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Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio waves an Ecuadorian flag as he attends a rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Fernando Villavicencio, the Ecuadorean presidential candidate gunned down in Quito on Wednesday, was no stranger to threats and intimidation from powerful figures in Ecuador. Villavicencio also denounced high-ranking executives in Ecuador's oil, mining and power industries – and even big foreign companies including Chinese oil behemoths, Brazilian engineering firms and global oil trading firms. The murder is the first of a presidential candidate in Ecuador's history. A year later, in 2014, Villavicencio went on the run to avoid imprisonment for alleged defamation of then-President Correa.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro, Long, –, Rafael Correa, Correa, Villavicencio, I'm, Villavicencio's, Guillermo Lasso ., Steven Grattan, Joshua Schneyer, Brad Haynes, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico's, Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, Prensa, The Workers Press, National Assembly, Lasso, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Belgium, Mexico's Sinaloa, Peru, China, London, New York

☆ The robots are coming — and the companies building them are looking for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But as companies adopt robots on manufacturing floors, in kitchens and on delivery routes, workers have a growing opportunity to join the ranks in helping to build and implement the technology. On the other hand, 60% of companies operating in information and technology services expect jobs to be created due to robots in the next five years. Jose A. Iglesias | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesRobotics company Zipline is among the companies looking for employees, as it aims to add at least 100 workers. The use of automation at companies large and small has two advantages, the Association for Advancing Automation argues. It reduces challenges for workers in taking away monotonous or dangerous tasks in their day-to-day roles and it keeps companies competitive and speedy in the production process.

Persons: Jose A, Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Rinaudo Cliffton, Jeff Burnstein, Avocados Organizations: Jobs, Iglesias, Tribune, Service, Getty, Robotics, Walmart, GNC, Toyota, Association for, Automation, Vebu Labs Locations: Miami, San Francisco , California, Rwanda, China

☆ US, Mexico agree on labor rights plan for Mexican Goodyear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, July 19 (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico reached an agreement to remedy violations of workers' rights at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (GT.O) plant in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosi, both countries said on Wednesday. The Mexican government has committed to carry out a number of measures under the agreement, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office said in a statement. Goodyear must also inform workers of their labor rights and respect union activity, the USTR said. Mexico will carry out periodic inspections of the plant, and if warranted, could impose sanctions on people, labor organizations or the company, the USTR said. The remediation plan comes after a petition from a Mexican independent union, which found Goodyear was offering employees fewer benefits than an industry-wide agreement required.

Persons: Goodyear, Raul Cortes, Valentine Hilaire, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Sonali Paul Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Goodyear Tire &, U.S . Trade, Goodyear, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, United States, Mexico, Mexican, San Luis Potosi, U.S

☆ Opinion: Lab-grown meat is an expensive distraction from reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Alice Driver | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Lab-grown meat, also known as cultured or cultivated meat, costs about $17 a pound, making it unaffordable for most consumers. Lab-grown meat has more in common with meat produced at a slaughterhouse than you might think. Some critics of the meatpacking industry have gotten excited about the idea of lab-grown meat as an alternative to Big Chicken. Tyson Foods, the largest meatpacking company in the US, was an early investor in the plant-based meat company Beyond Meat and has put money in Upside Foods. Before celebrating cultured meat as a victory for anyone, surely more studies are needed to explore this point further.

Persons: Alice Driver, James Beard, Alice Driver Alice Driver, restauranteur, ” Andrés, Dominique Crenn, Andres ’, Cargill, Tyson, “ We’ve, David Humbird, Humbird, Davis Organizations: American Worker, CNN, CNN —, Tyson Foods, Foods, JBS, McKinsey & Company, Twitter, University of California, Biotechnology, Food Institute, Big Tech Locations: Little Rock , Arkansas, United States, China, Washington ,, San Francisco, Berkeley

☆ As companies bring more jobs to Mexico, US wants labor rights safeguards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Daina Beth Solomon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MEXICO CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. wants Mexico's government to build strong institutions to protect worker rights as companies aiming to avoid supply chain disruptions in far-off production spots bring more jobs to the country, a top U.S. labor official told Reuters. Mexico has begun to benefit from "nearshoring" in which companies seek to move production closer to the U.S. market while maintaining competitive costs. "Hopefully that will ensure that Mexico doesn't become a dumping ground for companies looking for cheap labor and lax regulations," said Thea Lee, U.S. Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs who polices USMCA compliance. Mexico has made progress improving labor courts, resolving worker complaints faster and easing union organization, but needs to do more, Lee said. Since 2020, several U.S. labor complaints in Mexico have paved the way for independent unions to land pay raises and even expand.

