AltWeeklies Wire
How Berkeley's Mayer Laboratories Won the Battle of the Thin Condomsnew
Kimono condoms has gone against the grain, marketing its condoms as being so thin and silky that they're practically not there. By doing so, the company appeals not only to women, but also to a different side of male vanity.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
11-19-2008 |
Business & Labor
Bad Faith and Texas Mutual Insurancenew
Houston attorney Mike Doyle and TMI are locked in a battle over truth, lies and an employee's right to workers' comp benefits.
Houston Press |
Margaret Downing |
11-18-2008 |
Business & Labor
Clash of the Duck Tours in San Francisconew
The Bay Quackers tours were a big duck in a small pond until another duck tour -- Ride the Ducks -- migrated to the city this summer.
A Perfect Populist Storm Brews Around Oil Giant Chevronnew
The company faces not only angry voters, but a landmark human rights and corporate responsibility trial, in which Chevron stands accused of complicity with Nigeria's authoritarian government in the torture, murder, and abuse of those protesting Chevron's exploitation of the Niger Delta.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Steven T. Jones |
11-06-2008 |
Business & Labor
Asarco's Dirty Moneynew
For more than a century, American Smelting and Refining Co. raked in profits while poisoning poor communities in nearly two dozen states. In 2005, the company filed for bankruptcy, initiating a sprawling case that left many Texas residents wondering who will pay to clean up toxic waste at Asarco's dirtiest plant.
The Texas Observer |
Melissa del Bosque |
11-05-2008 |
Business & Labor
Paper Mill Closing Leaves One Wisconsin Town Fighting for Its Lifenew
The struggle over the NewPage paper mill in Kimberly, Wisc., underscores the larger pattern of hurt in the heartland.
Isthmus |
Roger Bybee |
10-20-2008 |
Business & Labor
Taking a Look at Charlottesville's Invisible Workforcenew
Coping with language deficits and worries about anti-Latino hostility, Charlottesville immigrants stay under the radar, but if you look closely, you'll see how they prop up the city.
C-Ville Weekly |
Jayson Whitehead |
09-17-2008 |
Immigration
What's Sen. Gordon Smith Hiding at His Food Processing Plant?new
Low-wage Latino workers keep Smith's family business -- Smith Frozen Foods -- humming. But not all of them are legal.
Willamette Week |
Beth Slovic |
09-10-2008 |
Politics
Warring US Airways & America West Pilots Have the Merged Company in a Tailspinnew
Three years ago, US Airways merged with America West, but what was quickly made official on paper has proved much more complicated in reality. Pre-merger, the companies had little geographic overlap -- more importantly, they also had markedly different cultures.
Phoenix New Times |
Sarah Fenske |
09-09-2008 |
Business & Labor
Canvassers, Telemarketers and Parking Officials Talk About Doing Work People Hatenew
They call during dinner time. They interrupt your picnic at the park. They write parking tickets. We talk to some of these people, to find out not only just how badly they're treated, but also why they continue to show up for work, day after day.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Phil Eil |
08-13-2008 |
Business & Labor
Milwaukee: Great for Corporationsnew
But property taxpayers get squeezed.
Shepherd Express |
Lisa Kaiser |
08-08-2008 |
Business & Labor
Labor Dispute at Movie Theater Hinges on Skills of Projectionistsnew
As projectionists picket to get a contract at the landmark Alameda Theatre, some patrons lose faith.
East Bay Express |
Rin Kelly |
07-30-2008 |
Movies
Rep. Bart Stupak Pushes for Regulating Oil Speculatorsnew
The sophisticated finance boys on Wall Street are making fun of Stupak, the Michigan congressman who is so much of a hick he cares about poor people who are having trouble affording gasoline. What really bothers them is that he is now in a position where he may be able to do something about it.
Metro Times |
Jack Lessenberry |
07-29-2008 |
Politics
Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell is Urging a Stronger Effort to Enforce Anti-Sweatshop Policiesnew
Pennsylvania is the first state to pledge its support for a proposed anti-sweatshop consortium, made up of states, counties and municipalities from across the country. "Rendell has taken the leadership of states nationally," says Kenneth Miller, who has long been active in local anti-sweatshop campaigns.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Adam Fleming |
07-28-2008 |
Business & Labor
Starbucks Baristas Union Drive Comes at Key Timenew
The effort to organize Minnesota latte-slingers could hurt the ailing chain.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Matt Snyders |
07-24-2008 |
Business & Labor
