The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 17, 2006, Friday

Copyright 2006 The Chronicle of Higher Education
All Rights Reserved
The Chronicle of Higher Education

November 17, 2006 Friday

SECTION: THE FACULTY; Pg. 12 Vol. 53 No. 13


HEADLINE: Tying the Knot Helps Students, Especially Men,Succeed in Graduate School

BYLINE: ROBIN WILSON

BODY:
Graduate students who worry that marriage will derail their plans to earndoctoral degrees can relax. Being hitched, says a new study, is particularlygood for male students and is beneficial for female ones as well.
Joseph Price, a graduate student in economics at Cornell University, who ismarried with three children, says he had always felt at odds with the commonwisdom that having a spouse while in graduate school would slow down a student."It's hard to do research," says Mr. Price, for whom the benefits of marriageseem transparent. "You have to have something that keeps you going throughoutthe day. I want to get done by 5 because I like to eat dinner with thefamily."
Mr. Price studied data gathered on 11,000 graduate students over a 20-yearperiod in 100 academic departments. He found that the married men among themwere 75 percent likelier than the single men to finish their degrees quickly-- within four years -- and nearly 30 percent likelier to finishwithin seven years. On average, he found, married male students were 13 percentlikelier to publish during graduate school than were single male students, and35 percent likelier to obtain tenure-track jobs within six months ofgraduating.
The benefits of marriage were not as strong for women but are still apparent.Married women, Mr. Price found, were 25 percent likelier than their singlefemale counterparts to finish graduate school within just four years. Marriedwomen were 33 percent likelier to publish while in graduate school than weresingle women, but had no better chance of landing a tenure-track post within sixmonths of graduating.
Mr. Price says he "wanted to debunk the myth that married students are going todo worse" than unmarried ones. That doesn't mean he recommends that someone whois having trouble in graduate school should go out and get married. But "ifyou're on the margin of making the decision," he says, "you shouldn't think it'sgoing to drastically harm you as a grad student."
A working paper on his study, "Does a Spouse Slow You Down?: Marriage andGraduate Student Outcomes," has been released by the Cornell Higher EducationResearch Institute. Mr. Price has also submitted it for publication in thejournal Demography. The paper is available online(http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/wp/cheri_wp94.pdf ).
***Smith College wants to give a second chance to women who thought it was too lateto consider a career in mathematics. With a $1.5-million grant from the NationalScience Foundation, Smith is opening a center for women who are interested inpursuing graduate degrees in mathematics but didn't complete enoughundergraduate math to qualify.
Lots of colleges have programs to encourage high-school girls to considermajoring in math. But the Smith program is one of just a handful designed toencourage women to pursue graduate degrees in mathematics. One goal of theprograms is to increase the number of female faculty members in thediscipline.
Smith's Center for Women in Mathematics, which will open next academic year,will cover living expenses and tuition for as many as 16 students each year whowill take up to six mathematics courses at the college.
"A lot of women don't think they're that serious about mathematics," says RuthHaas, chairwoman of the department of mathematics and statistics at Smith andco-director of the new center. "It takes them awhile to realize they could beserious mathematicians."
***A Web site for people doing research on transgender issues is expanding and maylead to the first professional organization for scholars in the subject.
Eli R. Green, a graduate student in Widener University's human-sexualityprogram, started Trans-academics.org in December 2002 to provide a road map forgraduate programs that encourage students to do research on transgenderissues.
"It's getting popular to be working on trans research -- it's the newthing," says Mr. Green. "But finding professors who know anything about transstuff and are willing to be supportive can be challenging."
The site offers information on programs in a variety of disciplines, includinganthropology, cultural studies, medicine, and sociology. It also lists newpublications that deal with transgender issues.
Mr. Green says he and other young scholars plan on having the expanded Web sitein December and may start "a professional trans organization" for those who doresearch on the subject.
***A new book explores how people from working-class backgrounds fare in one of thecountry's most prestigious careers -- the professoriate. "Reflections Fromthe Wrong Side of the Tracks: Class, Identity, and the Working Class Experiencein Academe" (Rowman & Littlefield), was edited by two male professors, bothof whom grew up in households of Italian immigrant laborers.
The book contains essays by Ph.D.'s of working-class origins who explore theirfeelings of alienation from both their own families and their academiccolleagues.
Jennifer Beech, an assistant professor of English at the University of Tennesseeat Chattanooga, tells how she went to college on a beauty-pageant scholarship.But now that she holds a doctorate, she writes, she finds herself "less able topass as a member" of her Alabama hometown. Another essayist writes about beingasked to leave her family's Thanksgiving celebration one year after her familyaccused her of "spreading liberalist bullshit."
But David Kauzlarich, who attended a community college and considered becoming acop, writes that he still feels more comfortable with people from working-classbackgrounds.
He enjoys teaching at a medium-sized, regional university -- he is anassociate professor of sociology and criminal justice at Southern IllinoisUniversity at Edwardsville -- because, he writes, the students are likehim. They get his jokes. Culturally, he is still miles apart from most of hiscolleagues. He likes punk music, had never heard of a single classical artistuntil he went to graduate school, and favors camping, fishing, and hiking overtraveling abroad. He enjoys watching Sunday-afternoon football games and "thepunishing blows of hockey." He asks, "Is squash ever televised?"
***Stanford University's Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research iscompleting a survey of 30,000 professors at 12 top research universities tolearn about how professors who are married to other professors have navigatedthe academic hiring process and managed their careers. In a news release, theinstitute said it wanted to come up with recommendations to encourageuniversities to stop dealing with academic couples "as a problem to be solvedrather than recognizing that academic partners constitute a growing trend."
Results of the survey should be available by next summer and will be the subjectof a national conference on academic couples at Stanford next fall.

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), November 16, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 Post-Standard
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

