The Changing Nature of Corporate Global Restructuring: The Impact of Production Shifts on Jobs in the US, China, and Around the Globe

Despite the increasing amount of trade between China and the US, and the increase in foreign direct investment from the US into China, there is no government body that collects information detailing the incidence of production shifts out of the US to China or any other country. In the fall of 2000, the predecessor to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) commissioned Cornell and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study the extent and nature of production shifts out of the US and into China from October 2000 through April 2001. In order to conduct this research we developed a methodology that involves a combination of online media tracking and corporate research and the creation of a database including information on all production shifts announced or confirmed in the media during that period. In July 2004 the USCC asked us to update that research, starting with an initial period of January 1 through March 31, 2004

The case for international labour standards : a "Northern" perspective

The last few decades have seen heated debates over the issue of international labour standards. As governments sign up to international trade agreements, some of their constituencies call for the inclusion of labour agreements that would oblige them to abide by certain standards protecting workers’ rights. Some oppose this demand on the grounds that it would interfere with free trade; others object because they feel labour standards may be applied unfairly, in ways that would harm the workers they are intended to help. This paper reviews the economic and political arguments for international labour standards, particularly those found in the global North. It concludes that while there are many reasons why workers in the global South may be suspicious of initiatives coming from the North, there are strong reasons to support the demand for international labour standards as a means for workers to organise and an opportunity to build cross-border solidarity. In the end, it is not so much the standards themselves, but the way in which the fight for the standards happens and the way in which they are used that matters most. The struggle for labour standards should be seen as a tool to aid workers to organise, rather than as a solution to poor working conditions

Capital Mobility and Job Loss: Corporate Restructuring, Production Shifts, and Outsourcing

[Excerpt] This chapter examines the impact of corporate restructuring and global outsourcing on employment in the Commonwealth and the shifts in production from workplaces in Massachusetts to other countries. In particular we focus on global outsourcing, the shifting of work from Massachusetts offshore to countries in Europe and Asia, and nearshore to Canada and countries in Latin America. Given the huge media attention that outsourcing and nearshoring have garnered, and the increasing trend they represent toward corporate restructuring and capital mobility with lasting repercussions for workers, families, unions, and communities in the Commonwealth, it is important to assess their relative impact on job loss in the state

Offshoring: The Evolving Profile of Corporate Global Restructuring

For all of the increase in international trade and rising concern about shifting of manufacturing and service jobs away from the United States, there is remarkably little detailed data on the scope of outsourcing. In part that reflects corporation\u27s reluctance to announce plans to shift production or office work overseas. Even more, it is a consequence of the U.S. government\u27s failure to collect data on the phenomenon. This article reports on the results of a study intended to fill this information gap. Our research involves a combination of online media tracking and corporate research and the creation of a database including information on all production shifts announced or confirmed in the media during a specified period. The study examines production shifts from January 1 through March 31, 2004

Discounted Jobs: How Retailers Sell Workers Short

This study, conducted in the fall of 2011, sought to track the wages and working conditions of frontline non-managerial workers in New York's booming retail industry. We interviewed workers employed at non-union large stores and national chains from high-end Fifth Avenue fashion to off-brand clothing retailers on Fordham Road in the Bronx. Because New York is the retail capital of the United States, and the majority of respondents worked in stores with a national presence, this study paints a portrait of the practices and conditions experienced by retail workers across the country. Responses from the 436 workers surveyed debunk myths surrounding the industry that boasts about putting America back to work. This report provides insight into the workers and families who are trying to survive on low-wage retail work - showing that race and gender matter a great deal when it comes to how much workers earn per hour, how likely they are to be promoted along a career path, and how likely they are to have benefits such as health insurance or paid sick days

