January 6, 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS FALL AT YEAR'S END

Today in Manufacturing
The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, fell to 373,250 -- the lowest level since June 2008 ... continue

SCIENTIST: TESTS NEEDED ON GAS DRILLING IMPACT
Today in Manufacturing
One of the government's top scientists says more research is needed to determine the impacts of shale gas drilling on human health and the environment ... continue

RETAILERS REPORT SOLID FINALE TO HOLIDAYS
Today in Manufacturing
Merchants had to mark down coats and other gifts to get shoppers to buy in a challenging economy ... continue

IMPLEMENTING THE PAYROLL TAX EXTENSION
Quick Manufacturing News
With the passage of the bill, employees' Social Security tax withholding will remain at 4.2% through February 2012, after which it will revert to 6.2%. Click to continue

BE PROACTIVE IN 2012 AND GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Today in Manufacturing
Manufacturers and distributors must take aggressive steps to impact the nation's economy and strive to actively shape their own destinies in 2012 ... continue

AS SANCTIONS BITE, IRAN FEELS THE PAIN
Today in Manufacturing
In the two days after President Barack Obama approved sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and oil sectors, the value of currency plunged 13 percent ... continue

PRESIDENT OBAMA RECESS-APPOINTS THREE MEMBERS TO NLRB
NAM Capital Briefing
In an unprecedented move on Wednesday, January 4, President Obama recess-appointed three new members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). On Saturday, December 31, Craig Becker’s term expired, leaving the Board with only two members and unable to issue any case decisions or rules. Two of the new members, Sharon Block and Richard Griffin, were both nominated only a few short weeks ago, but the Senate has yet to fully consider these nominees through the normal Senate procedure at the appropriate committee or before the full Senate. Terence Flynn (a Republican nominee) was nominated a year ago to fill the remaining Republican slot on the Board, and while his nomination has been considered over the past year, it has been tied up for other political reasons. Under the Constitution, the President can exercise recess-appointment authority for those individuals who have already been nominated but have yet to be confirmed when Congress is in what is called a “recess” period. There is a question, however, as to whether the Senate was actually in a recess period when the President made these appointments. The NAM will continue to follow this point very closely.

CLOCK STARTS TICKING ON KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE DECISION
NAM Capital Briefing
On Friday, December 23, President Obama signed into law a payroll tax bill—including an NAM-supported provision requiring the State Department to approve the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days unless the President determines the pipeline would not serve the national interest. While manufacturers welcome Congress’s inclusion of Keystone XL language in the tax package, it is now time for the Administration to approve the pipeline. The project will create 20,000 jobs right away and will create an additional 118,000 jobs over the next several years. It will also provide the United States with a secure and abundant supply of Canadian crude oil. This project is a win-win for both our nation’s energy security and the economy. The NAM will continue to put pressure on the Administration to approve the pipeline in the coming weeks. To read NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons’ New York Times op-ed on the Keystone XL pipeline, click here.

COURT STAYS JOB-KILLING EPA RULE IMPACTING POWER PLANTS
NAM Capital Briefing
On Friday, December 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit stayed the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). This action stops the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enforcing the rule until the Court has completed full consideration of the legal challenges against it. The EPA issued the CSAPR in July 2011. The rule replaces the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) that the D.C. Circuit determined was unlawful in 2008 and would implement a portion of the Clean Air Act that prohibits states from allowing emissions of pollutants in amounts that will contribute significantly to air quality problems in other states. The rule would require power plants in 28 states—including states in the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic—to reduce emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particle pollution. It also would set up an emissions trading program. Manufacturers are concerned that the CSAPR will raise electricity costs, compromise grid reliability and lead to more job losses. Had the court not granted the stay, the rule would have taken effect on January 1, an extraordinarily short period of time between the finalization of the rule and its implementation. Click here to read the per curiam order granting the stay.

A WORD FROM THE COMMISSIONER
Utah Labor Commission – “On the Job”
As part of Governor Herbert's 2011State of the State address, he directed all members of his cabinet to "...review existing business regulations and determine which should be kept, which should be modified, and which will be eliminated" in order to encourage a regulatory environment which both protects Utahns and does not hamstring business.

As part of this rule review process, the Labor Commission identified that most of its existing rules are appropriate exercises of rule making authority but that many rules can benefit from clarification and simplification while several others are no longer warranted. In all, the Commission identified 18 rules to amend, 4 to repeal, and 1 to add, and 1 needing possible statutory change.

The Commission invites stakeholders to continue to participate in assuring a balanced regulatory environment that protects the health, safety and fairness for Utah's employees while allowing Utah's employers to conduct their business efficiently and effectively.