November 16, 2006 Thursday
CAYUGA EDITION

SECTION: NEIGHBORS CAYUGA; Ormie King's Legends; Pg. 6

HEADLINE: THE LAWYER WHO LOVED BOLOGNA SANDWICHES

BYLINE: By Ormie King Contributing writer

BODY:
Thomas "Tucker" Leone was born March 15, 1927, at 28 Barber St., Auburn. If anyone can be called a Legend in Auburn, then Tucker is right up there.
He won't tell what his real middle name is, but I asked him how he got the nickname of "Tucker."
He replied, "It's like this, did you ever hear the little ditty that goes "Little Tommy Tucker sang for his supper'?" That's enough said about that!
Tucker's mom was Rachel Socci, a homemaker. His dad was Gaetano Leone, who worked for Hammond & Irving, and ran a grocery store at Clark and Washington streets. The family home was at 28 Barber St.
He had four brothers: John "Chew" Leone was a Red Star truck driver and his wife, Stella, was a homemaker.
Next came Angelo "Pepper" Leone, who ran Pepper's Liquor Store on West Genesee Street for decades. He was named after "Pepper" Martin of the St. Louis Cardinals. Like his namesake, "Pepper" was a very good Auburn athlete who played shortstop for the strong Roman's Club softball team. His wife, Rose, also was a homemaker.
The next brother was Anthony "Gunner" or "Gunboat" Leone, who worked at Alco until he retired. He also was a boxer for Ray Kahl at the Garden Street Arena. He got his nickname, "Gunboat," after an old-time boxer named "Gunboat" Smith. His wife, Evelyn, was a homemaker.
Last comes Lawrence Leone, who represents the last living brother besides Tucker. He lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., and is a retired Met Life Insurance salesman. His wife, Sophie, was the office manager for Francis Gormley's Oil Co. in Auburn.
Tucker is one of Auburn's outstanding all-around athletes. For anyone who has watched his grandson Zach Prentice play for Auburn High School, it is like looking at a clone of Tucker in his younger day.
Tucker said he learned how to play ball by playing street ball on Barber Street and then moving on to the Dunn & McCarthy's parking lot where many athletes from the West end honed their skills. Later Tucker moved to the West High playground where he met many of his boyhood friends. It was Earl Munson, at Neighborhood House, who taught him how to shoot one-handed set shots.
When Tucker was 5, he attended Seymour Street School. He continued there through the sixth grade, and went to West High and finally to East High from which he graduated in 1945.
Tucker was a star athlete who played four years of AHS basketball and was a pure shooting guard with great hands. His coaches were William "Ki" Young and Harold "Ollie" Button.
He had teammates like Joe Glenn, Louis Marino and Ciro LoCastro. He recalled his worst game saying that they played Syracuse Vocational at Syracuse Central. When he arrived he found out they were playing on a stage with a three-foot dropoff and he had to guard Pat Stark, who went on to become SU's star quarterback. Tucker said all he could think about was going off that stage while playing.
Vocational opened up with a full-court press and it was quickly 21 to 2 and 36 to 12 at halftime. Tucker said he must have taken 42 shots and made two. Believe me, Tucker went on to have many wins in his career.
Tucker played football as a quick-footed quarterback under the same two coaches.
He played with Hank Giusti, Bobby Brown, Mike Kott, Frank "Desperate" Mastropietro, Al "Hunky" Nicholas, Ray Redmond and Ted "Squirt" Wawro.
After graduation, Tucker went on to Bullis Prep School in Silver Springs, Md., which was a Naval Academy/West Point Prep School.
He made the all-prep team in the Washington, D.C., area that year as they defeated both the Army and Navy plebes. Two of his schoolmates were Auburnian's Nick Rossi and John Ragucci, who later was killed World War II.
Baseball scout Neil Mahoney, of the Boston Red Sox, showed an interest in Tucker and recommended him to "Specks" McFadden, the baseball coach at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, N.H., and also a former Red Sox pitcher. Because of the war they only played two games.
Former county attorney Bernie Donaghue, of Auburn, played football there also. The following year, Adam Walsh, who the year before coached the L.A. Rams to the NFL championship, took over as coach at Bowdoin. Tucker became a halfback and played against Amherst, Williamson, Tufts, New Hampshire, Colby and Bates colleges. He also played basketball for Bowdoin.
Tucker had a star-studded softball career locally playing shortstop for the powerhouse Romans team as well as their semi-pro basketball team. They played all the top teams in Central New York and won several city championships.
Tucker joined the Army in July 1946, and was sent to Fort McLenathan in Alabama where he took up boxing because he didn't want to do KP duty. The rounds lasted two minutes and Tucker readily admits they were some of the longest two minutes of his life and boxing was the toughest sport of all.
He then went to Korea in the infantry for a year and a half. He landed at Inchon where he met his Auburn buddy Dick "Spider" Ganey. He later caught up with another good friend, Bob "Bo" Fanelli, at Fort Lawton where he slept on the top bunk which he described as a Hindu bed of nails. Tucker got out of the Army and went back to Bowdoin and got three years credits in two years by going summers and taking an accelerated program. He graduated in 1950.
He became a Phillip Morris salesman for two years until he got a job with General Electric in Auburn.
Tucker first met Jean Adams when he was at his dad's grocery store. He saw her walking by from Dunn & McCarthy's while she was on her lunch break.
He knew that this was "the girl." He picked her up one day in his yellow Ford convertible that he bought with money he made shooting dice on the ship that brought him home.
On Jan. 3, 1953, he and Jean were married at Sacred Heart Church. They first lived at North and York streets.
He was a claims adjuster for Hardware Mutual from 1954 to 1958, when he left to enter law school at Syracuse University.
He got out in 1961 and practiced with Bill McKeon's law office. He also worked nights at Alco while waiting the results of the bar exam.
He passed, and they bought a house at 68 Elizabeth St. Jean worked at Auburn Memorial Hospital and GE as a receptionist.
She also ran a gift store with Sue Rossi, Barbara Kahl and Jeannine Schnurr called the Crimson Cricket which was located where Yesteryears restaurant is today.
The family started to grow as Michele and Tom Jr. came along.
Michele Ann is married to Tom "Ollie" Prentice, a fine Auburn athlete himself. Tom is a retired lieutenant from Butler Correctional and Michele is a registered nurse with the Harriet Tubman Center.
They have three children: Andrew, a graduate of Clarkson and network administrator for the Syracuse office of Medical Malpractice Co. He is single. Zach Prentice thrilled Auburn High fans for the past four years with his athletic exploits and he has a scholarship playing baseball at Lake City, Fla., Community College. His team is made up of nine draftees for major league baseball. A large thanks to Auburn's Mark DelPiano, who helped him get there.
His son, Tom Jr., is the Auburn corporation counsel, a graduate of Franklin Pierce College in Concord, N.H. and ran successfully for Cayuga County Court judge in this fall's election. His wife is the former Debra Leario, a teacher's aide at West High.
Tom Jr. commuted every week for three years and received his certificate from Cornell University for labor relations. He worked Saturdays and Sundays at Stott & Davis.
They have three children: Caitlin is a sophomore at William Smith College who plays lacrosse. Thomas John "T.J." Leone is an assistant manager at Pepper's Liquor and is going back to school. Marissa is a sophomore at AHS as well as a drum majorette with the Auburn Maroons Vanguard band.
Tucker is a member of a law firm made up of himself; George Shayler; Jim Leone, son of his brother, "Shum;" and longtime friend John Rossi.
Rossi said Tucker loves to talk about finances and his favorite saying is "When you spend it, it is gone!'
Tucker loves to reminisce about growing up on Barber Street where he hung out with "Bushie" and "Baggie" Fedele and loves to recall who lived in each house between Derby Avenue and Washington Street and some of their nicknames such as "Pepper," "Gunner" and "Shum" Leone, "Doc" Mazzeo, "Horn" Trillo, "Totsey" DeBenedetto, "Ducky" Testa, "Foggey" Colella, "Smokey" Joe Ventafido, "Stag" Stallone, "Duffy" Donofrio, "Butch" Tisci, "Chink" Colella, "Cisco" Basile, "Tut" Muscia, "Muley" Jerome, "Bisso" LoBisco, "Blitz" Mazzeo, "Fox" Donofrio, "Steaky" Testa, "Butchie" LoBisco, "Deuce" Trillo, "Fuego" Colella, "Andy Gump" Izzo, "Motor Boat" Morabito, "Nico" DeBenedetto, "Bomber" Fiermonte, "Nudgie" Munnari, "Mowga" Testa and "Johnny Mack" DeStefano.
Rossi said Tucker joined the firm in 1962 and on his first day asked for the day off and left for a ski trip to the Alps with his friend, Dr. Henry Romano.
Tucker, never having been on skis in his life, proceeded to break two ribs in his first attempt. John said it's been all down hill ever since.
John said, "In the legal world, Tucker always told the judges north of Weedsport in October to "give me a good deal for my clients now because once the snow flies, you won't see me until spring.' Tucker got real good deals. Ho! ho! ho!"
John really laughs when he recalls when Tucker bought a solid yellow BMW and took such a ribbing about it as they referred to Tucker as a cab driver. Tucker had it painted black.
Tucker says he has enjoyed being an attorney and trying to help people out with everyday problems of life, but deep down he really wanted to become a physical education teacher and coach basketball and football. Had he done so, I'm sure he would have been a great one.
I noted to Tucker that more than 40 years have passed and the office runs very smoothly, which he attributed a lot to Carrie Norton, the office manager and secretary, who formerly worked in the Pentagon and now lives in Weedsport. She makes sure the office runs smoothly.
He added that a lot of credit goes to Shayler, who can be seen daily tidying up the office and dragging the trash to the curb on trash day.
On July 28, 2004, the love of Tucker's life passed away after a long illness. It was certainly one of the largest wakes I have attended in Auburn which is a tribute to Jean, Tucker and their family.
Tucker said, "Any class that I have ever had in my life was attributed to my wife, Jean. She was the epitome of everything in life that is good."
Here is what his son, Tom Jr., had to say: "I am amazed at how many people's lives my father has touched. No matter where I go, whether in Auburn, in Cayuga County or in various parts of New York state, someone knows him. Even more amazing, these people don't just know him, they are quick to share a story about him, mostly about his quick wit and his kindness.
"My father is a man who in his almost 80 years on earth has never said an unkind word about anyone and is always there to help those individuals less fortunate than him.
"I am very proud of my father. From very humble beginnings, he and my mother worked hard to provide a better life for his family. My father became a lawyer the hard way. He went to law school after my sister and I were born and worked two jobs at the same time. He never forgot any of the people that helped him get through those tough times.
"My father has always been there for his family, friends and even strangers who may need a hand. He is truly my best friend. My only hope is that I can be half the man he is.
"Most of Auburn knows my father will not ride an elevator by himself. It doesn't matter if it's going up or down. This is most notable at the County Office Building where he will pull just about anybody in the elevator with him for a ride. Once you're in, there is no telling what the conversation may be.
"My father was a frequent visitor to the Cayuga County jail at lunch time when it was located on Court Street. Although Auburn had many fine eateries, my father had a penchant for their bologna sandwiches that they served to inmates. In fact, to this day, when he speaks about the good old days, the bologna sandwiches are likely to be mentioned."
To Tucker and his entire family, we thank you all for being Legends of Auburn!
Ormie King's Local History Room, with its several thousand photos and news clips, is open for your pleasure and reminiscing at the Cayuga Community College Library. For information and library hours, call 255-1743, ext. 2296.
Around Auburn
Get-well wishes to Kim Corcoran, Marge Winters and Elizabeth Berg.
Happy 103rd birthday to Fanny Trinca, and 101st to Florence Hendricks.
Happy birthday to Avis Ball, Jacob Barr, Ann McKeon, the Rev. Louis Vasile, Helen Dudek, Kaitlyn Hlywa, Sue Chandler and Sarah Benham.
Happy 63rd anniversary to Win and Harry Lawford and happy 61st to Sarah and John Wachna.
Congratulations to Chris and Gary Mercado on the birth of their daughter, Sheridan Elena.
Our condolences to the families of Nola Robbins Faynor, Nan Cuddy Costello and Susan Hoadley.
A tennis legend I missed was Bob Weldon, who has won the Empire State Senior Games in his age bracket many times.
Fantastic, super, however you describe it, Dave Moskov and his staff and the Auburn Maroons football team have brought back a spirit to Auburn that hasn't been felt in many a moon. It was certainly evident at the Hall of Fame dinner Saturday as everyone there was pumped up. I love traditions, and when our 1954 and 1955 team went undefeated the business and civic community held a banquet both years and gave each player a gold football and maroon jackets with the CIC championship logo on it. There are some 35 to 40 athletes on this year's team and I'll buy the first jacket. If there are any former players, fans, etc., who would care to do the same then give me a call at 253-5430 and we can get it done and it will mean a lot to these young athletes and it will add a lot of spirit back into our community.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO PHOTOS COURTESY OF ORMIE KING THOMAS LEONE at Bowdoin College in 1946. THE LEONE FAMILY includes (from left) Jean Leone, Tom Leone Jr., Debra Leone, Michele Ann Prentice, Tom "Ollie" Prentice and Thomas Leone. THE LEONE GRANDCHILDREN include (from left) Caitlin Leone, Marissa Leone, Abby Prentice, T.J. Leone Jr., Zach Prentice and Andrew Prentice. Photo courtesy of Ormie King THE LEONE GRANDCHILDREN include (from left) Caitlin Leone, Marissa Leone, Abby Prentice, T.J. Leone Jr., Zach Prentice and Andrew Prentice.

Daily News (New York), November 15, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006
Daily News, L.P. Daily News (New York)
November 15, 2006 Wednesday
SPORTS FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS;
Pg. 10

HEADLINE: TWU HOPEFULS RAIL.
CANDIDATES FOR PREZ SPAR DURING DEBATE
BYLINE: BY PETE DONOHUE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

BODY:BRANDING HIS challengers as wimps, tough-talking Roger Toussaint urged the Transport Workers Union to reelect him to a third term as president.
He said his rivals had two things in common. "They're all part of the 'We hate Roger club' " and they lack the gumption to stand up to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the governor, he said.
"You can't give a union like ours over to weak leadership because we're up against very bad people," he said during a 90-minute, forum-style debate at the CUNY School of Professional Studies.Ballots go out next week and must be returned by Dec. 15, when vote counting will begin.