Persons: Thea Lee, Lee, Cristina Ramirez, Ramirez, Daina Beth Solomon, David Gregorio Our Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, International Labor Affairs, Goodyear, Grupo Mexico, VU Manufacturing, La Liga, VU, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Mexico, Canada, Piedras Negras

☆ Shein's average shopper is older than you think — and she's spending far more on clothing than your average American
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The average Shein shopper is a nearly 35-year-old woman, according to a UBS report. While the average Shein customer skews older than the influencers associated with the brand, they are still 13 years younger than the average American adult shopper. The average Shein customer is female, earns $65,300 in annual income, and reported spending $100 per month on women's clothing. Shein customers also shop more frequently than the average American, both online and in stores. Environmental, social, and ethical business practices ranked among the lowest priorities for all American shoppers surveyed.

Persons: Shein, — Organizations: UBS, Service, UBS Securities, that's, Wall Street Journal, Walmart, Target, Shein, Google, Analysts Locations: TikTok, Amazon, Maxx

☆ Ex-Twitter janitors are suing Elon Musk's company for over $100,000 in back pay, saying they face 'extreme hardship' after being 'left jobless on Christmas Eve'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of the janitors said she faced "extreme hardship" like rationing pills after losing healthcare benefits. Former janitors at Twitter's New York office say they're owed "hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages" in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The eleven plaintiffs earned around $25 to $30 an hour, and some had been cleaning Twitter's office since 2015. In January, Twitter staff spotted cockroaches at the New York office, and it suffered a toilet paper shortage, Insider reported. Twitter's New York office.

Persons: they're, Elon Musk's, Musk, Twitter's, Kena, Lucy Calderon, Manny Pastreich, Twitter, Nextgen Organizations: Twitter, Twitter's, The Guardian, Building Service Workers Protection, New, Getty, SEIU Locations: York, New York

☆ U.S.-led Indo-Pacific talks produce deal on supply chain early warnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks with delegates during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework meeting in Detroit, Michigan U.S. May 27, 2023. The deal provides an emergency communications channel for IPEF countries to seek support during supply chain disruptions, coordinate more closely during a crisis and recover more quickly. It absolutely would have helped us secure American jobs and keep supply chains moving," she said. The supply chains agreement, led by Commerce, marks the first tangible outcome of a year's worth of IPEF discussions. The supply chains agreement also includes a new labor rights advisory board aimed at raising labor standards in supply chains, consisting of government, worker, and employer representatives, the Commerce Department said.

☆ Elon Musk wanted to build a bathroom next to his office at Twitter so he didn't have to wake up his bodyguards when he needed to pee in the night, lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk requested a bathroom be built next to his office at Twitter's headquarters, a lawsuit says. That's allegedly because he didn't want to have to wake up his security team in the middle of the night. Elon Musk wanted to have a bathroom built next to his office in Twitter's headquarters so he didn't have to wake up his bodyguards in the middle of the night to go pee, a new lawsuit claims. A Twitter engineer told the BBC in March that at least two bodyguards follow Musk around its San Francisco headquarters, including to the restroom. Last month, the billionaire told the BBC that he sometimes sleeps on a couch in the library at Twitter's headquarters.

☆ Elon Musk told a Twitter advisor at 4 a.m. that the company would only pay rent over his 'dead body,' lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It alleges Musk told an advisor at 4 a.m. that "he would only pay rent over his dead body." In a 4 a.m. conversation, Elon Musk allegedly told one of this his investors that the company would only pay rent on its offices "over his dead body," per a new lawsuit. Over the last few months, Twitter's landlords in London, New York, and San Francisco have all sued the company for failing to pay rent. Mendoza allegedly responded: "Elon told me he would only pay rent over his dead body." Musk told CNBC on Tuesday that he sleeps around six hours a night, and previously told the BBC he's "shot myself in the foot" by tweeting after 3 a.m.

☆ One of the world's most expensive cities just raised the minimum wage by 32 cents an hour — and it's getting absolutely slammed for it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Financial hub Hong Kong is one of the world's most expensive cities. On Monday, the city raised its minimum wage by 32 cents to about $5.1 per hour. A wage hike of 2.5 Hong Kong dollars, or roughly 32 cents, means that Hong Kong's minimum wage is now 40 Hong Kong dollars per hour — a 7% increase from 37.50 Hong Kong dollars previously, per the announcement. In 2022, Hong Kong was the most expensive city to live in, according to consulting firm Mercer's cost of living list of over 200 cities. The society added the minimum wage should be at least 53.40 Hong Kong dollars — 30% over the current level.

