Andy Stern’s A Country That Works Essay Example for Free

Andy Stern’s A Country That Works Essay The president of the largest, Andy Stern, fast-growing and dynamic union in North America named SEIU or Service Employees International Union has just recently launched his new book and even conducted a nationwide tour just to promote it. The SEIU president’s new book which is entitled â€Å"Getting America Back on Track: A Country that Works passes judgment on the union of laborers or workers which are present or established nowadays because they have not adjusted or conformed to the current political landscape. Furthermore, he disapproves on the labor unions failure to bring the workers together and unite them on a common goal. Andy Stern in his books lays out a plan that he believed would refurbish or repair the current tax system. Furthermore, the plans that he proposed aimed the transformation of the health care system and fix the retirement system. His new book also includes certain strategies or arrangements to improve the current existing education. Andy Stern’s book is basically concern with the decline of the United States trade union movement. Andy Stern is aware that economy is changing and that there is a great mass of working class that requires equality. The economy is changing by shifting the power more towards those in the authorities and less to the working class. Furthermore, there is a decline or decrease in the rate of private sector unionization and reached the lowest level even before the year 1900. In addition to this, as economy changes and the power shifts to an inequality, the role of the labor in the economy is also changing. As the occurrence of mass protests, especially those that come from the immigrant workers in the United States, and the worker or labor strikes and protests conducted in France continues to increase, the losses which the companies or corporations incur also increases. As the labor tends to slow down, the process and company’s working time decreases and productivity is affected. Andy Stern’s new book is actually not directly aimed at the workers. Furthermore, it does not also include the advancement of any serious strategy in combating the present or occurring corporate assaults on the jobs of individuals and most especially to the living standards. On the other hand, the book is able to inform or give a certain warning to the administrators in the corporate world and the ruling elite. It warns them that if the unions who have worked hard and served the corporate world, more especially in America for already a long period of time, is allowed to collapse, there would be serious and dangerous social upheavals. Furthermore, it gives a forewarning that these social upheavals, if it goes outside the control of those in power or of the labor bureaucracy, would greatly increase. The labors which are organized should be in an innovative position as to create new leadership and perspectives. In the old days, manifestations from the labor unions are mainly expressed through strikes and workers tend to stop from working. This is not a good habit for it does not only incur losses to the corporations but also to the workers as well. Being laid-off from work could also be a problem in the old ways, especially if a union continues to ask its members to do strikes or constant protests. The new organized labor should innovate or reinvent itself to create more ideas in creating solutions to the root of the problem. There would be no serious struggle against the present social inequality if the organized labor’s old ways continue to be of practice. It is therefore necessary or required that the labor union would create or establish an independent political and socialists movement that is composed mainly, if not solely, of the working class. On a different perspective, it can be noted that it is impossible not to understand and be familiar with the effect no matter the degree or even if it was immense, of the increasing productions made by the transnational corporations. It is also impossible to recognize what globalized productions could do with regards to the old labor organizations. On the other hand, acknowledging this fact and be able to create ways of moving forward through a progressive answer are poles apart. According to Andy Stern, the country or the United States labor bureaucracy could outsource the strikes conducted by the labor unions or workers. He stated that the country could give the workers who are in strike a certain â€Å"pay strike† especially in low wage countries. Furthermore, he believed that this could be an alternative in calling out its own members on strike, would eventually reduce the number of strikes conducted by the labor unions. If the workers or labor unions are ready in conducting strikes in the United States and the companies or corporations would also be ready in paying them to strike, then there would be an increase in the losses incurred. It would be very much costly as to when a pay was not given to those who would go on strikes. But, paying the laborers in India, Indonesia or other places to conduct strikes and protests against the same global employer would incur less loss and is basically not that expensive. These assumptions are however blunt and has a mark of certain arrogance to it. It should be noted that an international working class movement should have its grounds on a plan or an agenda that ensures mutual solidarity in achieving liberation for all. It is not good to use workers from other countries to serve as pawns in achieving a narrow and constricted national interest. The final chapter of Andy Stern’s book includes his proposals for the reordering of the society. From his proposals, it could be analyzed that here is none that goes beyond the milk toast reforms which are pressed forward by the sections in the Democratic Party. In addition to this, it can also be noted that his proposals have no chance of being adopted or accepted because the big businesses or corporations do not want any infringement on its profits. These measures which Andy Stern stated were supported by another proposal that he made. He proposed to the capitalists and even to their political representatives that these are under their best interest. Though on the other hand, it may somehow state a conscious duplicity or self-deception and cynicism vaguely. In some cases, cynicism somehow dominates. Andy Stern has some dulled statements which support these points of view and somehow admit that the labor bureaucracy’s alliance together with the Democratic party is worthless or hollow. The statement is somehow correct, in the point of view of an individual who understands through politics or capitalist politics. But in the point of view of a political struggle in general, that statement is basically incorrect. Andy Stern, in some parts of his book, is able to write or create reactionary conclusions which are basically based from the right or proper observations. He puts forward or suggests addressing the incapability, generally the failure, of the labor unions’ alliance with the Democratic Party. On a different point of view, it can be said that this only puts the labor unions in forming closer ties with the Republicans. Generally, Andy Stern’s book, from one chapter or part to the other, is really thought-provoking as to what methods or proposals should be really followed.