Toussaint and his challengers, except chief rival Barry Roberts, who skipped the event, were questioned by Gene Carroll, director of the union leadership program at Cornell University.
Toussaint congratulated those who did take part and later took a shot at Roberts, who heads the Rail & Bus slate, saying, "There's a rumor he's in the witness protection program."
Roberts had said he was concentrating on campaigning in the depots and railyards.
Union Vice President Ainsley Stewart, running on the Union Democracy slate, injected a little fire into the event by accusing Toussaint of failing to get big enough raises for workers even though "Transit has money coming in like waves on the seashore."
Michael Carrube, a conductor leading the Fresh Start slate, and Anthony Staley, running on the Independent slate, also took part in the debate.
Carrube accused Toussaint of making the union "look weak" in the public's eyes when he continued to bargain rather than strike as soon as its last contract expired.The union eventually struck for three days last December.
Toussaint and the MTA reached a deal on a tentative pact, but the membership defeated it by just seven votes in January.
TWU Local 100 is still without a contract nearly a year later and the dispute is in arbitration.

mailto:arbitration.pdonohue@nydailynews.com

GRAPHIC: ANDREW THEODORAKIS Candidates for president of Transport Workers Union Local 100 at last night's debate: (l.-to-r.) Michael Carrube, Ainsley Stewart, Anthony Staley, Roger Toussaint.

Buffalo News (New York), November 15, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 The Buffalo News
All Rights Reserved
Buffalo News (New York)

November 15, 2006 Wednesday
CENTRAL EDITION

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. B9

HEADLINE: On the Record / November 15, 2006

BODY:
>Hires/Promotions/Honors
Kaleida Health, a Western New York health care provider, named Stephanie Williams Torres director of medical affairs; Mickey Mariacher director of facility planning and construction; Chris O'Mara director of patient management services for Buffalo General Hospital; and Brian Anderson director of human resources at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. Previously, Williams Torres served as a defense litigation attorney for Hiscock and Barclay and did legal work for National Fuel Gas Distribution and Hodgson Russ. Mariacher has more than 25 years of related field experience including serving most recently as a project manager with Cannon O'Mara, with the health care provider since 2003, previously worked as the director of medical management at HealthNow. Anderson recently served as the human resource manager for Tops Markets in Buffalo.
***
Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation named Carol Sheldon, The Waters of Westfield and Rose Van Volkenburg, Panama Central School Board of Education to its board of directors.
***
Chiampou Travis Besaw and Kershner, an Amherst accounting firm, named Kay Hashimoto, a staff accountant. Hashimoto was previously associated with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service and Xerox Corp.
***
Jaeckle Fleischmann and Mugel partner Randall M. Odza served as a commentator at a special program discussing the National Labor Relations Board's recent ruling in Oakwood Healthcare and companion cases, Golden Crest and Croft Metal, clarifying who is a supervisor within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act. The program was hosted by the Cornell University Industrial and Labor Relations School.
-----
>Company items
Construction has began on the new Hamburg Tractor Supply Co. store, 4484 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. The facility, with 24,727 square feet including sales floor and support service space, is scheduled for completion in late March 2007. This is 39th store in New York.
***
Ace Energy Co., a Buffalo-based lighting organization with lighting customers in Western New York, New York City and Long Island, received multiple awards for light projects by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority under the Small Commercial Lighting Program. The company received an award for having the most completed projects in the third-quarter of 2006 and by submitting six projects on a single day this September. An additional award was received for having the highest square footage of upgraded space in the quarter.
***
The Interactive Department at Eric Mower and Associates, a marketing communications agency, was honored by the Web Marketing Association's 2006 International WebAwards Competition. The agency received the Outstanding Web Site award for the Maid of the Mist site and Standard of Excellence, Technology Category for the Motorola Web site designs.
-----

The Washington Post, November 15, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 The Washington Post
The Washington Post

November 15, 2006 Wednesday
Final Edition

SECTION: Financial; D01

HEADLINE: Big 3 Auto Heads Get Little From President;
Bush Vows to Pressure Asian Countries

BYLINE: Sholnn Freeman, Washington Post Staff Writer

BODY:
President Bush promised yesterday to deliver a message to Asian trading partners to "treat us the way we treat you" but offered top U.S. auto executives little help in their battle to turn their companies around.
The president met with the three chief executives of the Detroit-based auto companies for a little more than an hour at the White House after twice postponing the get-together in the past several months. In Michigan, where the economy is reeling from auto industry downsizing, the long wait came to symbolize the Bush administration's indifference to the manufacturing sector.
Alan R. Mulally of Ford Motor Co.; Thomas W. LaSorda of Chrysler, the U.S. division of DaimlerChrysler AG; and G. Richard Wagoner Jr. of General Motors Corp. laid out their concerns about fair trade, health-care costs, rising steel prices and alternative fuel development. After the meeting, Bush said the executives had "tough choices" to make. He said he was confident that they were making the "right decisions."
Bush, who was preparing to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam this week, said he would tell Asian trading partners that "our markets are open for your products, and we expect your markets to be open for ours, including our automobiles."
At a news conference after the meeting, the three auto executives said they found common ground with the president on energy issues. The executives said they asked the administration to help expand the supply and distribution of alternative fuels such as ethanol. In a joint statement, the automakers said they could make half of their annual vehicle production capable of burning ethanol by 2012 to lessen the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
The auto executives said Bush made no pledges to support any specific industry initiatives. Other company officials had said they had limited expectations for the meeting, which was also attended by Vice President Cheney.
The auto executives said they were not able persuade the administration to challenge the Japanese government on its trade imbalance with the United States and the weakness of the yen, which makes Japanese products cheaper overseas. Wagoner and other auto officials have accused the Japanese government of artificially weakening the yen, providing a cost subsidy of $3,000 to $9,000 per vehicle for auto exports to this country for automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
"I can't honestly say the president 100 percent saw it that way," Wagoner said after the meeting.
Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labor education research at Cornell University, said part of the administration's inaction has been because Michigan is a Democratic-leaning state. She said organized labor played a major role in last week's elections and labor union members turned out in large numbers to help mobilize Democratic voters.
"But it's much bigger than that," Bronfenbrenner said. "Bush hasn't cared about health care, retiree benefits or pensions for any workers, and those are some of the issues that drove the Democratic victory in the last election."
The election put key allies of the industry into power, including Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), who is set to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.), who is to take the chairmanship of the trade subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. In a written statement, Dingell said he was pleased automakers had a chance to present their concerns to the president. "The meeting is a first step," he said, "now we need action."
Democrats are pushing a number of industry-related initiatives on trade and health care. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he would continue to try to build support for a proposal to have the government pick up part of the auto industry's retiree health-care bills, if the carmakers promise to invest in new energy technologies such as hybrids.
"My hope is that the president and his staff are working to examine these approaches," Obama said yesterday in an interview. "I can assure you if the president doesn't take the lead, the Congress will."

Newsday (New York), November 14, 2006, Tuesday

The following is also found in
amNEW YORK
http://www.amny.com/news/local/transportation/am-twu1114,0,6808006.story

Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York)

November 14, 2006 Tuesday
CITY EDITION

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A16

HEADLINE: TWU rivals face off in debate;
Contest for transit union's leadership pits 4 of 5 candidates in an unusual forum billed as closed-door session

BYLINE: BY CHUCK BENNETT. amNEWYORK

BODY:
Transit union president Roger Toussaint will be on the hot seat this evening in a four-way debate in advance of the Transport Workers Union election.
The debate, which was described as highly unusual for a union election, was conceived by Toussaint and his No. 2, Ed Watt, after a symposium in September at the CUNY Graduate Center on the legacy of the transit strike.
"In general, the labor movement itself doesn't do enough of these things," said Gene Carroll, who will serve as moderator and teaches at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. "It's a useful democratic forum."
Barry Roberts, who heads the Rail & Bus United Slate and is Toussaint's highest-profile challenger, is the only candidate not attending.
"Toussaint has squashed democratic debate within [TWU] Local 100 for the past three years. Now, as an act of desperation, he wants to debate, and it's too late," said John Samuelsen, who is running for the No. 2 spot on the same slate as Roberts.
Other candidates were enthusiastic.
"This is a golden opportunity," said Ainsely Stewart, who is running for president on the Union Democracy slate. Stewart led the "Vote No" campaign against the contract that was settled after the strike. That contract was initially rejected and is now in the hands of an independent arbitrator.
Carroll said debate questions will go beyond the strike and include safety, health care, and rank-and-file workers' relationships with supervisors. Members of the 33,700-strong union will start mailing ballots Nov. 20, with final results due Dec. 15.
Toussaint has served two three-year terms.
The fact that the debate will be open only to the media irked some union members.
"It's a closed-door debate," said Lee Ireland, a conductor with 22 years on the job. He tried to organize an open debate for the same evening.

GRAPHIC: File Photo by Jefferson Siegel - In a debate tonight, Roger Toussaint will be defending his leadership of the 33,700-member transportation union.

Buffalo News (New York), November 11, 2006, Saturday

Copyright 2006 Buffalo News
Buffalo News (New York)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

November 11, 2006 Saturday

SECTION: BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS

HEADLINE: Area GM plant may get diesel engine line: Automaker seeks tax breaks if Tonawanda facility is to be awarded the $21 million investment

BYLINE: Fred O. Williams, The Buffalo News, N.Y.

