Labor Relations Reporter; News and Background Index

E-MAIL

– Case summaries, 123; 469; 494
– Non-job-related solicitation, no ULP where newspaper policy barred (NLRB), Analysis, 163; management and unions have opposing views on use of employer e-mail systems, ABA meeting, 292

EARLY RETIREMENT

– Case summaries, 291

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

See ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
– Industrial productivity

See PRODUCTIVITY

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

See also ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
– CPI-U and CPI-W

See CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

– Gross domestic product

See GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)

– Industrial productivity

See PRODUCTIVITY

– Leading index, Conf. Bd., Dec. 2007, 188
– PPI

See PRODUCER PRICE INDEX (PPI)

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

– Beige Book surveys

See FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD (FRB)

– College graduates, employers scaled back hiring plans for class of 2008 due to deteriorating economy, survey, 401
– Economic growth, Fed. Open Market Cmte., 4th quarter 2007, 42
– Economic recovery, AFL-CIO Executive Council urges new program, asks Presidential candidates to produce credible policies, 315
– Hiring, BNA survey, first quarter 2008, 92
– ISM reports, nonmanufacturing sector, Nov., 2007, 68
– Labor force participation rate, next 10 years, 190
– NABE forecast, 2008, 304
– Recession, forecasters say U.S. economy has entered, predict job losses less severe than previously, 332

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

– Case summaries, 10; 79; 105; 372; 435; 441; 470; 470; 487
– College graduates, employers scaled back hiring plans for class of 2008 due to deteriorating economy, survey, 401
– First Student, IBT wins representation elections for Little Rock, Ark. and Willingboro, N.J. school bus drivers, 102
– Fla. Gulf Coast Univ., dean claiming demotion, loss of pay, and other adverse actions for complaining about sex and age bias gets damages and new contract in accord (M.D. Fla.), 225
– Mich., workers who came in after hours to do personal work properly fired despite assurances that security cameras would only be used for timekeeping (Arb.), 450
– N.Y.C. Bd. of Ed., Solicitor General invited to express opinion on whether board can be liable for race bias in mandatory testing for teacher applicants (U.S., briefs sought), 62
– Rutgers Univ., pact with AFT affiliate ratified, 78
– School infrastructure modernization, GOPs and open-shop contractors urge House panel not to add prevailing wage mandates, 300
– Sullivan Univ., clerical worker with bipolar disorder has no disability bias claim where no substantial limit in major life activity (W.D. Ky.), 34
– Univ. of Ala., Birmingham, nursing director may pursue disability bias claim even though transfer to lower paying job voluntary (11th Cir.), 34
– Univ. of Tex., San Antonio, official does not have qualified immunity from chemistry professor's due process claim for disposing of personal property without adequate notice (5th Cir.), 14

EEOC

See EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC)

ELECTIONS

– Union

– – Decertification

See DECERTIFICATION

– – Representation

See REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS

ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)

– Amtrak, pact attained, possible strike averted, 174
– Case summaries, 99; 243; 436

ELECTRONIC MAIL

See E-MAIL

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

– Ed. Note: For a list of selected articles, BNA products, and Internet sources, see back page of each issue.

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

– Case summaries, 207; 350; 415
– Xerox, accord with class claiming race bias in assigning sales territories gets preliminary approval (E.D.N.Y.), 488

EMERGENCY SERVICES

– Case summaries, 298

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

– Retirees

See RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS

See HANDBOOKS, EMPLOYEE

EMPLOYEE STATUS

– At-will employment

See EMPLOYMENT-AT-WILL

– Case summaries, 147; 223; 463
– Independent contractors

See INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS

– At-will employees

See EMPLOYMENT-AT-WILL

– International posts, key aspects of pacts with U.S. workers must comply with laws of foreign countries, panel says, 16
– Noncompete clauses

See NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS

EMPLOYMENT-AT-WILL

– Case summaries, 422

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

– Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 1577

– Top issues for human resources professionals include increased enforcement, 186

ENERGY INDUSTRY

See UTILITIES

ENGLISH-ONLY RULES

– EEOC suits, Senate approves GOP amendment taking agency funds for Ed. Dep't program to teach English to immigrants, 371

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

– League of Am. Theatres and Producers, IATSE Local 1 pact ratified, 53

See EXECUTIVE ORDERS

EPA

See EQUAL PAY ACT (EPA)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC)

– Ed. Note: For enforcement actions other than general stories, see relevant subject headings.
– Administration

– – Appointments and personnel changes

– – – Comm'r, loss possible if Senate does not act on Ishimaru nomination, 60; Ishimaru confirmed, 108; Barber nominated to fill GOP seat, 394
– – – Legal counsel, Russell sworn in, 109

– – Call center, proposal to extend private contractor service and enter long-term competitive pact approved, 273
– – FY2009, request provides more funding than FY2008 level, agency pleased, 226; Senate approves GOP amendment taking EEOC funds for suits against English-only policies and giving to Ed. Dep't to teach English to immigrants, 371; Earp says proposed increase will help address hiring needs, Mollohan (D-WVa) says agency not equipped to handle growing caseload, 464

– Enforcement

– – ADEA

– – – Charge, whether any document filed that requests action qualified among issues to be addressed in 2007-8 term (U.S.), Special Report, 211
– – – New focus needed, private legal action encouraged since resources to pursue lacking, 40th anniversary conference speakers say, Special Report, 45

– – Case summaries, 297; 319
– – Current initiatives, priorities discussed, ABA conference, 418
– – Hiring, employers must take steps to ensure tests are valid, OFCCP and EEOC officials say, 393; more written tests, criminal background checks, and credit checks to screen applicants causing more scrutiny for bias, 420
– – Implicit bias, agency interested in large class actions, may use more scientific witnesses to buttress individual claims, official tells ABA, 440
– – Private sector charges, FY2007, 343
– – Processing complaints, change for agency workers proposed, would change term handicap to disability, 276

– Rules and regulations

– – ADEA

– – – Disparate impact, changes to rules on analyzing claims proposed, 416
– – – Retiree health benefits, final rule creating exemption letting plan change, cut, or end when recipient eligible for Medicare issued, 106; agency power to issue exemption letting plans coordinate benefits with Medicare (rev den), Special Report, 404

– – Case handling, rules dismissing Title VII and ADA charges when charging party cannot be located, fails to cooperate, or fails to accept full remedy eliminated, 180
– – Recordkeeping, seeking OMB approval for extension of current rules approved but some concerned about handling Internet applications, 368
– – Service-connected disabilities, data on veterans' protections posted on Web site, 349

EQUAL PAY ACT (EPA)

– Case summaries, 79

EQUAL PROTECTION

– Case summaries, 135; 228
– Class of one theory, use barred, jury award improper (U.S., rev grant), 185; case among issues to be addressed in 2007-8 term, Special Report, 211

EQUIPMENT RENTALS

– Case summaries, 463

ERISA

– Case summaries, 195
– Fiduciaries and fiduciary breach

See FIDUCIARY DUTY

– Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 493

EVIDENCE

– Age bias, admissibility of testimony from other RIF'd workers who reported to other supervisors addressed (U.S., oral arg), 31; case among issues to be addressed in 2007-8 term, Special Report, 211; no rule on admissibility of age-related remarks to other workers, requires context-specific inquiry (dec), 295; decision anticlimactic, little guidance on admissibility of evidence offered, practitioners tell ABA, Special Report, 429
– Case summaries, 57; 151; 195; 324

EXECUTIVE ORDERS

– Christmas Eve, President gives federal workers paid holiday, 56

EXECUTIVES

– Case summaries, 298

EXHAUSTION

– Case summaries, 246; 367