☆ Amazon Union President Chris Smalls Seen Fighting Worker in Video
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

On the night of December 5, the president of the Amazon Labor Union pummeled another union member. Some longtime Amazon Labor Union organizers decided to begin organizing on their own, without Smalls. All three said they believe in Smalls' mission and support the goals of the Amazon Labor Union, but worry about Smalls' ability to lead. Amazon Labor Union members consoled each other after the union lost the vote at its second warehouse, LDJ5, last April. One purpose of the organization appears to be to raise funds for the Amazon Labor Union, according to its certificate of incorporation.

☆ Nike faces shareholder proposal on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Activist shareholder platform Tulipshare is calling on Nike (NKE.N) to offer more transparency on working conditions in its supply chain. In a shareholder proposal released Thursday, London-based Tulipshare requested a report from Nike on whether its policies effectively address its stated equity goals and human rights commitments. The company’s most recently available impact report from fiscal 2021 cites forced labor, supply chain transparency and labor rights as some of its essential priorities. “Nike did not engage with garment worker unions representing Nike supply chain workers about those impacts, despite the OECD Guidelines’ expectation that multinational enterprises do so and despite unions’ requests for dialogue,” the complaint states. In a fiscal 2022 statement on forced labor, Nike said it is growing its business "through long-term relationships with suppliers that are committed to our strict standards of sustainability and human rights, product excellence and compliance with local laws."

☆ China's growing influence threatens to undermine global human rights, new research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Campaigners stand opposite the Chinese embassy in London to protest human rights violations by the Chinese government against its Uyghur community. Mark Kerrison | In Pictures | Getty ImagesChina's growing global influence poses a serious threat to international human rights, according to a new report, which suggests that the United Nations Human Rights Council — the body established to safeguard such international protections — is failing to counter the risks. Beijing's increasingly active role in the international human rights system comes at a precarious period of global democratic deterioration. Sofia Nazalya senior human rights analyst at Verisk MaplecroftThe research, part of the firm's wider annual Human Rights Outlook, is based on quantitative data from sources including the U.N., the U.S. State Department and Human Rights Watch, as well as Verisk Maplecroft's internal qualitative analysis. More than half of members also ranked similarly poorly across the three other metrics the research deemed essential for upholding humanitarian protections: labor rights, human security and human development.

☆ US, Japan strike trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan on Tuesday announced a trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals that is key to strengthening their battery supply chains and granting Japanese automakers wider access to the new $7,500 U.S. EV tax credit. The deal also aims to reduce U.S.-Japanese dependence on China for such materials by requiring collaboration to combat "non-market policies and practices" of other countries in the sector and on conducting investment reviews of foreign investments in their critical minerals supply chains. The officials said that USTR does not intend to seek approval by Congress for the minerals trade agreement because it falls under the agency's authority to negotiate sectoral trade agreements at the executive level. But they said provisions in the deal to promote labor rights and recycling in their battery mineral supply chains would help both countries. The two countries agreed to review the minerals agreement every two years, including whether it is appropriate to terminate or amend it.

☆ Workers at $12 billion HR startup Deel say they may have been misclassified as independent contractors. Deel says it has not.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jenna Gyimesi | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over half the company's workers are classified as independent contractors — including the CEO. But in a recent Insider feature, workers at the $12 billion company said they have concerns Deel may have misclassified them and their colleagues as independent contractors. At least half the company's 2,000 workers around the world are employed as independent contractors. Many workers that Insider spoke to said there seems to be no noticeable difference in the responsibilities of independent contractors and employees. While most independent contractors work on short-term tasked based projects, contracts reviewed by Insider showed independent contractors at Deel work for multiple years at a time.

☆ Nissan and Mexican workers agree to 9% raise at Morelos plant, union says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, March 3 (Reuters) - Labor representatives at a Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) plant in the central Mexican state of Morelos have reached an agreement with the Japanese carmaker to hike pay 9% as of April, the union said. Leobardo Herrera, head of the Independent Union of Nissan Mexico Workers, said the union aimed to boost pay beyond inflation - which stood at 7.76% in early February - and came to a deal quickly with the company. The new salaries will be in place for a year before the union and company re-negotiate, Herrera said. Nissan Mexicana, as the company's Mexico unit is known, said it negotiated with the union in February and is committed to ensuring labor rights for the roughly 1,500 unionized workers at its Morelos plant, which produces the NP300 pickup truck. The automaker produces other models at plants in the state of Aguascalientes a few hundred miles northwest of Morelos, which are represented by a different union.