The State of the Unions 2021: A Profile of Organized Labor in New York City, New York State, and the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns generated vast job losses across the United States. The New York City metropolitan area, where the pandemic’s impact was felt earlier than elsewhere in the country, suffered severe job losses in 2020. The decline in employment among women workers was greater than among men — in sharp contrast to the Great Recession, which hit men’s employment harder. The State of the Unions 2021, A Profile of Organized Labor in New York City, New York State, and the United States, presents data on gender, union membership, and job losses in the COVID-19 economic downturn on the New York metropolitan area labor market. The report also includes an in-depth look at the geographic, demographic, and occupational makeup of union membership in New York City, New York State, and the nation, updating previous reports in this annual series

The Case for Public Investment in Higher Pay for New York State Home Care Workers: Estimated Costs and Savings

This report explores one potential solution to the mounting home care labor shortage in New York State: substantially raising wages for the state\u27s home care workers. The analysis presents detailed projections, based on the best available data, of the economic effects of such an intervention, estimating the costs and benefits that would result. We find that public funding to raise home care wages would require significant resources, but those costs would be surpassed by the resulting savings, tax revenues, and economic spillover effects. The net economic gain would total at least $3.7 billion. Lifting wages would also help fill nearly 20,000 vacant home care positions each year and would create nearly 18,000 jobs in other industries by boosting local economic activity. These findings align with past studies on public investment in the care sector, which have found large effects on economic activity and on job creation both within and beyond care industries

Student Knowledge of Signs, Risk Factors, and Resources for Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Disorders, and Other Mental Health Problems on Campus

A mixed methods study sought to assess student knowledge of signs, risk factors, and campus services available for mental health disorders. A survey was completed by 831 students and three focus groups were conducted. Respondents felt more knowledgeable about depression than about anxiety and sleep disorders. Graduate students and seniors had a keener awareness of risk factors for anxiety and sophomores were in the greatest danger of failing to recognize these risks. Males often failed to recognize signs and risk factors for mental health problems. Support groups, courses, and workshops on managing relationships, transition to college, and specific mental health disorders are advocated

Student Knowledge of Signs, Risk Factors, and Resources for Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Disorders, and Other Mental Health Problems on Campus

A mixed methods study sought to assess knowledge of the signs, risk factors, and campus services available for mental health disorders. A survey was completed by 831 participants at a college of approximately 9,000 students in the northeastern region of the United States. Students evidenced a need for more education about mental health problems on the college campus. Respondents felt more knowledgeable about depression than about anxiety and sleep disorders. Over half of the respondents were unable to identify specific mental health problems that they were aware of. Upperclassmen had a keener awareness of risk factors for anxiety and sophomores were in the greatest danger of failing to recognize risk factors for anxiety. Females consistently recognized signs and risk factors for anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression more frequently than males. Support groups, courses, and workshops on managing relationships, transition to college, and other mental health issues are recommended to increase awareness of mental health needs and services. Convenient access to counseling and fitness activities are encouraged

Biomechanical factors in atherosclerosis: mechanisms and clinical implications†

Blood vessels are exposed to multiple mechanical forces that are exerted on the vessel wall (radial, circumferential and longitudinal forces) or on the endothelial surface (shear stress). The stresses and strains experienced by arteries influence the initiation of atherosclerotic lesions, which develop at regions of arteries that are exposed to complex blood flow. In addition, plaque progression and eventually plaque rupture is influenced by a complex interaction between biological and mechanical factors—mechanical forces regulate the cellular and molecular composition of plaques and, conversely, the composition of plaques determines their ability to withstand mechanical load. A deeper understanding of these interactions is essential for designing new therapeutic strategies to prevent lesion development and promote plaque stabilization. Moreover, integrating clinical imaging techniques with finite element modelling techniques allows for detailed examination of local morphological and biomechanical characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions that may be of help in prediction of future events. In this ESC Position Paper on biomechanical factors in atherosclerosis, we summarize the current ‘state of the art' on the interface between mechanical forces and atherosclerotic plaque biology and identify potential clinical applications and key questions for future researc