Term
| Sustainability: Prohibition of imported goods-beluga caviar |
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Definition
| Black market for caviar now, especially from beluga sturgeon. Travels same smuggling routes as drugs. Illegal global trade for caviar is astronomical, over 100 million dollars. US proposing to put the fish on the endangered species list. Harsher penalties for smugglers, more difficult to buy it, etc. |
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Term
| Government regulations of goods - farm subsidies |
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Definition
| Most controversial presidential proposal is cutting subsidies for cotton and rice producers. Farmers will have to help with bush administration deficit. Farm Bureau Federation not happy with the budget cuts. New rules would close loopholes that make large producers to get around the "gap," 250 mill to 340 mill or something. Another cut could decrease profits of small and large farms by 5%, crippling many small to mid sized farms. |
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Term
| Government regulations of business - export controls |
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Definition
NPR's Larry Abramson reports on the debate over lifting export controls on high-powered computers. Current law restricts the sale of the most powerful U.S.-made computers to many foreign countries where the government fears they could be misused.
NPR didn't play this one, it was just the brief synopsis |
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Term
| Reform in the regulatory arena - mine inspections |
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Definition
| Explosion of Sago mine. Mine was underfunded by bush administration. When bush took office in 2001, they had different approach, they wanted to focus more on building alliances with mining agency, whereas clinton administration had more inspections and tougher penalties. Agency reported numerous violations of mine safety. Sago mine was not inspected adequately or was not enforced. Congressional oversight of the mining agency needs to happen and an inspection into the accident must happen. |
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Term
| Anti-trust laws: ticketmaster & live nation |
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Definition
| Lawmakers said this deal would be bad for consumers. Ticketmaster has already gotten the attention of anti trust regulators that the ticket broker was using its huge market share to drive up ticket prices. The worry that control of concerts would be controlled by one organization and the artists and consumers would be at their mercy. When they proposed the merger they denied that it would cut out other players. Claims that its not their problem that ticket prices have gone up. "Ticketmaster does not fix prices" ticketmaster CEO claims. |
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Term
| Anti trust - The story of John D. Rockefeller Sr. |
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Definition
They discuss the 1906 anti-trust suit against Standard Oil, brought by the Justice Department during the trust-busting administration of President Teddy Roosevelt. Chernow compares that suit to the one brought last week against Microsoft. (8:23) [Chernow's book is published by Random House.]
This one didn't play on NPR, it was just the brief synopsis. |
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Term
| Anti trust-real estate industry |
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Definition
| Real estate commissions have hovered in 5-7% range for a long time, regardless of market. Discount firms account for just 2% of real estate market. Some states have laws that prevent discount real estate firms. Consumers do have a choice of what they pay a real estate agent and what they get in return. Things are moving in the direction that if we are going to get reform in the industry this is the place to get started. Realtors are jealously guarding their commissions, and it will not be an easy sell. |
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Term
| Owner stakeholders and corporate governance - highly paid CEO outsted |
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Definition
| Robert Nordely high paid executive of home depot fired. At the job for 6 years and their stock fell drastically. Walked away with severence pay of more than 2 million dollars. He ran a meeting where he refused to answer shareholders questions about his level of pay. Created a "firestorm" in the company. He even refused to take a lower bonus, which lead to his departure. One of driving forces in his departure are activist and union shareholders. How shareholders can influence corporate governance are to be the "squeaky wheel." Shareholders need to be the "majority vote," and eventually the majority vote will be prominent in big companies in the years to come. |
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Term
| Owner stakeholders and corporate governance-board governance after enron |
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Definition
Corporate watch dogs say that a revolution while board of directors look for new regulations. After enron, this has now happen. They are trying to increase the number of independent directors. It seems the less connection to the company the better, for example, no one with a close family tie to the CEO, etc.
NPR's David Molpus reports 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. (The NPR synopsis) |
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Term
| Owner stakeholders and corporate governance-backdating scandals |
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Definition
| Converse technology executive has admitted to illegally backdated stock options to enrich himself and others. First executive to admit to this. He altered dates when stock options were granted, therefore purchasing stocks more cheaply and netting bigger profits. 350 other companies have been investigated for backdating, mainly in technology. |
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Term
| Employment and employee rights - violence in the workplace |
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Definition
Though still relatively rare, homicide has become the second most common cause of death in the workplace. As NPR's David Molpus reports, some employers are using increasingly sophisticated tests to screen out potentially violent job applicants.
