Communications Workers Set Strike at SBC
ST. LOUIS, MO. (SLFP.com), May 19, 2004 - The Communications Workers of America have announced that a 4-day strike involving 100,000 union employees of SBC in 13 states will begin at 12:01 a.m. local time in each time zone on Friday, May 21. Workers will return to their jobs at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 25.
Among key issues in the contract dispute, CWA members are seeking to strengthen their employment security, including gaining access to new jobs in growth areas of the company, and to preserve their health care benefits in the face of substantial cost-shifting demands by SBC management.
National bargaining that has been taking place between the parties in Washington, D.C. over health care, wages, pensions and employment security will cease, and these issues will now be referred back to the four regional tables in New Haven, Conn., Chicago, Austin, Tex., and Pleasanton, Calif.
"We appreciate the hard work of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director Peter Hurtgen in helping us try to work out an agreement on these issues, but unfortunately these efforts have failed to achieve a settlement," stated CWA President Morton Bahr in an announcement issued by the CWA Union.
"We are making this a limited job action right now to drive it home to SBC that our members are serious about securing their future at SBC," said Bahr. "We know that a prolonged strike could cause a loss of major customers and do significant damage to the company, and hopefully that can be avoided."
CWA also is ratcheting up other mobilization activities in the field and is being supported by the AFL-CIO and other major unions in mounting a carrier-switch campaign that potentially could shift substantial business from SBC to another union carrier, AT&T, which operates in 11 of the SBC states. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka personally is spearheading carrier- switch efforts aimed at labor organizations and the 5 million union families who are SBC customers. Customers are being asked to give CWA their "proxy" to implement a carrier switch if the union deems it necessary.
CWA members, who have lost 29,000 jobs at SBC over the past three years, are seeking access to the new growth jobs in Internet data services, installation of Wi-Fi hotspots, voice over the Internet (VOIP), DSL broadband and other areas. Virtually all of this SBC work, amounting to thousands of jobs, is being outsourced, including going offshore to countries such as India and the Philippines.
"SBC continues to refuse to give this work to our members, the frontline workers who have built SBC into the nation's most profitable telecom company," said Bahr. SBC's profits last year were more than $8 billion.
CWA also noted that SBC's latest bargaining proposal called for members to receive no base wage increase upon settlement, but instead receive a one-time lump sum payment of 4 percent. A cash payment instead of a 3 percent base wage increase equates to a savings to SBC of more than $1 billion over four years.
"Incredibly, SBC wants to take $1 billion out of our members' pockets in wages, not to pay for rising health costs, but just to fatten its profits. At the same time, SBC is still demanding that workers also start paying tens of millions more out of pocket for their health care," Bahr stated.
Negotiations began in mid-February. These contracts cover SBC workers in Connecticut, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, California and Nevada.
Travel Industry Predicts Consumer Confidence and Spending Will Continue to Grow
ST. LOUIS, MO. (SLFP.com), May 16, 2004 - The combination of a strengthening economy along with an increase in consumer confidence and spending is helping to make 2004 one of the strongest years in travel in quite some time. The recovery is also helped by the increase in business investments which has spurred a recovery in business travel.
"A healthier economy is providing ample stimulus for strong growth this year. Setting the stage are moderate increases in consumer spending, higher levels of consumer confidence, increasing business investments and profits, and modest travel price increases," said William S. Norman, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America.
According to the Travel Industry Association of America's (TIA) Annual Travel Forecast, overall traveler spending by domestic and international visitors is forecasted to increase nearly 6 percent in 2004 to $585 billion, up from $552 billion in 2003. Travel spending is expected to continue to improve in 2005, increasing nearly 5 percent to $613 billion and finally surpassing the record set in 2000.
Increasing for the first time since 1999, U.S. residents are forecasted to take nearly 145 million business person-trips in 2004, an improvement of 4.6 percent from 2003. In 2005, business travel will increase 3.5 percent to nearly 150 million person-trips.
While domestic leisure travel has posted modest growth over the past few years, despite recent events, 2004 will show stronger growth. TIA is forecasting leisure travel volume to grow 3.4 percent this year to 961 million person-trips, up from a less than 2 percent growth in 2003. It will increase once again in 2005 by nearly 2 percent to 978 million person-trips. Travel price inflation is forecasted to increase 2.2 percent in 2004, due mostly to higher hotel rates and gasoline prices.
For the first time in three years, international inbound arrivals to the U.S. are finally on the upswing, with a forecasted 42.5 million international arrivals in 2004. This is an increase of 5.3 percent from the 40.4 million arrivals in 2003. However, these numbers are still well below the high of 51 million arrivals in 2000. International traveler spending in the U.S. is forecasted to increase an impressive 6.6 percent in 2004, to more than $69 billion, and increase more than 7 percent in 2005 to nearly $75 billion. Once again, these spending levels are well below the $82 billion spent by international travelers in 2000.
