeling |
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Definition
| - US officials and other country officials met in Canada- Europe wants labeling required, US wants voluntary- If they were all labeled it would kill industry- Consumers don’t know the meaning of label and consider it a warning- Consumer benefits is better taste and more nutrients- Intent is to force biotech out of business - 1992 decided no good reason to label food and has remained the policy - Mandatory labeling laws to EU could act as a trade barrier |
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11: NPR Internet Privacy in the EU |
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Definition
| - EU is implementing new privacy law protect individuals' personal information, financial and employment records, and health information - The rules also prohibit companies from sending sensitive data to countries that do not have adequate privacy protections in place - US laws may not meet standards, businesses are worried about a data blockade |
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Definition
Bush proposes cuts to farm subsidies (government payments to farmers and ranchers) in 2006 budget Reduce cap will hit cotton and rice farmers the hardest Totals $587 million in cuts to a variety of farm programs
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11: NPR prohibitions of imported goods |
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Definition
| - Federal environmental officials are proposing a ban on sturgeon sale and imports to the U.S.- May put Beluga fish on the endangered species list due to overharvesting in the Caspian Sea to stiffen penalty for smugglers and make it difficult to sell openly- Alternatives can come from France and U.S. waters Fish and wildlife agency is expected to rule on proposal next year |
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Definition
| - Demand in U.S. for computers has dropped, so companies want to look at overseas markets however powerful computers are viewed as dangerous weaponsCurrent policy restricts the sale of the most powerful computers to many foreign countries, who can get the computers on the black market |
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| 12: NewsHour- Abolishing Regulation in Airline and Trucking Industries |
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Definition
Airlines: Heavy regulated (routes, prices) until 70s, then replaced regulation w/free market competition *safety was never regulated Trucking: Lives lost due to trucker fatigue – want reg. for # of hours driving and # hrs resting Deregulation has increased # of trucking companies Regulations could cause huge losses in miles and revenue for companies Cost will be passed onto consumers and more trucks on the road during peak hours |
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Definition
| Mine safety and health administration experienced change with Bush administration – less strict regulation by cutting down # of individuals enforcing, work with industry, less fines |
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| 12: 60 Minutes - Politics of Global Warming |
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Definition
| - White house restricting scientists from passing on info about global warming, climate change is happening due to human activity and greenhouse gas emissions - Former oil industry lobbyist edits documentsHard for those in politics to disagree until out of office |
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Definition
| Establish royalties on extractions, clean up mines, now land is tourist attraction |
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| - Caught in antitrust violation, insider (Whitaker) told FBI that ADM was engaged in worldwide price fixing scheme with lysine, carving up market, told that corporations had regular meetings- ADM product are found in many household products and foods FBI caught ADM on videotape, Whitaker was wired, enticed Japanese businessmen to come to Hawaii to golf-they were hesitant of America’s antitrust policies |
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Definition
| - Antitrust parallels between Rockefeller’s standard oil monopoly and Microsoft operating systems- Both young entrepreneurs - Rockefeller struck deals with railroads, and leveraged power, have discounts to standard oil, and fees to barrels of oil shipped by competitors- Self conscious revolutionary, wanted to pool interests, fix prices, and guarantee cheap kerosene for masses - Ida Tarbell exposed trust’s inner workings, made Rockefeller hated- Broken up by Roosevelt in 1911- Difference is federal government broke up Standard Oil, but they want to change Microsoft’s business practices- Rockefeller gained even more from share of separate companies Both men claimed to lower prices and improved quality of products |
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Term
| 13: NPR Court Gives Manufacturers Leeway on Pricing |
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Definition
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned a decades-old antitrust standard to give manufacturers additional rights when it comes to setting prices. The decision gives manufacturers more leeway to set minimum prices for their products. |
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Term
| 13: NPR American Airlines Predatory Pricing |
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Definition
the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against American Airlines today charging the airline used "predatory" pricing strategies to drive other airlines away from its main hub in Dallas. (drove out other carriers then raised prices) American dominates air traffic in the area, controlling 70% of the flights in and out of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
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| 13: NPR Justice Department Object Sprint World Com Merger |
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Definition
| - the US Justice Department filed suit today to block the proposed merger. - The head of the Justice Department antitrust division, Joel Klien, said the merger would reduce competition in the telecom sector and result in higher prices for businesses and consumers. - Worldcom announced its plan to acquire Sprint in a deal valued at 129-billion-dollars last year. Today, Sprint and Worldcom say they're withdrawing the application filed with the European Commission to merge their companies |
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| 14: NewsHour Microsoft Breakup Overturned |
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Definition
| - Breakup was remanded, but could be brought up again- Court agreed Microsoft was monopoly, legally obtained, but potentially illegally maintained Victory to consumers because innovations to windows are allowed as long as exclusionary practices aren’t used |
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Definition
| - Statement of objections from EU- Violation of competition law to include media player in windows – bundled products- EU monopoly is dominant position – problem is abuse of dominance- Ultimately offered version that does not include media player- no demand- M was right- Innovators either, think of new products, or combine products – true for many products- We now expect more things out of our operating systems – what Microsoft does- Windows runs on many different hardware platforms- Windows operating system runs a wide variety of applications- EU article 82 affects single firm conduct like S/2 Sherman Acto Tying§ Distinct products§ Tying product windows, tied product windows media player- Media player doesn’t work without media player- Separate name does not mean separate product Updated versions don’t mean different product, just periodic updates between windows releases |
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Term
| 15: NPR Disney Stockholders Sue Board of Directors |
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Definition
| - Michael Ovits received severance package of $1.4 million- Delaware court ruled with Disney, narrow win for managementShareholders may have more success in future |
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| 15: NPR Shareholders & CEO pay |