BODY:
Nov. 11--General Motors' engine plant in the Town of Tonawanda is competing for a $21 million investment by the automaker, a spokeswoman confirmed -- without saying exactly what the potential expansion would be.
There's speculation that it could be a diesel engine line.
Changing standards for diesel fuel are making it easier for automakers to meet emissions standards, leading to speculation that GM will produce diesel engines for some of its vehicles.
The company has applied to the Erie County Industrial Development Agency for tax breaks connected to the possible investment in Tonawanda, GM communications manager Doris Powers Toney said. At least one other site in North America is also being considered for the new task, she said.
No time frame has been set for a decision on the investment, she said.
GM employs 1,900 people at the engine plant on River Road, about 1,620 of them hourly workers. The plant's major engines, all introduced within the last 10 years, are the "Ecotec" 2.2 liter four-cylinder; a V-6 for passenger cars, and inline 4- and 5-cylinder motors for trucks. The site also makes a V-8 that's available on some full-size trucks and SUVs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required fuel producers to cut the sulfur content of diesel in a rule that took effect in June. The move makes it easier for automakers to meet emissions requirements for highway vehicles, spurring a crop of diesel-powered vehicles starting in 2007.
GM has said it is working on diesel engine technology with Japanese partner Isuzu.
"Diesel has tremendous advantages," said Arthur Wheaton, an instructor at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Buffalo. "It gets a lot better fuel economy for the same torque."
Some diesels rival the fuel efficiency of gas-electric hybrids. But the fuel, popular in Europe, has faced environmental hurdles in the U.S.
e-mail: fwilliams@buffnews.com
Copyright (c) 2006, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Business Week Online, November 10, 2006, Friday

. Copyright 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Business Week Online

November 10, 2006 Friday

SECTION: TOP NEWS

HEADLINE: The Return of Workers' Rights?;
With Democrats now running the congressional show, labor groups who turned out the vote are primed for payback. How much will they get?

BYLINE: Moira Herbst

BODY:
This was the election that got Eileen Fonesca fired up. A clerk at a supermarket in Broomall, Pa., and a member of the United Food & Commercial Workers 1776, Fonesca knocked on doors, called voters, and carried signs supporting Democratic candidates.
Her motivation? "I'm doing this for others who are living on the minimum wage, my children, and for myself," said Fonesca, 55, who considers the future of Social Security at risk. "I find it hard to believe; I know too many people who are struggling. The government is endorsing tax breaks for the wealthy and sending jobs overseas. That is wrong."

Dividends for Foot Soldiers

Among U.S. workers, Fonesca is hardly alone in that view. This week, when a restive electorate snatched control of Congress from the GOP, hundreds of thousands of union members helped fuel the Democrats' turnout engine. Exit polls show that the nonunion vote was an even split for Democrats and Republicans, while 64% of union voters backed Democrats. Union membership may be declining, but come election time, their members are the Democrats' foot soldiers, just as evangelical Christians have long been loyal to Republicans. Given their efforts, organized labor will be looking for political payback from the Democrats they helped send to Washington.
However, just as unions have been burned before by their political friends -- think Bill Clinton's spirited push for NAFTA -- it's unclear what kind of dividend they can expect from the Congress that will convene next year. The agendas of the two umbrella labor groups -- the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win coalition, representing more than 15 million workers -- involve increasing the federal minimum wage, reforming health care and Social Security, and stopping the hemorrhage of jobs to cheaper overseas labor markets [see BusinessWeek.com, 1/30/06, "The Future of Outsourcing"]. Yet the question remains: How beholden will Democrats be to Big Labor's agenda if union members seem to back them no matter what?
Not very, some experts contend. "Unions have had to reassess the likely benefits of even successful political action," says Cletus Daniel, a professor at Cornell University's Industrial & Labor Relations School. "A lot of people they've helped elect are not staunch advocates of workers' rights or trade unionism, or willing to take important political risks on their behalf."

Keeping Tabs

At the very least, labor leaders say, unions will be able to vacate the political desert of the last four years with a Republican-controlled White House and Congress. The Bush years, a friendly time for business, have included passage of CAFTA [the Central American Free Trade Agreement] and decisions by a hostile National Labor Relations Board, including a ruling that supervisory workers couldn't join unions.
"The victory for Democrats is certainly a victory for working Americans," says Greg Tarpinian, executive director of the Change to Win coalition, which represents 6 million workers in unions such as the SEIU and the Teamsters.
Still, he said, unions won't automatically throw their get-out-the-vote efforts behind Democrats in future elections. "Change to Win won't be rewarding those who push any basic policy anathema to workers," he said. "We'll be keeping tabs on who's with us and who's against us."

Labor Agenda

In the coming days, both Change to Win and the AFL-CIO will publicly roll out their agendas for the new legislative session. Both groups are pushing for a higher minimum wage -- which the likely next Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, vows to push. State voters also supported that idea, with higher minimum wages passed this week in all six states that had such a measure on the ballot.
Another item high on labor's wish list: the Employee Free Choice Act, which requires employers to recognize a union when a majority of workers sign authorization cards. Also known as "card check recognition," the organizing tool allows unions to forgo the election process, which gives employers more time to fight back or appeal the outcome.
Organized labor will also be looking to protect workers from the vicissitudes of globalization, which many blame for the loss of manufacturing and textile jobs across America. The trend toward exported manufacturing jobs and the rise of lower-paying service-sector jobs is unlikely to reverse, but union leaders hope they can slow it by preventing passage of free trade agreements with Peru and Vietnam and of presidential fast-track authority. Some in Congress also have plans to examine the corporate tax structure, which many labor leaders castigate as providing incentives to move jobs abroad [see BusinessWeek.com, 11/7/06, "What the Election Means for Business"].
But if the Democrats don't deliver on organized labor's wish list, where might workers turn? Unions and Republicans have had philosophical differences and frosty relations for decades, so for more influence, the unions are likely to keep building alliances among community and religious groups. But for now, union members are savoring the prospect of friendlier times for their ranks. Says Fonesca: "I'm ecstatic at the results." Democrats will hope she and other union members stay that way in the legislative battles to come.

URL: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/nov2006/db20061110_831393.htm

Times Union (Albany), November 9, 2006, Thursday

Times Union (Albany)
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?newsdate=11/9/2006&navigation=nextprior&category=SPORTS&storyID=533267

Carroll commits to attending Cornell
Bethlehem pitcher picks Ivy League school from 4

By JAMES ALLEN, Staff writer
First published: Thursday, November 9, 2006

Mike Carroll has spent years working at reaching his goal of pitching collegiately at the Division I level.
For all his efforts, Carroll marveled at the hard work turned in by South Troy Dodgers assistant coach Todd Bradley during the team's Fall Ball schedule.
"I told Todd I was interested in Cornell on a Tuesday. The next day, the Cornell coach was at our game Wednesday," Carroll said.
The love affair for Carroll toward Cornell continued when Carroll visited the campus two weeks ago. After careful consideration, Carroll has given the Ivy League school his commitment to play for head coach Tom Ford.
Carroll selected Cornell over Manhattan, Marist and Richmond. Carroll, a senior left-handed pitcher from Bethlehem High, took official visits to Cornell, Manhattan and Marist.
"I'm ecstatic for Michael Carroll," South Troy Dodgers head coach George Rogers said. "Number one, Mike worked extremely hard to get where he is and number two, he is going to the type of school where he belongs academically. He is a good kid and a talented pitcher."
"The Ivy League education played a major role in my decision," said Carroll, who will major in Industrial and Labor Relations. "I can't thank George, Todd and Wayne (Jones, South Troy's pitching coach) enough for what they have done for me."
Carroll compiled a 3-1 record with two saves during the fall and played at the World Wood Bat Championships last month as a member of the Youth Service Dodgers. He also helped, along with South Troy teammates Greg Holle and Ben Henderson, Team AABC capture a gold medal at the 2006 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo.
South Troy right-handed pitcher Tom Kahnle (Shaker High) has committed to Lynn University, a Division II school located in Boca Raton, Fla.

Studying in America, Volume 1, Issue 2

Renee Tucci, ILR Graduate Programs Administrator wrote an article entitled "Cornell's ILR School Graduate Degree Programs" pages 22-23 in Studying in America: Your Essential Guide to Educational Opportunities USA, Volume 1, Issue 2 (published by SRMedia in London, UK) followed on page 23 with information about the ILR School its programs, who to contact, and e-mail and web site linkage.

The link to this publication issue is active as of 7 November 2006 at
http://www.transworldeducation.com/emags/sia2/sia2.swf

Studying in America, Volume 1, Issue 1

Renee Tucci, ILR Graduate Program Administrator was interviewed for an extensive article entitled, "A Career managing Human Resources Or Rerpresenting Labor" page 52-53 of Studying in America: Your Essential Guide to Educational Opportunities USA, Volume 1, Issue 1 (published by SRMedia in London, UK)

Renee answered the following questions:
When was the school of ILR founded and why was it established?
Tell me about the courses that the school offers?
What is the intake of International Students?
What kind of graduates apply to yhour school and why do they think they will benefit from the courses on offer?
What can international students stand to gain from doing on of the professional degree courses?
To what extent do the professional degree programs enhance career prospects?
What are the typical job roles that graduates go into?
How does the role of industrial and labour relations improve the functionality of a company?
Is the MILR internationally recognized and regarded highly by employers?
Why do you offer a course that comvines an MBA with the MILR? Does this put a graduate at an advantage?
Do you think that the future is bright for ILR? How do you see the role of ILR developing in the workplace?

This was followed by a major placement of information about the ILR School, its programs and who to contact with e-mail and web site linkage.