[1/3] Starbucks workers attend a rally as they go on a one-day strike outside a store in Buffalo, New York, U.S., November 17, 2022. Employees at more than 280 out of its roughly 9,000 company operated U.S. locations have voted to join a labor union since 2021. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has accused Starbucks of unlawful anti-union tactics at stores across the country, including allegedly firing pro-union workers. ISS concluded that "there seem to be credible reasons that may lend support to various accusations" raised by Workers United, the NLRB and Starbucks. Starbucks also said it "commenced efforts to conduct a human rights impact assessment" including labor rights, and that it expects to make the results available to shareholders.

SummarySummary Law firms Laid-off workers can't sign away labor rights, board saysDecision overrules Trump-era precedentFeb 22 - The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that laid-off workers cannot be required to sign agreements that contain confidentiality clauses and other provisions that could deter them from exercising their rights under federal labor law in exchange for receiving severance. The board in a 3-1 decision on Tuesday overturned a pair of Trump-era rulings that said severance agreements only violate federal labor law when employers engage in other unlawful conduct when asking workers to sign them. The NLRB's Democratic majority said those rulings were misguided and "granted employers carte blanche to offer employees severance agreements that include unlawful provisions." The board said it was illegal for the company to offer the workers severance agreements that included confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions because they could be discouraged from filing complaints with the NLRB or publicizing labor disputes. He said there was no evidence that the decisions tossed out by the majority had led the board to uphold illegal severance agreements.

☆ Tesla owners reveal the best and worst features of their cars, and what they really think of Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Insider spoke with more than a dozen Tesla owners to learn what they like most and least about their cars. We talked to more than a dozen Tesla owners to find out what they like most about their cars — and what they think needs improvement. Since electric cars don't experience the same acceleration lag as gas vehicles, Teslas jolt forward the instant you put your foot down. Con: Stiff rideSome Model 3 and Y owners told Insider their cars are too stiff and jittery over bumpy pavement. Tim Levin/InsiderOver and over, Tesla owners praised the company's extensive network of fast chargers, which is exclusive to Tesla owners in the US.

☆ U.S. VP Harris highlights $4.2 bln private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration by targeting economic development, the White House said on Monday. In her remarks on Monday, Harris said migrants come to the United States to flee harm or because they cannot meet basic economic needs. Before a meeting with U.S. officials and private sector representatives, Harris announced a new phase of the effort called Central America Forward, which will focus on broader economic development, corruption and labor rights. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined following a sharp rise in 2021 after Biden took office. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg, Chizu Nomiyama and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. VP Harris touts $4.2b private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration, the White House said on Monday. Harris focused her efforts on addressing the factors that led migrants to leave the three countries, known as the northern triangle, including a lack of economic opportunity. Corruption and governance concerns in the three nations have limited the effectiveness of the Harris push, leading to the cancellation or suspension of projects likely worth millions of dollars. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined since mid-2021. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Apple has infringed on worker rights, NLRB investigators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Apple has illegally imposed rules on its employees that prohibit them from discussing their wages and engaging in other protected activity, according to investigators at the National Labor Relations Board. The findings by NLRB agents determined that “various work rules, handbook rules, and confidentiality rules at Apple” are unlawful because they “reasonably tend to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees” who attempt to assert their labor rights, NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado told CNN Tuesday. The NLRB does not have the power to impose penalties, but can force employers to implement “make-whole remedies,” according to its website. According to Bloomberg, the cases in question were brought by two former Apple employees, one of whom cited an email from CEO Tim Cook vowing to crack down on information leaks at the company. Apple pushed back at those claims in a filing with the NLRB.

☆ U.S. again asks Mexico to review labor rights issues at VU Manufacturing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Monday asked Mexico under a regional trade pact to again probe whether workers at a VU Manufacturing facility in Piedras Negras are being denied labor rights. In September, Mexico and the United States said they had resolved an earlier complaint under USMCA, saying workers at auto-parts plant VU Manufacturing in northern Mexico were able to elect the union of their choice. "Despite this facility taking positive actions in 2022, some of the failures we identified previously appear to be recurring," said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Monday. Michigan-based VU Manufacturing, who produces interior car parts including arm rests and door upholstery, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tech layoffs strip the facade of TikTok's 'day in the life' videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Meta, Salesforce, Twitter, Snap and other tech companies have also announced layoffs in recent months. Others are using their platforms to raise awareness of labor rights in wake of recent layoffs. So yeah, I’m unemployed, but I have a hell of a lot of confidence in myself.”Educating viewers about their rights has also gained popularity after recent layoffs. TikTok user alberta.nyc, a Google software engineer and self-described “tech cynic," has made videos about the importance of unions in the tech industry. In a video, creator alejandra_n_h expressed solidarity with former Amazon employees who had been affected by recent layoffs.

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