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Definition
| CEOs fighting against shareholders Verizon passed safeguards to control executive pay and severance packages |
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| 15: NPR Corporate Reforms Hit Boardroom |
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Definition
| many corporations are changing the way they do business by selecting stronger board members. That means, choosing more people who are informed about finances and having fewer board members who are related to the CEO. Analysts say a lot of the reforms are taking place because of new laws and the need to show that companies are trying to avoid future scandals |
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Term
| 16: NPR Background Checks |
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Definition
| - After 9/11 background checks have been demanded and are taken more seriously- Checks have become more wide ranging (expanding to different counties etc.)- More smaller employees are thinking they are worth the expenseIt is questionable how effective background checks really are in reducing crime, however it helps reduce the feeling of uncertainty |
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Term
| 16: NPR Facebook & MySpace |
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Definition
| - Rights? Internet is free game, could find information that they are legally not allowed to ask during interview (religion, health, family-married or children), can only ask questions relevant to jobMany HR are actively pursuing sites |
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Definition
| - Federal authorities insist drug testing make companies more productive- With tight labor market, it makes it difficult to higher employees- Doubts of the benefit of drug testing, but could be a good insurance policy if working with heavy equipment Safety may not be the reason, but enlisting the private sector in drug war |
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Definition
| - A recent California Supreme Court ruling makes it easier to sue if you can prove your boss had an affair with a fellow employee who was then promotedMust be able to prove it |
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16: NPR Oregon Wal-Mart Lawsuit |
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Definition
| - Wal-Mart forced 140 employees to work overtime w/o pay to keep down costs- Gave them too much to do, forcing them to work off the clock- 38 similar suits are pending, Oregon first to rule for employeesUltimate verdict should be as much as possible to discourage company |
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| 16: NPR Problems With Pension Plans |
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Definition
| - Bush signed sweeping new pension reforms- Company must set aside enough money to pay off plans- Auto, steel, railroads, airlines have defined pension plans- As long as company is in business required to make good on promises accrued, if insufficient assets have been set aside, government reassurance group provides partial insurance (entitled of $47,700 or entitlement, whichever is less) - State and local pension plans not federally regulated, so there is little info on status of funding, some are good, some badProblematic; baby boomers will have longer retirement, social security system out of money, inefficient pension system |
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Term
| 16: NPR Redskins and Workers Comp |
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Definition
| - NFL players, Redskins, filing worker’s compensation - Not designed for players making millions – abuse of system- Already get under player contractBill didn’t pass |
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| 16: Frontline A Dangerous Business |
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Definition
| - pipe workers for McWane and Tyler Pipe suffered injuries on job, violator of safety rules- safety sacrificed for productivity - discipline management practice – reduced number of workers- basic human needs were not met – had to urinate on the job- dangerous environment – moving parts and machines that are supposed to be covered with safety guards- safety rules from OSHA are repeatedly ignored- every year 10s of thousands injured 6 thousand die from work related accidents- on the floor – gap between policy and practice- to combat turnover, recruited ex-convicts- training not adequate - company repeatedly claimed injuries/deaths were the fault of the worker- deaths caused fines and charges of misdemeanor and will give worker’s compensation (gives workers money and company IMMUNITY), no one went to jail- managers admitted to good pay, but horrible, unsafe working conditions- Union Foundry safety director completely unqualified, no budget, staff, or authority – job was to deal with OSHA, reducing fines and withholding information (“don’t convict yourself, let them do it”)- Would rather pay fines than comply with law- Since OSHA 200,000 work related death and 11 jail sentences – hasn’t changed because regulatory and enforcement is not popular in congress, misdemeanor does not get as much attention as felony- Whistleblowers lost big salaries - To bring charges higher up, need cooperation of managersNeed stronger enforcement to bring them in line |
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Definition
| - Paid $50 million to settle lawsuit, will change hiring practice and create office of diversity- Accused for favoring white men in hiring and branding- Minorities excluded from jobs or given behind the scenes jobsCould set precedent for image discrimination for other companies |
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Term
| 17: NewsHour Workplace Bias |
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Definition
| - Women complaining of being paid, below the poverty line, as men are receiving higher wages- In 2001, Duke sued Wal-Mart for gender discrimination and is lead plaintiff in a landmark case, the largest workplace bias suit ever, covering the so-called class of women-- some 1.6 million of them-- who worked at Wal-Mart sometime in the past six years. - Hundreds of millions of dollars in lost wages could be at stake, and the judge in charge called the suit historic in nature, dwarfing other discrimination cases. - Others issues are being terminated after complaints, sexual and racial harassment- Wal-Mart paid men more than women in every category, the better job, the greater the difference- Wal-Mart denies charge – o blaming individual managers, not corporateo Taking steps – promoting women, office of diversitySexual assault are a result of being the largest employer |
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Term
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Definition
| - link between golf and business, and about how barring women from Augusta National limits the role women can play in business.- There they develop relationships that help their careersAugusta can discriminate because it is a private club (right of association) |
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Term
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Definition
| - Employees fired for nicotine in body- In Michigan it is legal to fire people virtually at will- Employees tried to quit and with help of company program, but couldn’t- Issue for employees is privacy and doing something legal outside work that doesn’t inhibit performance- Boss doesn’t want to pay for increase cost of healthcare and promotes his healthy lifestyleThis form of lifestyle discrimination is legal in 20 states |
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| 17: NPR Age Discrimination |
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Definition
| - The Supreme Court rules in a 5-3 vote that workers in some cases can win age discrimination claims in court without proving intentional discrimination. - The court said employers adopting policies that disproportionately affect workers over the age of 40 can be sued.- Age discrimination different from other discrimination, age not uncommonly has relevance to an individual’s capacity to engage in certain kinds of employmentIt is then “reasonable” to give junior officers raises to compete with other jobs |
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