PR Newswire US, November 6, 2006, Monday

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.
All Rights Reserved.
PR Newswire US

November 6, 2006 Monday 12:45 PM GMT

HEADLINE: First National HR in Hospitality Conference Scheduled for Next March in Las Vegas;
-Produced in Association with Human Resource Executive Magazine and Endorsed by AH & LA; Program Developed and Sponsored by Cornell University's Schools of Hotel Administration and ILR-

DATELINE: HORSHAM, Pa. Nov. 6

BODY:
HORSHAM, Pa., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Human Resource Executive(R) Magazine and Conferences today announced details of its upcoming HR in Hospitality(TM) Conference scheduled for March 4-7, 2007, at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort, Las Vegas, Nev. An inaugural event, HR in Hospitality promises to bethe premier event for professionals in HR management, employment law and labor relations in the hospitality industry. Program content has been developed in conjunction with, and the event co-sponsored by, Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and the Cornell School of ILR.
This event has also been endorsed by the AH & LA (American Hotel & Lodging Association), a national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers.
Commencing on Sunday, March 4th, HR in Hospitality features two pre-conference symposiums that focus on managing customer service workers in the hospitality industry and the dynamics of handling customer complaints. Industry experts from Cornell University will deliver both four-hour sessions and the former session also involves participation from HR executives at ARAMARK, Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand Hotel.
The conference keynote, scheduled for Monday, March 5th at 8:45 a.m., focuses on the critical labor issues in the hospitality industry. Additional "day one" sessions include case studies from Harrah's, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Hilton Hotels as well as a panel on building organizational capabilities that includes executives from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Travelport, and ClubCorp.
In addition to its exposition hall, highlights from the second and third days of the conference will include sessions on immigration, recruiting, wage and hour compliance, diversity and conflict resolution. The closing keynote will be delivered by one of the hospitality industry's leading HR practitioners, Arte Nathan, senior vice president, Human Resources, Wynn Resorts, Ltd.
HRE Conferences' Director of HR Conference Programs, Tim McDonough, said, "This will be 2007's premier event for hospitality human resource professionals. We've assembled the best thought leadership in the industry, as well as outstanding 'real-life' case studies presented by other HR executives. HR in Hospitality is the destination for those HR professionals who are seeking information about the latest trends, compliance issues and products and services."
Registration details, as well as the conference's full agenda, can be accessed at http://www.hrinhospitality.com/ .
More About HRE Conferences
Thousands of HR professionals network, research workforce solutions and make buying decisions at the four annual Human Resource Executive(R) conferences, which include HR Week West, NY HR Week, HR in Hospitality and the HR Technology Conference and Exposition. More information about these conferences can be accessed at http://www.hreconferences.com/ .
CONTACT: Jeanne Achille, The Devon Group, +1-732-224-1000, ext. 11,
jeanne(at)devonpr.com, for LRP Conferences
Web Site: http://www.hreconferences.com/
http://www.hrinhospitality.com/
SOURCE LRP Conferences, LLC

URL: http://www.prnewswire.com

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), November 2, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 Post-Standard
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

November 2, 2006 Thursday
CAYUGA EDITION

SECTION: NEIGHBORS CAYUGA; Pg. 5

HEADLINE: VOTERS WILL JUDGE;
THOMAS LEONE SAYS HE HAS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO BE COUNTY COURT JUDGE

BYLINE: By Scott Rapp Staff writer

BODY:
Like his father before him, Thomas G. Leone pursued a law degree and became a lawyer.
Father and son even share the same nickname, "Tucker" - from the nursery rhyme "Little Tommy Tucker" - and now the younger Leone is following his father's career footsteps again. This time, however, he hopes to break rank.
Leone, 49, of Auburn, is running as the Democratic/Independence candidate for Cayuga County judge against Republican/Conservative James B. Vargason, county district attorney since 1992. Leone's father ran unsuccessfully for city judge in the late 1970s.
History links the two county judge candidates: Vargason beat Leone to win a second term as district attorney in 1995.
They are campaigning to succeed Judge Peter E. Corning, who's held the 10-year post since 1980 but has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Corning, a Democrat, must step down at year's end.
Leone, Auburn's corporation counsel since 2000, says he has always wanted to be a judge and believes the timing is right for his candidacy. He also said he has the right blend of life, family and legal experiences - and a strong sense of fairness that he learned from his father - to become "an excellent judge."
"Cayuga County is unique because of the way County Court is structured and I have the legal experience because I've done (all types of cases). I'm not coming from one aspect of the law; I've done it all," he said.
"I know how hard it is to run a business and I know how hard it is to raise a family, and I'm going to bring all those things to the bench," he said.
Generally, state rules governing judicial conduct limits judicial candidates to what they can discuss publicly while campaigning. They can only discuss their job qualifications, careers and judicial philosophy as well as their opponent's job qualifications and career, under the rules.
Because the county has no state Supreme Court or Family Court judges, county judges hear all types of family, civil and criminal cases - from property line disputes to adoptions to murders. The position pays about $120,000 a year, nearly $30,000 more than Leone's current $91,753 salary.
Boyhood friend Joe DiMora says Leone is one of the most compassionate people he has ever known.
"If I were to appear in front of (a judge), I would want someone who is fair and compassionate. Right or wrong, you want to be treated fairly. He fits the bill, he was raised that way," DiMora said.
Leone, an Auburn native, graduated from Auburn High School in 1975 and wanted to become a lawyer like his father, who is nearly 80 and still practicing law. Leone earned his law degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1987 and practiced civil, family and criminal law for the next 13 years before becoming full-time city attorney six years ago. He served as part-time corporation counsel from 1996-2000.
He and his wife of 27 years, Deborah, have an adult son and two teenage daughters. The family lives in Auburn. Leone owned Pepper's liquor store in the early 1980s.
Scott Rapp can be reached at srapp@syracuse.com or 253-7316.
Thomas G. Leone
Age: 49.
Education: Auburn High School,
Le Moyne College, New York State Industrial Labor Relations School at Cornell University, Franklin Pierce Law Center.
Family: Wife, Deborah; son, Thomas; daughters, Caitlin and Marissa.
Occupation: Full-time Auburn corporation counsel since 2000, part-time corporation counsel 1996-2000; private law 13 years.
Military experience: None.
Political experience: None.
Civic experience: Past board member Auburn Little League, Knights of Columbus Council 207 member, volunteer Auburn Maroon Vanguard marching band, Cayuga County Youth Organization basketball program volunteer, past West Middle School ski club volunteer and chaperone, Auburn Lacrosse Boosters, Auburn Sports Boosters Inc., Junior Achievement volunteer.
If I were judge: "I'd treat everybody with dignity and respect, and certainly make it a point to listen to the people's positions and make a very informed decision based upon the credible facts."

GRAPHIC: PHOTO John Berry/Staff photographer Thomas G. Leone

The Times Union (Albany, New York), November 2, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 The Hearst Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The Times Union (Albany, New York)

November 2, 2006 Thursday
1 EDITION

SECTION: CAPITAL REGION; Pg. B3

HEADLINE: Honoring life of service {SUBHEADLINE} Turning 88, Eleanor Billmyer gets thanks for years of community work

BYLINE: By CAROL DeMARE Staff Writer

BODY:
ALBANY - In her 88 years, it seems, Eleanor Billmyer has done it all.
She worked on the atomic bomb project during World War II and later became a pacifist and took care of the mentally ill, a "socially significant" job, she said.
After landing in Albany with her husband more than 40 years ago, she worked for the state, raised a son, ran for public office and was active in the community, especially the library. Her zest for volunteerism has never waned.
This week, her friends said thanks.
Before the start of Monday night's meeting of the Friends of the Albany Public Library, board members surprised Billmyer with wine, a plaque and a cake for her 88th birthday.
She's been on the board for at least 30 years, the longest-serving member. There are some 800 Friends.
The humble Billmyer called the celebration too much fuss. "I was not a founder," she said. "In fact, there was no reason for this."
Board member Grace White disagrees. "She is a fantastic lady and deserves some recognition for everything she has done," she said.
Billmyer, a decades-long resident of Lancaster Street in Center Square, talked about herself and in so doing unleashed her wit punctuated with one-liners.
A past president and corresponding secretary of the friends, Billmyer said simply, "I read books." She favors mysteries, murders. "I'm not about history, much." However, she is reading "Dead Beat" by Marilyn Johnson, which is about newspaper obits.
She proudly takes credit for starting the friends' Tuesday book reviews in which reviewers and authors appear.
Her library commitment is two-pronged. In 2002, she was among the first elected to the board of trustees. Previously library trustees were appointed by the mayor.
Library spokesman John Cirrin has worked with Billmyer on library projects for 30 years.
"She had some health problems about a year and a half ago, but she makes all the board meetings and the Friends meetings and remains active with the library," he said. "She exemplifies the spirt of volunteerism. Board members are not paid. They do it for love. The library is an institution anyone can get behind because we touch so many people in so many ways."
She is valued for her experience, said Friends President Len Tucker, adding, and she laughs at his jokes.
On Wednesday, she turned 88. "All Saints Day," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "because I'm a saint."
She was born Eleanor Stibitz in Dayton, Ohio, `'along with Orville and Wilbur Wright, the first place of aviation," she points out. She graduated from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio in 1940 with majors in English and music. "Useless," she says.
She is skilled in the organ and piano but recently it's just the piano, playing an hour a day "for my own pleasure."
After college she returned home, and "I worked for the Manhattan Project" through her employment as a driver for a local research company that had a contract with the project that was developing the atomic bomb.
"I drove a large station wagon, making deliveries and pickups and occasionally a panel truck. I didn't know they were making bombs, but I suspected it was something nasty."
Anxious to do something in line with her pacifism, she took a menial job at the Philadelphia State Hospital through a Quaker group that placed young people. Billmyer was not a Quaker.
"I went from making atom bombs to other disturbed people," she said.
At the hospital she met David Billmyer, a native of Denver and graduate of the University of Denver. A conscientious objector, he did civilian public service projects as an alternative to military service, including fighting forest fires in California.
The Billmyers were married on Jan. 1, 1947. Their son, Steven, works on the city desk of the Syracuse Post-Standard.
David Billmyer received his master's degree in economics at Temple University, and the couple moved to Chicago where he did research at the Meatcutters' National Headquarters, then to Ithaca, where he worked at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
They came to Albany in the mid-1960s for his job with with the Department of Labor. David Billmyer died in November 1996.
In Chicago, Eleanor Billmyer put out a weekly labor paper and in New Brunswick, N.J. was a reporter and music critic for the Home News. She is retired from the state, where she worked for various agencies, including doing public relations at the Health Department.
A longtime Democratic committee member, she was 61 when, in 1979, she won the first of three terms on the County Legislature, representing the 6th District. She served through 1991.
She and city official Dick Patrick founded Friends of Washington Park, which later became the Washington Park Conservancy. The County Legislature recognized her in 2003 for her service on the county Community Services Board.
A non-traditionalist in most respects, there is one area where Billmyer yields to tradition - martinis.
Don't ask her, "gin or vodka." That annoys her. "A waiter should know," she says, "there's only one way to make a martini - with gin, of course."
Carol DeMare can be reached at 454-5431 or by e-mail at cdemare@timesunion.com.

