Healthy Workplace Advocates

California Healthy Workplace Advocates

June 19, 2010

I. Mission -The mission of the California Healthy Workplace Advocates is to raise public awareness and to compel our State to correct and prevent abusive work environments through legislation.

Our meeting was awesome...lots of new members, many regulars. Thank you to ALL who attended. Check out the links on the activities across the nation and the WORLD regarding workplace bullying. Hope to see many of you next meeting on Saturday, July31st.

A. Seventh International Conference on Workplace Bullying and Harassment in Cardiff, Wales gets a discussion on Scottish university blog: http://news.glam.ac.uk/news/en/2010/may/27/economic-downturn-affects-workplace-bullying-and-h/

B. Dr. Gary Namie of The Workplace Bullying Institute guest speaks on Wisconsin National Public Radio after bullying bill is killed in WI House Labor Committee - http://safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/us-workplace-bullying-interview-with-gary-namie/

C. Professor David Yamada, writer of the prototype workplace bullying bill, keynotes the Cardiff conference and blogs its course: http://newworkplace.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/cardiff-workplace-bullying-conference-day-1/.

D. New York coordinator's blog entry appears in New York's Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100525/LOCAL17/5170333/Advocates-discuss-Healthy-Workplace-bill

E. New York bill's existence is bemoaned on Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Forbes legal blogs:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704717004575268701579722946.html?KEYWORDS=Workplace+Bullying+Bill andhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/jobs/bully_pulpit_69oynw2yHURADrQWXlzN9N andhttp://blogs.forbes.com/docket/2010/05/28/new-york-anti-bullying-law-a-big-bad-idea/

F. Just like Illinois, New York'sHealthy Workplace Bill is put on Hold by Democratic lower house labor committee's chairperson: http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/states/ny/newyork.php

G. Illinois State Representative, Eddie Washington, crusading sponsor of the Illinois Abusive Work Environments Act, dies of heart attack at age 56:

http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/states/il/illinois.php

H. Wiki Answers addresses question on Workplace Bullying, but needs work: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Responsibilities_of_a_workplace_bullying

II. Bullying in Media

A. British Petroleum exposed on PBS for scaring would-be whistleblowers with hostile work environment: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/need-to-know-june-11-2010/1457/

B. Taiwan technology manufacturer (Foxconn)is under investigation after multiple worker suicides: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052604793.html?nav=hcmoduletmv and http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/05/26/VI2010052603996.html

and http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=92812503&videoChannel=5 andhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/technology/27suicide.html?ref=business

C. Sacramento Bee blogger writes about women bullying women after Carly Fiorina makes a catty comment regarding Senator Barbara Boxer's hairstyle:

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/16/2825286/so-much-for-the-new-feminism-in.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=3341473#Comments_Container

More on Fiorina's remarks on ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Media/carly-fiorinas-dig-sen-barbara-boxer-spurred-debate/story?id=10909662

D. Law & Order signs off on the Rubber Room incarceration for teachers:http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/law-order-signs-off-in-the-rubber-room/

And: Teacher wins case dismissal against him and Rubber Rooms are forever closed down: http://www.endteacherabuse.info/Pakter.html

E. A retired Navy captain who has filed several discrimination suits sits in limbo:http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100618_VA_official_gets_big_pay_little_work.html

III. Climate at our Capitol

A. Lawsuit against Meg Whitman exposes candidate as workplace bully -http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/06/meg-whitman-guilty-of-workplace-violence-in-2007-incident/andhttp://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=10918022

B. University of California asks Chamber of Commerce to remove their UC name from Chamber's political literature which claims exposing dangers of toxic mold hurts business: http://freepdfhosting.com/e88548fd20.pdf

IV.Announcements

A. Women's hearts are at risk from stress at work (A Study of Danish Nurses):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/may/05/women-heart-attack-stress

B. American Psychological Association writes that healthier workplaces make for better bottom lines: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/05/slc-workplaces.aspx

C. Executive Healthcare Blog (May 5, 2010)--The Effects of Workplace Stress:

http://www.executivehm.com/news/effects-of-workplace-stress/

D. Bully bosses˜Wall of Fame: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/05/bullying-bosses-executives-leadership-careers-gorilla_slide.html?partner=seealso

E. Supreme Court effectively cancels 600 decisions by the National Labor Relations Act:

E. Supreme Court effectively cancels 600 National Labor Relation Board decisions: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/17/AR2010061705685.html?hpid=topnews.