2012 STATE REPORT CARDS FOR WORKER'S COMPENSATION RELEASED BY WORK LOSS DATA INSTITUTE
Utah Labor Commission – “On the Job”
According to a recent press release by the Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI), a database development Company focused on workplace health and productivity, “Utah performed the best of all the states…” Read an excerpt from their press release below:

December 21, 2011 Encinitas, CA – Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) announces the release of its 2012 State Report Cards for Workers’ Comp, now with 10 years of data, which is used to track trends and give states a grade and tier ranking based on their performance from 2000-2009.

Forty-three states are covered, plus Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. WLDI’s State Report Cards are based on data from OSHA Forms 300 and 200, which cover all OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses and provide the basis for rating state-by-state workers’ compensation performance.

The report cards help employers, insurers, TPA’s, state governments and consultants answer the questions, “Who is doing well and why?”

Utah performed the best of all the states for 2009 and Arkansas and Minnesota came in a close second and third. All three states received a grade of A+ based on an average of their 2009 scores in the five categories above. West Virginia, New York, Hawaii, Wyoming and Kentucky received failing grades. This is New York’s tenth consecutive year with an F grade.

A summary of each grade for all states is shown on a U.S. Map Showing Grades by State, located at: http://www.worklossdata.com/SRC2012grades.htm.

For the full press release and more information: http://www.worklossdata.com/PR_SRC2012.htm

IF YOU AREN'T MAKING MISTAKES, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG
SmartBrief on Leadership
The best business ideas often spring from strategic stumbles, writes Paul Schoemaker. It's essential to tolerate and even encourage mistake-making to create space for serendipity. "Deliberately making errors goes against the human grain," he writes. "But trying too hard to avoid them may be the greatest mistake of all." Inc.com

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 8.5 PERCENT
Today in Manufacturing
Manufacturing added 23,000 out of the 200,000 jobs in December, capping a six-month stretch in which 100,000 or more jobs were created each month ... continue

WHEN PERFORMANCE LAGS, LOOK TO THE TEAM CULTURE
Today in Manufacturing
An effective team will define specific performance goals, a work-product, a set of challenges to overcome, and milestones to meet ... continue

COMMON SENSE ON COMMON CORE
Lt. Governor Greg Bell’s Blog -- Posted: 05 Jan 2012 04:47 PM PST
The worldwide market has few boundaries. Thus Utah’s businesses and workforce must be able to compete globally. For this reason, the Legislature, employers and parents are demanding that our education system benchmark its objectives against international competitors. They also demand a more rigorous curriculum.

To address these concerns, parents, teachers, school administrators and experts from across the country joined with state leaders to develop a clear set of standards that each state can use as a framework for improving education. In 2009, the Utah State Board of Education and the Governor agreed to join 48 states to produce the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English-language arts.

Utah joined the Common Core initiative because we want standards to ensure that all students, no matter where they live, are prepared for success. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers and help ensure that students receive a high quality education consistently, from school to school. They also provide a greater opportunity for teachers and administrators to share experiences and best practices. Common Core Standards are:

• Aligned with college and work expectations
• Include rigorous content
• Informed by top performing countries such as Singapore
• Evidence-based
• Clear, understandable, and consistent
• Build upon the strengths of Utah’s current education standards

Based on misinformation, some legislators and parents have expressed concern about the Common Core being the result of the federal government meddling in Utah’s education policy. The Governor and I believe that the education of Utah’s children is the responsibility of Utah—not the federal government. However, it’s important to understand that the Common Core Standards were not developed by the federal government, nor has the federal government been involved at any step along the process. This is a state-led initiative, and Utah joined without any strings attached. We can opt out at anytime, or we can adapt the standards to fit our needs and values. The fear is that the Common Core will impose on Utah schools the obligation to teach values and lifestyles we don’t agree with. That won’t happen on our watch.

I have read the Common Core. It does not discuss, let alone mandate, any moral or political positions, values or lifestyle considerations. The Common Core, while very comprehensive, simply states milestones for students, for instance, by the end of 3rd grade the student will be able to form and use irregular verbs, or explain equivalent fractions. Common Core Standards are an exhaustive list of skills and competencies. The texts, the lessons, the values, the methods by which teachers convey and help our students develop these competencies will be chosen, as they always have been, by Utah’s schools and parents.

Recently I had a conversation with the founder and CEO of one of the world’s leading IT companies. He told me that in order for Utah to continue to attract more high-paying jobs, we must do better in educating our children. The Utah Common Core standards are a major step along this path.