GRAPHIC: Photo
PHILIP KAMRASS/TIMES UNION ELEANOR BILLMYER, a longtime member of the Friends of the Albany Public Library, unwraps a plaque honoring her service with the group as Len Tucker, center, and Helen Rivett look on.

Business Wire, November 1, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 Business Wire, Inc.
Business Wire

November 1, 2006 Wednesday 6:05 PM GMT

DISTRIBUTION: Business Editors; Technology Editors

HEADLINE: Analog Devices Welcomes New Vice President, Human Resources

DATELINE: NORWOOD, Mass.

BODY:
Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) a global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal processing applications, today announced the appointment of William Matson as Vice President, Human Resources. Mr. Matson brings a wealth of experience to ADI having spent the majority of his career at IBM, working on organizational structure, leadership development and human resources operational infrastructure.
Mr. Matson most recently served as Chief Human Resources Officer for Lenovo, formerly IBM's personal computing business. Prior to that position, he served as a General Manager for IBM Business Transformation Outsourcing, a newly created business line which, under Mr. Matson's leadership, became a successful human resource provider to leading companies. His experience supporting business unit needs includes positions as Vice President Human Resources for the IBM Software Group and for the IBM Server/Technology Group. He also brings extensive international experience having served as Vice President Human Resources for IBM Asia Pacific Region.
"We are pleased to add Bill's management experience and leadership capabilities to ADI's senior management," said President and CEO Jerry Fishman. "He is a welcome addition to our team."
Mr. Matson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations. Mr. Matson also serves as a guest lecturer at Cornell University and is an active member of the Personnel Roundtable, comprised of chief human resource officers of Fortune 100 companies.



CONTACT: Analog Devices Inc.
Maria Tagliaferro, 781-461-3282
Maria.tagliaferro@analog.com

URL: http://www.businesswire.com

Chicago Tribune (Illinois), November 1, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune (Illinois)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

November 1, 2006 Wednesday

SECTION: BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS

HEADLINE: Janitors' protest hits home: Houston strikers get Chicago-area support

BYLINE: Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune

BODY:
Nov. 1--A national union campaign in support of striking Houston janitors kicked off in the Chicago area Tuesday night when local janitors refused to cross picket lines at six office buildings.
Service Employees International Union targeted buildings cleaned by ABM Industries Inc.--the area's largest commercial office cleaning contractor--in an effort to pressure the company to settle in Houston, where some janitors walked off their jobs starting Oct. 23 after contract negotiations broke down.
SEIU is seeking $8.50 per hour and health insurance for 5,300 Houston janitors.
"We want the same thing every family wants, to support our families without working two or three jobs," Houston janitor Ascension Blanco, one of the Chicago picketers, said in a conference call Tuesday. She said ABM pays her $5.15 per hour and gives her no more than four hours of work per day.
Calls to ABM's Midwest office in Chicago were not returned.
The union said it plans to picket on successive days in metro areas from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in the first phase of a plan to escalate the Houston campaign nationally.
Cornell University labor expert Richard Hurd said the union is applying a tactic of escalating pressure in an industry that has changed dramatically.
"This is the type of thing that Justice for Janitors has done throughout its history, but they haven't done it before on a national scale," Hurd said. As commercial real estate evolved from local to national ownership, property owners contracted with large national cleaning companies and janitors' employers no longer were local.
Justice for Janitors is a 20-year-old SEIU campaign that has organized about 225,000 janitors in 29 metro areas, including about 35,000 in the Chicago area represented by Local One.
Janitors in downtown Chicago are among the nation's best paid, earning an average $13.80 plus health benefits.
Janitors from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles said during the union's conference call Tuesday they would honor pickets in their cities.
"They do the same [as] I do; they are Hispanic like me; they are in every way my people and they have no future on $20 a day," said Patricia Cabral, who said she works for ABM at 161 N. Clark St.
An association of five large cleaning contractors in Houston, including ABM, has said it can't afford the union's demands there.
SEIU's strategy in other cities has been to apply pressure on the contractors, who in turn pressure building owners so that no owner can turn to a single contractor for cheaper labor.
In the Chicago area, Local One official Ken Munz said Tuesday that members were refusing to cross picket lines in Downers Grove and near O'Hare International Airport.
He identified the buildings as Highland landmarks, complexes at 3010, 3025 and 3075 Highland Pkwy. in Downers Grove and 8501 W. Higgins Rd., 1010 E. Touhy Ave. and 1011 E. Touhy Ave. near O'Hare.
Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Copley News Service, November 1, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 Copley News Service
All Rights Reserved
Copley News Service

November 1, 2006 Wednesday 7:22 PM EST

SECTION: DAILY NEWS

HEADLINE: Ohio gets top billing as organized labor seeks to muster support in midterm elections

BYLINE: Finlay Lewis

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

BODY:
Top AFL-CIO officials said on Wednesday that Ohio may be the key to their strategy for electing a Democratic Congress as union volunteers step up last-minute efforts to mobilize their troops for next week's election.
With exit poll data indicating that union households accounted for about 35 percent of the total vote in the Buckeye State during the 2004 presidential election, Karen Ackerman, political director of the AFL-CIO, told a telephone press conference, "Ohio certainly is at the top of our list."
Touting the federation's voter turnout effort, Ackerman said volunteers during the campaign's closing days would be targeting 1.4 million registered union voters statewide, adding, "We maintain we are the largest political organization (in Ohio). No one comes close - in terms of turnout and in terms of the potential union vote."
Along with dissatisfaction over the war in Iraq and a host of economic issues, William Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, said that government corruption in Columbus and a statewide ballot proposal to raise the minimum wage by $1.70 to $6.85 an hour next year would help to swell a blue-collar turnout to the benefit of Democratic candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.
Still smarting from an impressive Election Day effort by Republicans in Ohio and elsewhere during the presidential race two years ago, Burga vowed that union political strategists had learned from their past mistakes and would have the upper hand next week.
"I just think it's working so much better this year. After we did 2004 we went back to the table and made some changes," Burga said.
Among those misjudgments was the massive importation of union organizers from outside Ohio during the 2004 campaign - an error that the GOP exploited to its advantage in relying heavily on local volunteers familiar with their neighbors and local geography. This time, Burga said, most of the workers are Ohioans with intimate knowledge of the targeted neighborhoods. In all, he said, the plan calls for amassing a small army of 3,000 volunteers on Election Day.
Ackerman and Burga said that labor's resources have been invested in a beefed up "microtargeting" effort that involves amassing enormous amounts of computerized data aimed at identifying potential voters supportive of Democratic candidates. Among other objectives, labor's strategists are zeroing in on an estimated half-million union voters in Ohio who typically show up at the polls only during presidential elections.
"Our microtargeting system really enables us to pinpoint the votes that we know we need to turn out," Ackerman said.
Overall, the AFL-CIO will be tailoring its Election Day efforts to attract an estimated 13.4 million union voters nationwide.
Organized labor's campaign war plans have taken shape 18 months after the AFL-CIO was split by a dispute over priorities. Seven unions ultimately abandoned the federation to set up a rival body, dubbed the Change to Win coalition, to focus on expanding the union movement to unorganized sectors of the economy.
The walkout triggered speculation within union and political circles that organized labor's ability to mobilize its members on Election Day would suffer at the expense of the Democratic Party, which over the years has grown reliant on its allies in the union movement to get blue-collar supporters to the polls. The result seems to be the opposite, observed Richard Hurd, a labor expert at Cornell University.
In the industrial states of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania - scene of some of the nation's most hotly contested races - labor political activism may actually be at a new high, Hurd suggested.
"One way of looking at it is you have an increased overall effort because Change to Win is there also, pushing their members in a coordinated way - and with more coordination and involvement of the different unions than historically has been the case," he said.
The breakaway affiliates represent about 231,000 unionized workers in Ohio. Burga acknowledged that the loss of dues revenue has depleted the AFL-CIO's coffers. But he said the political effort remains largely unaffected.
"They are participating to some extent, but it hasn't changed our program by their nonaffiliation," Burga said, referring to the CTW.
For example, he said that the state Service Employees International Union - now a CTW member - has joined forces with the AFL-CIO for the Ohio election effort. Among other things, the SEIU has made available a computerized telephone dialing system for use in a massive phone bank program designed to identify and win over union voters.
Colleen Brady, the national political director for CTW, said: "You don't see a national or a local schism. (The AFL-CIO and the CTW) are working together where it makes sense to work together. This is not about a fight within labor."

