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Join The Conversation LIVE - Pancakes & Politics: CEO Roundtable

News Briefs - Original 06-18-2013 Hits:84 AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor - avatar AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor

Join The Conversation LIVE - Pancakes & Politics: CEO Roundtable

Forum 4-The CEO RoundtableFeaturingNancy Schlichting, CEO, Henry Ford Health SystemWilliam F. Pickard, CEO, Global Automotive AllianceCindy Pasky, CEO, Strategic Staffing SolutionsBud Denker, Chairman, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prixand Sr. Vice President, Penske Corp. Join The Conversation LIVE via Livestream  or via Twitter #PancakesPolitics Follow Us on Twitter @MiChronicle Follow Us on Instagram @MiChronicle Like Us on Facebook @Michigan Chronicle 

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UPDATE: Duggan Court of Appeals Decision

News Briefs - Original 06-18-2013 Hits:1452 Amber Bogins - avatar Amber Bogins

UPDATE: Duggan Court of Appeals Decision

UPDATE: After receiving word that the Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed Judge Popke's ruling that he is ineligible to appear on the August 6th ballot for Mayor, Mike Duggan will take the rest of today to consider his options and address the media at 10:00 AM Wednesday, June 19, 2012 at his campaign headquarters at 2751 E. Jefferson Ave. According to our sources, the Court of Appeals ruled against Mike Duggan in his case to become Mayor of Detroit. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Lita Popke ruled Tuesday afternoon in favor of mayoral challenger Tom Barrow and activist Robert Davis that Duggan should be removed from the ballot in the upcoming primary election because of his residency. "The court finds that the Detroit City Charter's provisions regarding the qualifications for elective office are clear and unambiguous. The candidate must have been a qualified and registered voter in the city of Detroit for one year before he filed for office," Judge Popke said in her ruling.    

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John Dingell, Jr., civil rights crusader

News Briefs - Original 06-18-2013 Hits:112 Roz Edward, National Content Director - avatar Roz Edward, National Content Director

John Dingell, Jr., civil rights crusader

By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR U.S. Representative John Dingell, Jr., from the 12tth Congressional District, at 86 is being celebrated as the longest serving member of the U.S. Congress, a milestone not easily reached, one that climaxes Dingell's more than five decades in public service. Elected to Congress at 29, to replace his father John Dingell, Sr., the younger Dingel, steadily built his public portfolio, becoming chairman of powerful House committees that have broad powers over the environment, energy and the auto industry. He wielded incredible influence and for years almost single-handedly decided the fate of the American auto industry in Washington. One of the watershed moments in Dingell's political career came when he vehemently supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act, at a time when it was very unpopular to come out unequivocally in support of legislation to challenge Jim Crow. It was a decision that almost cost Dingell re-election to Congress. He told the Huffington Post that he "damn near lost an election over it. The Wall Street Journal gave me a 1-in-15 chance of winning that race." The nation's first African American president, Barack Obama, acknowledged Dingell's crucial role and support for civil rights in the last 50 years. "John has always worked tirelessly for the people of his beloved Michigan and for working families across America," Obama said. "He has helped pass some of the most important laws of the last half-century, from Medicare to the Civil Rights Act to the Clean Air Act to the Affordable Care Act, and he continues to fight for workers' rights, access to affordable healthcare, and the preservation of our environment for future generations to enjoy. Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to John and his family." Dingell, the dean of the House, never relented in his support for legislations that have an imprint on the nation's...

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Apple joins Facebook and Microsoft in revealing US surveillance requests

News Briefs 06-18-2013 Hits:71 Princess Hayes - avatar Princess Hayes

Apple joins Facebook and Microsoft in revealing US surveillance requests

  Tech giant promises that iMessage, FaceTime, location details and Siri requests remain private in effort to reassure customers. Apple has joined rivals including Facebook, Google and Twitter in calling on the US government to allow it to publish more details of the secret court orders its receives to disclose customers' information. The company gave more details of its dealings with US authorities Monday as it sought to reassure customers in the wake of the scandal surrounding the National Security Agency's Prism surveillance program. For complete story click here

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Duggan Decision Could Be Decided Tuesday

News Briefs - Original 06-18-2013 Hits:215 AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor - avatar AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor

Duggan Decision Could Be Decided Tuesday

A decision may come as early as Tuesday to put Mike Duggan back on the ballot The appeals court agreed Friday to give expedited consideration to Duggan's appeal of a lower court's ruling to remove his name from the ballot. Rival candidate Tom Barrow and activist Robert Davis says Duggan violated the terms of the City Charter and was not a city resident for one year before the deadline to file election petitions. Barrow also has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to rule on the matter.