Peter Pistol Maravich Essay -- Essays Papers

Peter Pistol Maravich Peter Press Maravich is arguably one of the best basketball players ever to play the game. Born June 22, 1947 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania where he learned to love basketball from his father, Press Maravich, who spent many hours teaching him the game’s most important fundamentals. Maravich broke numerous records throughout his career. While in high school he scored 47 points, more than any other player, in the North Carolina High School All-Star Game. He holds nearly every National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record at Louisiana State University (LSU) and was named a three-time All American in only three years in the NCAA. After a legendary college career at LSU, he played ten great seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), earning five trips to the NBA All-Star Game and one league scoring title. After his death, he was named to the NBA’s Top 50 Greatest Players of All Time and was inducted to the Hall of Fame. I feel, as a player, for anyone to accomplish so much in such a short period of time is remarkable. During Maravich’s career the three-point line was not yet a part of professional basketball, so he accomplished all this without the three point line. Maravich is without question one of the greatest offensive basketball players ever to play the game. Maravich got his nickname â€Å"Pistol Pete† from his father. Once referring to his style of shooting during his childhood and as a high school player, Pistol quickly developed into an offensive machine with great shooting, passing, and dribbling skills. He was said to be an offensive genius. According to Mike Flynn former rival of Pistols’ who played for the University of Kentucky and the Indiana Pacers, Pistol was one of the greatest offensive players I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t say he was a pure shooter, as much as I would say he was a great scorer. I loved playing against him because he didn’t like playing defense so I knew I was going to get my points, even though he would always score more than me†¦. Pistol was an individual player, he was out there to put on a show and that’s what he did.(Personal Interview) I agree with Mike Flynn, because this quote comes from a player that has played against him, so he knows what type of player Pistol was. Pistol was a great player, even though he was an individual player, because no one ... ...ever lived, and probably one of the most unique. He died on January 5, 1988 at the age of forty while playing in a three-on-three pick-up game in California. The news of his sudden death shocked everyone and brought back memories to his admirers. Few have inspired me as he did. Maravich had a commitment to excellence, even though he did not play much defense. Him being able to average, as many points as he did is unbelievable. Although the one thing that inspired me the most was that he was a born again Christian. Before his death, he told his former coach, Richie Guerin, that his desire was to be remembered as a good Christian, a good husband, and a good father. He spoke before 35,000 people at the Billy Graham Crusade in Columbia, South Carolina just a few months before his death. Maravich stated â€Å"Next week I’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame†¦. I wouldn’t trade my position in Christ for a thousand NBA championships, for a thousand Hall of Fame rings, or for a hundred billion dollars.† I really admired Peter Press Maravich, I feel his place in the history of the sport of basketball is secure. He will always be remembered as the greatest offensive scorer of all time.