The Houston Chronicle, November 1, 2006, Wednesday

Copyright 2006 The Houston Chronicle Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
The Houston Chronicle

November 1, 2006 Wednesday
3 STAR EDITION

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. 1

HEADLINE: Janitors' protests hit the road;
Union taking its message to other cities

BYLINE: L.M. SIXEL, ALEXIS GRANT, STAFF

BODY:
In an effort to gain support for their cause here, Houston janitors are traveling to other cities to picket buildings served by their employers.
The Service Employees International Union said during a conference call Tuesday that Houston janitors would begin picketing Halloween night in the Chicago area.
Later in the week, the union plans to set up picket lines in Los Angeles, Sacramento,Calif., and Washington as part of a "national escalation plan."
The union hopes the picketing will bring nationwide attention to the 5,300 Houston janitors who earn an average of $5.30 an hour, which is less than half of what janitors in Chicago and Los Angeles earn. Houston janitors are seeking a raise to $8.50 an hour and health care benefits.
"It's a way of sending a message to contractors that if they don't resolve the problem in Houston, it will affect them in other cities where they have bargaining relationships," said Richard Hurd, a labor studies professor at Cornell University.
According to the SEIU, 1,700 Houston janitors have gone on strike. Of those, 700 have requested financial assistance from the union's $1 million strike fund, said SEIU spokeswoman Lynda Tran, who predicted more janitors would apply next week.
Union officials would not identify the number or location of the buildings across the country they have targeted, nor will they reveal whether the picket lines will last more than a day.
Jose Ibarra, a janitor in Los Angeles and a SEIU member, said during Tuesday's conference call that he will honor the picket lines. "Houston janitors do the same work as we do," he said. "They need us now and we'll be there for them. We'll fight for as long as it takes because what happens in Houston affects us all."
The five cleaning contractors that are negotiating with the union - ABM Janitorial Services, Sanitors Services of Texas, OneSource Facility Services, GCA Services Group and Pritchard Industries Southwest - said they didn't want to comment or could not be reached.
Houston janitors also took up their cause Tuesday by chanting and beating drums in front of a downtown hotel as business leaders filed in for a meeting of the Greater Houston Partnership. Half a dozen mounted police officers and other officers on foot kept watch.
"We would like major business leaders and nonprofits to take a stand for janitors," said Lisa Fithian, an organizer with SEIU's Justice for Janitors.
Mayor Bill White, who avoided the demonstrators by leaving through a hotel side door, said while the city is neutral in labor disputes, it would save taxpayer money if workers had health insurance. "I do hope that we find a way to get more health benefits at least to full-time employees," he said.

NOTES: lm.sixel@chron.com alexis.grant@chron.com

GRAPHIC: Photo: JANITORS SPEAK OUT: Maria Jimenez and other members of the SEIU protest in front of the Four Seasons Hotel downtown on Tuesday.
STEVE CAMPBELL : CHRONICLE

Copley News Service, October 31, 2006, Tuesday

Copyright 2006 Copley News Service
All Rights Reserved
Copley News Service

October 31, 2006 Tuesday 12:43 PM EST

SECTION: DAILY NEWS


HEADLINE: Labor unions push aside grudges to win key battles later

BYLINE: Finlay Lewis

DATELINE: PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.

BODY:
Eight men and women were huddled over a bank of phones one night last week, calling well past the supper hour in hopes of mobilizing an army of union members to vote next month.
Overseeing the operation were Alicia Smith and Dan McGrogan, allies despite being on opposite sides of a civil war among America's unions that once seemed to threaten organized labor's political clout. Their partnership helps explain why labor remains a potent force in the Democratic Party's drive to seize control of one or both houses of Congress when voters go to the polls Nov. 7.
As unions seek to capitalize on an election that could produce a Congress more sympathetic to their agenda, they have set aside their grudges in hopes of winning future legislative battles over the minimum wage, health care, pensions and Social Security.
In part, the effort may be simple opportunism. But the alliances also are testimony to the durability of long-standing partnerships among local unions that predate the rupture of the AFL-CIO labor coalition.
"We have relationships at the street and shop level that go back many, many years," said McGrogan, a strategic programs coordinator, 48, for Local 1776 of the United Food and Commercial Workers. "It isn't whether we agree or disagree with the split. It's simply that in this election, we're going to work together."
Smith, 26, an AFL-CIO operative, said: "At this level and this point in the election cycle, it's all about solidarity. We're all a part of the same labor movement, and that really resonates with all of our members."
The schism, the result of long-standing policy differences and personal rivalries, became a reality a year ago when the UFCW and six other major unions, including the Service Employees International Union, left the AFL-CIO and set up the rival Change to Win coalition. As a result, the AFL-CIO saw its membership drop from 13 million to 9 million workers.
At the heart of the dispute was the complaint by the Change to Win unions that the giant federation was investing too heavily in politics and not enough in expanding organized labor's ranks.
The split triggered speculation within union and political circles that organized labor's ability to mobilize its members on Election Day. The loser would be the Democratic Party, which over the years has grown reliant on the union movement to get blue-collar supporters to the polls.
The result seems to be the opposite, said Richard Hurd, a labor expert at Cornell University. In the industrial states of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, scene of some of the nation's most hotly contested races, labor's political activism may actually be at a new high, Hurd said.
"You have an increased overall effort because Change to Win is there also, pushing their members in a coordinated way - and with more coordination and involvement of the different unions than historically has been the case," he said.
Helping to bridge the gap at the local levels has been the "solidarity charter program," launched by the AFL-CIO in the months after the split. The charters offered Change to Win unions a way to re-establish ties with the federation at the state and local level.
The unions will be trying to blunt a Republican turnout effort that in the 2002 congressional election and in the presidential race two years later played a key role in keeping President Bush in the White House and his GOP allies in charge of Congress. The GOP effort will be augmented by Republican-leaning business groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent millions to mobilize its network.
Backed by a $40 million war chest, the AFL-CIO says it is targeting 13.4 million voters, counting retirees, family members and participants in an affiliated program known as Working America.
"We have a huge universe we're talking to," said Karen Ackerman, the political director of the AFL-CIO. "Where we can work with the CTW unions, we want to do that. But we feel (this) is the biggest, most substantial turnout program of anyone in this election."
CTW officials declined to discuss the organization's voter-mobilization budget. Gregory Tarpinian, CTW's executive director, described the coalition's affiliates as being among the most politically active in the labor movement and said they would be "as or more active than they have been in elections past."
In some areas, the two sides appear to be pooling their resources and membership lists, while in other instances local unions are concentrating on rallying their members.
In Pennsylvania, with 1.4 million union voters, the process of integrating the AFL-CIO and Change to Win programs appears to have been smoother than in other states, such as Michigan, where over half the CTW unions have not used the solidarity charter process to reconnect with the AFL-CIO.
"We tend to be more parallel than merged," said Mark Gaffney, head of the Michigan AFL-CIO.
A cooperative effort has also emerged in Minnesota's urban centers. But Kristin Beckmann, executive director of the SEIU State Council, a major CTW unit, said, "It has been a little logistically challenging to figure out all the details."
The complexities posed by the Election Day effort have caused some labor officials to worry that their ability to influence the 2008 presidential election may be in jeopardy.
"If there is any message that comes out of Minnesota, it's that we should all be in the same house," said Ray Waldron, head of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. "We should do it together."
Organized labor's importance as a political bloc is much diminished from what it was 50 years ago, when unions represented 35 percent of the work force. The figure now is 12.5 percent if government workers are included and 7.9 percent if they are not.
But political experts say that the unions can still be formidable, particularly when united.
"If the intensity of their leaders translates into anything, they are really into this race," said Terry Madonna, a Pennsylvania pollster. "Their organizations aren't what they were 30 to 40 years ago, but that's not to say they can't mobilize if given a chance. And given this environment, they are pretty mobilized."

Global News Wire, October 29, 2006, Sunday

Copyright 2006 Financial Times Information
All Rights Reserved
Global News Wire
Copyright 2006 M2 Communications Ltd Source: Financial Times Information Limited
FinancialWire

October 29, 2006 Sunday


HEADLINE: ADM SELECTS DAMBROSE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

BODY:
FinancialWire-29 October 2006-ADM Selects DAmbrose Senior Vice President Of Human Resources (C)2006 Investrend Communications, Inc.
October 30, 2006 (FinancialWire) Michael D'Ambrose will join Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM) as senior vice president-human resources. D'Ambrose will serve on the strategic planning committee and report to ADM's CEO and president Patricia A. Woertz. He will assume his position on October 30, 2006.
D'Ambrose brings to ADM over 27 years of executive level human resource experience. He has served as the chief human resource leader for several global corporations including Citicorp/Citigroup (NYSE: C) and has a track record of accomplishments across the spectrum of HR functions. D'Ambrose is also distinguished by having led a public company as its chief operating officer, enhancing the business focus he brings to HR thinking.
D'Ambrose is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.
Archer Daniels Midland Company was enrolled in Investrend Research affiliate ValuEngine's professional analyst program. Complete information is available at the company's InvestorPower page, which is accessible from http://www.investrend.com/company/list.asp?sPathParam=yes . For up-to-the-minute news, features and links click on http://www.FinancialWire.net FinancialWire is an independent, proprietary news service of Investrend Information, a division of Investrend Communications, Inc. It is not a press release service and receives no compensation from any company for its news or opinions. Other divisions of Investrend, however, provide shareholder empowerment platforms such as forums, independent research and webcasting. For more information or to receive the FirstAlert daily summary of news, commentary, research reports, webcasts, events and conference calls, click on http://www.investrend.com/contact.asp For a free annual report on a company mentioned in the news, please click on http://investrend.ar.wilink.com/?level=279 To become an investor monitor of independent research for a company in which you are invested, go to the not-for-profit Shareholders Research Alliance, Inc. website by clicking on http://www.shareholdersresearch.com/ The FinancialWire NewsFeed is now available in multiple formats to your site or desktop, free. Click on: http://www.investrend.com/XmlFeeds?level=268 (Distributed for Investrend Communications, Inc. via M2 Communications Ltd (www.m2.com))

Philadephia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), October 29, 2006, Sunday

Copyright 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

October 29, 2006 Sunday

SECTION: BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS


HEADLINE: Seeking to unseal a union's records: Antiunion privacy suit fuels a debate