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The Untold Stories Of Extraordinary Black Fathers

News Briefs - Original 06-17-2013 Hits:258 AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor - avatar AJ Williams, Chronicle Web Editor

The Untold Stories Of Extraordinary Black Fathers

For entrepreneur William K. Middlebrooks, the only difference between living an ordinary life and an extraordinary one is your willingness to do the extra in everything that you do. It's a lesson Middlebrooks says his father instilled in him growing up, and one that served as a source of inspiration for a compilation of wisdom he and marketing executive Leslie M. Gordon recently released on the role of fathers in the African-American community. Part chapter-memoir, part call-to-action and part inspiration, the book, "Dare To Be Extraordinary: A Collection of Positive Life Lessons from African American Fathers," recognizes and honors the wisdom and teachings of African-American fathers passed down to sons and daughters, one summary reads. Continue to the Huffington Post...

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Strike Deadline Looms For Detroit Carmakers

Category: News Briefs Published on Tuesday, 11 September 2012 13:53 Written by WWJ

 

TORONTO — (WWJ) The Canadian Auto Workers Union has told local leaders to get ready for a strike, just in case one is needed when their contracts with the “Detroit Three” auto companies expire next Monday night.
 
“We’re making the preparations with the obvious intent of trying to avoid a strike,” said CAW President Ken Lawenza. “We just have to keep working on it. It’s frustrating, because I thought there would be more collaboration based on the incredible combined sacrifices that we’ve made.”
 
Lawenza told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert that the two sides are very far apart, as they enter the final week of bargaining. The union wants to see pay raises. The companies want to move toward bonuses for performance, and lower pay for entry level workers.
 
“If the Detroit Three does not change their position on the multiple issues that we have at the bargaining table, then we have a problem,” said Lawenza.
 
The companies have not been willing to move much from their opening positions, said the union president.
 
“The slow dancing is over,” he said. “We’ve articulated a vision for the CAW membership. A vision for Canadian manufacturing in Canada from the Detroit Three. Obviously the manufacturers themselves have articulated their vision. Today, we have a significant gap.”
 
The car companies have said that they need to reduce their costs in Canada, which, they say, has become one of the most expensive countries to manufacture products. Lawenza says they are trying to force a UAW style contract on a union that is dealing with different realities.
 
“Y’know there’s no recognition today of the cost of living in Canada,” he said. “No recognition to the purchasing power, parity challenges that we have versus the United States. It’s just….simply, it’s a case of whipsawing.”
 
Whipsawing is a labor term for playing one union against another. As we near the deadline, and the talks intensify, executives at the auto companies have become very guarded in their comments.
 
“Our approach is always to collaboratively work together with all of our union colleagues,” said Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields. “Y’know our expectation is we’ll be able to come out with a satisfactory agreement for both parties.”
 
If there is a work stoppage next week, analysts say it won’t take long for auto assembly plans to start closing on the American side of the border. Mike Robinet, who’s managing director of IHS consulting, says there are a lot of Canadian made parts sent across the border to U.S. assembly plants.
 
The timing couldn’t be worse, with car companies scrambling to meet a growing demand for vehicles.
 
“It will be very difficult to make up that production,” said Robinet.
 
Robinet says car companies don’t have a lot of options.
 
“In past years, you’ve been able to work overtime to make up some of that production, once a labor stoppage had been rectified. When you’re already working a tremendous amount of overtime, there’s no slack in the system. Those are lost sales.”
 
While a strike in Canada would cost the major automakers a lot of short term pain, Robinet says the union could be hurt even worse over the long term. With flexible manufacturing, it’s a lot easier for companies to move production of vehicles currently built in Canada to the United States.
 
“This is a watershed moment in the Canadian auto industry,” said Robinet. “If this contract does not necessarily level the paying field with the UAW in other areas of the market, we could have some real issues in terms of the Canadian industry being viable over the next decade.”
 
CAW President Ken Lawenza says he understands this, and will take it into account as union leaders decide whether a strike would be able to accomplish any of their goals.
 
He’s hoping, however, that as negotiations intensify, the two sides can find common ground and prevent a walkout.
 
“The deadline will force both sides, quite frankly, to get to work, if—in fact—an agreement can be reached.”
 

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