NPR couldn't play this one, this is the synopsis |
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Term
| Employment and employee rights-georgia lawmakers mull guns in cars at work |
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Definition
| NRA wants georgians to keep guns in their cars, even if employers dont want this. Been on the issue since Oklahoma employers fired employees for having guns on their properties. This goes against the second amendment, but they want the workplace to be an exception. Some argue that this is not a government decision, but rather a business decision. |
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Term
| employment and employee rights - pension plans |
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Definition
As companies announce cuts or freezes in employee pensions, many recall a warning from retiring Fed chief Alan Greenspan: Social Security and Medicare have uncertain futures. Cal professor Harley Shaiken offers Scott Simon his insights. (NPR synopsis)
It will become more difficult as companies look at bankruptcy as a business strategy than a last resort. They do this to dump their pension obligations. We may at some point have to change how social security taxes are charged. 60% percent of americans rely on social security as their retirement income, it was never meant solely for this purpose. If we dont want retirement to translate into poverty, we must address this problem as a society. |
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Term
| employment and employee rights - background checks |
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Definition
| Clients are reminding that personnel companies do background checks, especially in areas such as airports. This happened due to 9/11. By using background checks clients are offered a certain comfort level. About 70% of prospective employees try to lie about criminal background, 10-20% lie about education. Illegal immigrants almost have it easy, as it is difficult and expensive to find a background check on an illegal alien. Smaller businesses are finding that the trouble of background checks are worth it. Focusing just on criminal records are not the best way to identify if an employee would be harmful in the workplace. for example, conviction of violent crime vs a drug charge. |
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Term
| employment and employee rights-workplace drug testing |
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Definition
NPR's David Welna reports that despite federal efforts to encourage workplace drug testing, many small businesses are reluctant to screen prospective employees. They're scrambling for workers in an extremely tight job market, and don't want to lose any. And while federal authorities insist that drug testing make companies more productive, a number of studies suggest that's not the case.
NPR wouldn't play this one, its the synopsis |
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Term
| employment and employee rights - using the computer at work |
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Definition
How do Americans use the Internet while at work? Some people have the ability to see anything on the World Wide Web — but others' bosses are stricter. Robert Siegel talks to Kentucky's state treasurer, an Internet security executive, and an e-policy analyst about shifting attitudes toward Internet usage in the workplace.
We also hear from workers in Kansas City, Mo., Oakland, Calif., and Seattle about how much access they have to the Internet on the job.
The dangers of workplace web surfing
In some corner of your mind, you probably know the company is there, watching you. Maybe there's a vague memory of being handed an Internet-use policy on your first day of work. But did you actually stop to read it? Perhaps you were too busy clicking "yes" to the many "terms of use" policies you encountered while registering at Web sites ... at work.
About one-quarter of employee terminations are due to misuse of workplace Internet privileges, according to a recent survey. In a case that gained attention earlier this year, a New York administrative law judge found Internet use no worse than using the phone or reading a newspaper at work.
But companies usually don't share that view. Some firms find employee cyber-slacking cause enough for disciplinary action, and others gear their policies toward warding off lawsuits — and financial ruin — stemming from employee e-mails or blogging.
Regulating Your Workplace Web Time: Last year, a survey of more than 500 companies found that 61 percent disciplined employees for inappropriate Internet use; one-quarter of them went as far as firing a worker. That's not all that surprising when you consider that three out of five employees admit to personal Websurfing while on the clock, according to another survey of 500 employees conducted this year.
Many firms have set policies regulating what employee can and can't do on company time:
— 84 percent regulate personal e-mail use
— 81 percent regulate personal Web use
— 42 percent regulate personal IM use
— 23 percent have rules on personal postings to a corporate blog
— 20 percent set policies on personal blogging while at work
Big Brother Is Watching: In 2005, three-fourths of companies surveyed said they monitored their workers' online connections. And 65 percent of firms said they block employees from accessing certain Web sites — a 25 percent increase from 2001. But most of the time, these kinds of monitoring should not come as a surprise. A full 89 percent of companies told workers if they were being watched.
Legal Liability: E-mails may travel from sender to receiver in a flash, but their digital trail lingers much longer — and that has landed some firms in hot water. A 2006 survey of more than 400 companies found that 15 percent have fought a lawsuit triggered by a worker's careless correspondence. One in four firms has had a worker's e-mail subpoenaed, and about the same number say they've fired a worker for misusing electronic correspondence.
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Term
| Employment discrimination and civil rights - equal pay for equal work:women and the pay gap |
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Definition
| It doesn't matter if you're a doctor, a dishwasher or a school teacher: If you're a woman, you almost certainly take home less pay than a man doing the same job. It has gotten smaller over the past few decades, but the pay gap separating the genders is still an important issue. Just know that sluts still get paid 77 cents to every dollar that a man makes. Do work alpha males. |
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Term
| Employment discrimination and civil rights - The US supreme court and 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.
You can only treat older employees differently if it is a reason other than age. |
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