BYLINE: Jane M. Von Bergen, The Philadelphia Inquirer

BODY:
Oct. 29--Elizabeth "Penny" Pichler could never be counted as a fan of unions.
But what really bothered the 65-year-old receptionist at Cintas Corp.'s Emmaus plant was a knock on the door of her Bethlehem, Pa., townhouse in February 2004.
The union organizer from Unite-Here, a national labor union, was polite, but unwelcome. He wanted her to help unionize Cintas, the nation's largest laundry company.
"How the heck did someone know I worked at Cintas and get my address and show up at my front door?" Pichler said in an interview Friday. "I thought it was very unnerving."
Now, it's Unite-Here's turn to be unnerved.
Pichler's complaint turned into a class-action invasion-of-privacy lawsuit filed against the union in federal court in Philadelphia. On Thursday, attorneys representing Pichler and other employees filed motions to unseal closed documents in the case.
The union objects, arguing that the implications reach beyond this case.
"This would represent a vehicle to force disclosure of information about union-organizing campaigns in the midst of the campaigns," said Thomas Kennedy, of Kennedy, Jennick & Murray, the Manhattan law firm representing the union.
How important that information would be is a matter of debate. Some say it is tantamount to forcing a company to reveal trade secrets. Others say union strategies are already well-known.
But the case comes at a time when unions are increasingly turning to the court of public opinion to win support for union organizing, particularly in high-stakes campaigns like the nearly four-year-old drive to unionize Cintas.
The information could embarrass the union, just like the playbook of any campaign could embarrass a politician, said Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania.
A wrinkle in this case is that the plaintiffs are Cintas employees, mostly antiunion. Their attorney was hired by Cintas, which is paying the legal bills.
Kennedy said that if depositions and documents were made public, Cintas could learn which of Cintas' locations the union considered easy to organize, or the names of inside union sympathizers.
"That would be devastating to those workers," he said. "Employers can always drum up some reason to sue a union,... you can sue a ham sandwich. But with this, they could wander through a union's records."
Nonsense, said Paul Rosen, a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Spector Gadon & Rosen, which is representing the Cintas employees.
Rosen argues that the information is old and currently irrelevant, that it's in the public interest to have an open courtroom, and that insight into how unions run their organizing campaigns would be useful for scholars and historians.
And, he said, he would agree that current strategic information, such as the name of a current Cintas employee working on the union's behalf, should remain confidential.
"There's a lot that could be embarrassing to a union from a public relations point of view," said David Picker, an associate in Rosen's law firm. "But embarrassing from a union's public relations point of view is not a reason for closing the records."
Whether or not the information would be strategically useful to Cintas, it could provide a look at union-organizing techniques much as a messy lawsuit over legal fees in 2004 gave insight into union-avoidance techniques used at a factory in South Carolina.
In the Cintas case, some of the depositions that are public reveal how the union would plant workers inside, have them start trouble, and then file unfair-labor-practices charges.
"A lot of this information isn't going to be blockbuster," said Rick Berman, executive director of Union Facts, an antiunion watchdog group in Washington. But, he said, it will show a pattern of dishonest behavior.
Kathleen Pereles, a management professor at Rowan University, disagrees. "If an employer wanted this information about another employer, we might call it industrial sabotage," said Pereles, a former faculty-union staff member.
The facts in the Cintas case hinge on the 1994 Driver's Privacy Protection Act, enacted after an actress and an abortion doctor were killed when stalkers traced them through motor vehicle records.
After the union organizer knocked on Pichler's door in February 2004, she complained at work, as did others, assuming the company gave out her personal information. It turned out the union had traced her through her license plate.
In June 2005, the workers sued for an invasion of privacy under the act. The act does allow some uses for the information, including "investigation in anticipation of litigation."
That's the argument that Unite-Here used to justify its use of the information. At the time, Unite-Here was researching wage-and-hour and discrimination violations in preparation for lawsuits it later filed against Cintas, Kennedy said.
U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell didn't buy the argument.
In an Aug. 30 ruling, which was buttressed by an Oct. 17 ruling, he found that the union violated the law, but he did not assess punitive damages. Statutory damages could range from a total of $2.5 million to $5 million for an estimated 1,000 to 2,100 Cintas workers in the class.
"It's Cintas trying to scare us off," said Unite-Here spokeswoman Amanda Cooper. She said the union would appeal Dalzell's ruling and persist in its drive to organize workers.
To Cornell University professor Kate Bronfenbenner, director of labor education research, the case represents another obstacle to union organizing.
The use of motor vehicle records has been a standard tool, she said, important now that many workers no longer live near their factories, as they once did. "Companies are trying to take legal tactics and make them illegal."
Receptionist Pichler, who turns 65 today, said she believed information about the union's tactics should be made public. "Unions might think twice before they do it," she said.
Contact staff writer Jane M. Von Bergen at 215-854-2769 or jvonbergen@phillynews.com.
Copyright (c) 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

PR Newswire US, October 27, 2006, Friday

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.
All Rights Reserved.
PR Newswire US

October 27, 2006 Friday 4:51 PM GMT

HEADLINE: Michael D'Ambrose to Join ADM as Senior Vice President-Human Resources

DATELINE: DECATUR, Ill. Oct. 27

BODY:
DECATUR, Ill., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Michael D'Ambrose will join ADM as Senior Vice President-Human Resources. Mr. D'Ambrose will serve on the Strategic Planning Committee and report to ADM's CEO and President Patricia A. Woertz. He will assume his position at ADM on October 30, 2006.
Mr. D'Ambrose brings to ADM significant leadership skills gained over 27 years of executive level human resource experience. He has served as the chief human resource leader for several global corporations including Citicorp/Citigroup and has a track record of accomplishments across the spectrum of HR functions. Mr. D'Ambrose is also distinguished by having led a public company as its Chief Operating Officer, enhancing the business focus he brings to HR thinking.
Mr. D'Ambrose is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.
"We are very pleased that Michael is joining ADM," stated ADM CEO and President Patricia Woertz. "It is my deep belief that ADM's continued success depends on the expertise and innovation of our people. As we work on longer term strategy, we will continue to rely on the depth and scope of their experience in global agricultural processing and products. Our ability to identify, attract, develop, retain and motivate world class talent is essential to our growth. It is with that in mind that we look forward to Michael joining our team."
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) (NYSE:ADM) is a world leader in agricultural processing and fermentation technology. ADM is one of the world's largest processors of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. ADM is also a leader in the production of soybean oil and meal, ethanol, corn sweeteners and flour. In addition, ADM produces value-added food and feed ingredients. Headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, ADM has over 26,000 employees, more than 240 processing plants and net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006 of $36.6 billion. Additional information can be found on ADM's Web site at http://www.admworld.com/ .
CONTACT: Brian Peterson, Senior Vice President-Corporate Affairs of
Archer Daniels Midland Company, +1-217-424-5413
Web site: http://www.admworld.com/
SOURCE Archer Daniels Midland Company

URL: http://www.prnewswire.com

St. Petersburg Times (Florida), October 26, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 Times Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

October 26, 2006 Thursday
Correction Appended
1 Edition

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. 1D

HEADLINE: There's only one direction he'll go

SERIES: BUSINESS PROFILE

BYLINE: KRIS HUNDLEY

DATELINE: CLEARWATER

BODY:
Bob Dutkowsky, Tech Data CEO
Three weeks after taking over as Tech Data Corp.'s chief executive, Bob Dutkowsky has barely touched the big corner office at the company's headquarters here.
Family pictures are still in a box and the walls are bare except for one addition: giant maps of the United States and the world.
For Dutkowsky, who takes over the computer industry's No. 2 distributor, the maps are more than decoration. They symbolize his determination to make Tech Data the leader in its industry worldwide.
"There's nothing to stop us, no barrier to entry," said Dutkowsky, whose predecessor, Steve Raymund, spent 20 years building Tech Data into a $20.5-billion business and the largest public company in the Tampa Bay area. "We've got the people, infrastructure and financial wherewithal to make Tech Data No. 1 again. As long as we're not, I'll be uncomfortable."
Dutkowsky, 51, somehow manages to talk about global domination without coming across like a dictator. The guy who once captained Cornell University's baseball team is confident that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary goals.
That confidence has been bolstered in his first weeks at Tech Data, during which he has met and received e-mails from hundreds of employees, held video-conferences with European executives and made presentations to the company's 300 biggest business partners.
"This is not a culture that's used to losing," he said. "People here are saying, 'Let's go. Let's take that hill.' "
Dutkowsky has his work cut out for him. Tech Data is in a brutal business of tight margins where companies are lucky to make a penny on the dollar. Size matters and Tech Data, which was started by Raymund's father in 1974, has nearly 90,000 customers, a presence in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and partnerships with the top names in the tech industry.
But Tech Data still ranks second to Ingram Micro Inc., of Santa Ana, Calif., which on Tuesday said it will report record fourth-quarter sales, news that Dutkowsky admitted made his "blood boil."
Ingram also boasted stronger business in Europe, a weak spot for Tech Data, as well as growth in Asia, where Tech Data does not compete. Yet.
On Wednesday, Dutkowsky, who once ran distribution in Asia for IBM, said that would change, though he set no timetable for expansion. "We want to blanket the world," he said.
Kris Hundley can be reached at hundley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2996.
FAST FACTS
Robert M. Dutkowsky
Title: Chief executive, Tech Data Corp.
Age: 51
Compensation: $900,000 annual salary plus guaranteed bonus equal to his salary in 2007 and 2008 fiscal years
Previous experience: CEO, Egenera Inc., Marlborough, Mass. (2004-2006); CEO, J.D. Edwards & Co., Denver, Colo. (2002-2004); Chairman, CEO, GenRad Inc., Westford, Mass. (2000-2002); Executive vice president, EMC Corp., Hopkinton, Mass. (1997-2000); Sales, marketing, management positions, IBM (1977-1999)
Education: Cornell University, B.S. labor and industrial relations, 1977
Family: Wife, Lorraine, 24. Year-old daughter, 21-year old son
Last book read: The Greatest Game Ever Played: Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, and the Birth of Modern Golf by Mark Frost
Leisure activity: "Golf, but I can't keep up with my son."
Number of household moves over 30-year career: 14
His idea of a perfect day: "Selling something to someone."
Tech habits: "My wife has taken my BlackBerry away from me. In church."
Comment on the competition: "We've forgotten more than they know."
FAST FACTS
Tech Data Corp.
Headquarters: Clearwater
Employees: About 8,000
Sales (Year ended Jan. 31): $20.5-billion
Earnings (Year ended Jan. 31): $26.6-million

CORRECTION-DATE: October 27, 2006

CORRECTION:
Tech Data chief executive Bob Dutkowsky has a 24-year-old daughter. The age was incorrect in a story Thursday.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO, CARRIE PRATT TIMES; PHOTO, (4); GRAPH, DANA OPPENHEIM TIMES