Barilla Spa Case

Barilla SpA Case Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Issues Identification3 Environmental and Root Cause Analysis3 Alternatives or Options4 Recommendation and Implementation5 Monitor and Control6 Conclusion6 Executive Summary Barilla’s high stock out rates along with large average inventory numbers are the main reasons why Maggiali is looking to continue on with Vitali’s dream of implementing the Just In Time Distribution system. However, faced with great external resistance to its introduction, Magialli must look to top management to hop on board and facilitate its acceptance among all partners in the supply chain. Using internal distributors as experiments will allow Barilla to showcase better stock out and inventory results. By doing so, Barilla can gain the acceptance and approval of other distributors. With everyone participating in the JITD, Barilla will be better able to forecast demand and not over react to movements at the consumer level. Issues Identification Giorgio Maggiali, the current director of logistics for Barilla SpA, faces much resistance when he tries to implement a new manufacturing concept called Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD). Initially, this idea was proposed by the prior director, Brando Vitali, but is heavily supported by Maggiali as well. Because of the existing structure in the organization, fluctuations in demand at the end-user/customer level cause the whole system to react adversely. The result is an excess â€Å"safety stock† at all levels of the supply chain, leading to extra costs. This is commonly referred to as the â€Å"bullwhip effect. † Due to the resistance Maggiali faces, he must make a decision on whether or not the JITD is feasible for Barilla SpA and how to implement it with the unsupportive partners in the supply chain. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis The first concept we must understand is how significant pasta is in Italy. â€Å"Per capita pasta consumption in Italy averaged nearly 18 kilos per year, greatly exceeding that of other western European contries. † (pg. 2, Barilla SpA case study) Due to its dominance in the food market, consumers are very aware of price fluctuations and which pastas are â€Å"on sale. † Because of this, forecasting consumer demands is a vital component of the JITD. Without it, the traditional way of order-filling leads to common stock outs and excess inventory throughout the year. Because of the process pasta is made, Barilla cannot simply change its production on a whim. Its production plant must keep the kiln’s humidity and temperature at precise specifications for different types of pasta. As a result, sequential production is optimal to keep downtime and costs low for pasta manufacturing. The JITD was developed to address issues such as stock outs and to make inventory levels more manageable due to better forecasting. It will also allow Barilla to make the production and inventory decisions from a top down perspective rather than bottom to top reactionary chain (bullwhip effect). As shown in the Sales and Stock outs Chart at the Cortese Northease Distribution Centre (Exhibit 13, Barilla SpA Case study), stock outs are a regular occurrence due to the fluctuations in sales throughout the year. The main resistance from Barilla comes from sales and advertising. â€Å"Barilla’s sales strategy relied on the use of trade promotions to push product into the grocery distribution network. (pg. 6, Barilla SpA case study) It is with these sales that enable sales representatives to meet their target goals. If Barilla decides to implement the JITD, the need to push sales for the Distributors would cease to exist. Essentially, Barilla will be replacing sales by deciding how much inventory to stock each distribution centre with. It is quite clear that the sales department fears this system due to job secu rity issues. The external resistance plays a large factor in why Maggiali is unable to introduce the JITD. There are many unconvinced distributors that are unwilling to share their warehouse data. Also, they perceive that Barilla is trying to take power away from them (DC purchasers), and since they do not know too much about the JITD, they have a lack of faith in Barilla’s inventory management. Alternatives or Options Barilla can choose to forgo implementing the JITD and avert any risk in inter-department conflicts. By doing so, they save on any related costs to introduce the system. However, as Barilla expands, so does their manufacturing and distribution. The problem will continue to escalate as more inventory is pushed through the supply chain. Barilla’s other option is to continue pursuing the JITD which can benefit both the manufacturing and distribution process by reducing stock out rates and lowering inventory levels for the DCs. By lowering inventory levels, the DCs will be able to focus on obtaining more retailers so that they can increase the amount of inventory to be stored in the extra warehouse space. Barilla Pro and Con Comparison Table |Pro |Con | |Forgo JITD |Maintain relationships |Previous costs to develop JITD are lost | | |Save initial setup costs |Inventory problem is not fixed | | |Stick with what Barilla knows |Inventory costs continue to rise | |Implement JITD |Better forecasting |Major resistance/lack of cooperation | | |Lower stock outs | | | |Increased inventory space for DCs | | Recommendation and Implementation It is recommended that Maggiali continue pursuing the JITD due to the fact that the inventory management problem will only worsen as the company’s sales increases as well. However, Maggiali must find other ways of implementing the system rather than force distributors to adhere. Firstly, Maggiali must demonstrate that JITD benefits the distributors. Running an experiment of the system at one or more of the distributor’s sites gives other distributors an example to compare to. Once other distributors see what the system can do for them, they may be more willing to participate. A proposed idea would be to run this experiment through an internal distributor. Doing so will prompt less or no resistance and can be monitored closely. Secondly, Maggiali needs to involve top management so that JITD is not just a logistics issue. Having a company wide effort allows all members to participate and as a resuly, less resistance will be observed. Thirdly, since the distributors may think that Maggiali is trying to obtain power over them, Barilla can bring in a third party consultant trusted by both groups to perform an analysis to determine if in fact, the JITD is beneficial for all participants. Monitor and Control In order to determine if the JITD is advantageous over the old system, Barilla will be monitoring stock out rates and average inventory levels hroughout the year. If the results show positive results over previous data, a move should be made to communicate the benefits of the JITD to more distributors. Stock out rates and inventory levels for those distributors should also be collected to increase and confirm the effectiveness of the system. Conclusion By using an internal distributor to as an example, involv ing top level management, and recruiting a third party consultant, Barilla will be able to introduce the JITD system with very little resistance. The top down approach for Barilla’s supply chain will benefit all levels due to increased efficiency in inventory management. As a result, savings will be realized and passed down from manufacturer to consumers. In order to monitor success and build upon it, stock out rates and inventory levels will continue to be observed to determine optimal production and distribution of Barilla’s products. With this system in place, the bull-whip effect that is currently experienced, will be countered by the JITD’s ability to forecast consumer demand.

Exothermic Reaction Definition