Mother, Son Plead Guilty to Internet Sales Fraud
FARMINGTON, MO. (SLFP.com), May 16, 2004 - A Farmington man and his mother pleaded guilty in St. Francois County Circuit Court to charges they used an Internet sales scheme to defraud consumers from around the United States and from several foreign countries.
The pair were charged in April 2003 in a grand jury indictment returned at the request of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon.
Jeremy Michael Gilmore admitted he advertised expensive computer hardware for sale on online auction sites but then failed to deliver the merchandise or refund money to consumers. His mother, Cindy Ann Gilmore, admitted her role in assisting Jeremy with his scheme by opening bank accounts, depositing checks and fielding phone calls from consumers, all with the knowledge the consumers were being defrauded.
Jeremy Gilmore pleaded guilty to five counts of felony stealing and is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 6 by Circuit Judge Sandy Martinez. The state is not recommending a specific sentence to the court; each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Cindy Gilmore pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful merchandising practices and is scheduled to be sentenced on the same date and by the same judge as her son. The state is recommending that she be sentenced to four years in prison.
The state will not oppose the court suspending execution of Cindy Gilmore's sentence if she is placed on probation for five years and, as a condition of probation, ordered to pay restitution of $27,995.77 to be distributed among 24 victims. The victims would receive restitution in amounts ranging from $12 to $3,950. The state also would want the probation conditions to prohibit her from selling any merchandise over the Internet during that period.
Both defendants also may be ordered to make payment to the crime victim's compensation fund.
Nixon says the consumers who were defrauded were from both inside and outside the United States, including consumers from Kuwait and Japan. He also credits the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol; police departments in Park Hills, Farmington and Leawood; the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department; and authorities in Texas and Pennsylvania in investigating the case.
Parents, Kids Get Failing Grade in Child Helmet Use
ST. LOUIS, MO. (SLFP.com), May 16, 2004 - Fewer than half (41 percent) of kids ages 5 to 14 wear helmets when participating in wheeled activities, and more than a third (35 percent) of children who use helmets wear them improperly. These figures are based on a new national field study released by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (SAFE KIDS) and Bell Sports.
"Headed for Injury: An Observational Survey of Helmet Use Among Children Ages 14 and Under Participating in Wheeled Sports" is the first national observational survey of child helmet use. SAFE KIDS observed 8,159 children ages 5 to 14 and 1,396 adults riding bikes, skateboards, skates and scooters in 549 communities across 46 states.
Survey Key Findings
- Only 41 percent of all children observed on bicycles, inline skates, skateboards and scooters wear helmets.
- 35 percent of all children observed wearing helmets wear them improperly; common mistakes are tilted helmets, loose chin straps and unbuckled chin straps - all of which increase the risk of head injury in the event of a fall.
- Helmet use is lowest (33 percent) in the areas where most bicycle accidents occur - residential streets.
- In states with mandatory helmet laws, more child bikers wear helmets (45 percent) than in states without helmet laws (39 percent).
- When accompanied by helmeted adult riders, child helmet usage rose significantly to 67 percent compared to 50 percent helmet use among children riding with an unhelmeted adult.
- Girls (45 percent) are more likely than boys (33 percent) to wear helmets.
"Tragedy too often results when kids on bikes don't wear helmets. This important new survey underscores the urgent need for kids always to wear a helmet when using a bike. Helmets should also be worn when riding a scooter, skateboard or skates," said Dr. Jeff Runge, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In addition, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff believes the survey is a valuable tool to build awareness about helmet safety among children and adults.
Medical experts agree that helmets are a simple solution to a serious problem. Helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury in a bike accident by up to 88 percent. The American Medical Association calls a bike helmet the single most cost-effective safety device ever made.
Linda Armstrong Kelly, mother of five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, is introducing the survey and emphasizing the importance of parental role modeling.
"While bike-riding and other wheeled activities are a fun part of everyday life, all it takes is one fall to suffer a serious head injury. That's why even the most accomplished riders wear helmets," said Linda Armstrong Kelly. "As a mother, I know it's not always easy, but it's no different than seat belts - we have to teach our children to get in the habit of wearing helmets, and wearing them properly."
With more than 27 million children ages 5 to 14 estimated to ride bicycles, helmet use-and the lack of it-continues to be an important public health issue. Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. Nearly half (47 percent) of children hospitalized for bike-related injuries suffer from a traumatic brain injury. Head injuries account for up to 80 percent of bike-related fatalities.
"Head injuries are preventable, and there are relatively simple steps people can take to ensure a safer ride," said Angela Mickalide, Ph.D., program director for SAFE KIDS. "Most parents and kids don't understand just how fragile the brain is, and that a fall from a little as two feet can cause a skull fracture. No parent or child should have to learn such a painful lesson."
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