Impact of Unionization on Publix

Introduction Employment is essentially a business transaction out of which all parties should come out fairly like in any other business transaction. It involves employees exchanging their skills, knowledge and experience for a wage with employers. Naturally, employers would like to pay as little as possible for work done while employees would like to get as much as possible for their work.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Unionization on Publix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since employers are few in number and more powerful than employees and can conspire to remunerate workers unfairly, there is need for employees to come together in form of labor or trade unions in order to enhance their bargaining power regarding fair remuneration, as well as, provision of good, safe and secure working conditions. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how unionization has impacted retail food industry ( Publix) and the role of labor unions in shaping retail food industry and current business conditions for Publix. How unionization has impacted retail food industry (Publix) in US Labour unions popularly known as trade unions play significant roles in protecting unionized workers labor rights against abuse by employers in virtually all industries. Unionization has enabled retail food industry workers to enjoy various work related benefits. For instance, according to Institute for Women’s Policy Research (2002), unionized retail food industry workers earn higher wages in comparison to those not unionized. Unionized workers also stand greater chances of enjoying health insurance cover through their employment, get relatively bigger health insurance premium subsidies and are more than two times likely to take part in an employer or union-sponsored pension plan than non-union counterparts (IWPR 2002).These benefits help in safeguarding the economic well being of retail food indust ry workers and their families. In response to extra labor and operational costs brought about by unionization of workers, as well as, competition some players have opted to merge. Others have been driven out of the market while others have been replaced by nonunion chain drugstores selling food products, greengrocers and upscale specialty food stores (Ness, 2005). Other supermarket chains like Publix have lowered costs by establishing part-time jobs that give much lower wages and offer few if any benefits. Some players employ new immigrants who work longer hours under poorer work conditions (Ness, 2005). In addition, supermarkets have been pushing for labor unions to assist in cutting down labor costs in their quest to expand their profit margins. In fact, entry of new immigrant jobseekers in to retail food industry is one factor that has been significant in reorganization of the conventional employer-employee relationships. The role of labor unions in shaping retail food industry a nd current business conditions for Publix Despite the numerous labor challenges facing players in the retail food industry Publix is still ranked among the list of 100 Best companies to work for (griffinreport 2011). For example, in the year 2010 it was ranked No. 86 by Fortune Magazine. Publix profit margins have remained considerably high irrespective of the labor trends in the retail food industry with its future looking even brighter if its current performance record is anything to go by.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, Publix’s year 2009 sales stood at over US$25.1 billion with a profit margin of over $ 1.2 billion (griffinreport 2011). However, it is to note that Publix like any other player has witnessed a rise in labor costs as a result of union-related trends in the industry and it is safe to argue that proposed union-related legislatio n by the federal government might positively or negatively affect Publix and other players. For example, a labor legislation that requires employers like Publix to provide health insurance for their permanent and part-time workers would result definitely into an increase in labor costs and thereby affect adversely their profit margins. Examples of unions that have dominated retail labor market for a considerably long period of time include United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1500 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 338. Conclusion Irrespective of the many benefits that workers in the retail food industry stand to enjoy as a result unionization, employers would like their industry to remain union-free in order to ensure increased profit margins at the expense of workers. Some players in the industry have turned to hiring new immigrants as well as those who have overstayed their visas who work for lower wages under poorer conditions knowing very well they may not have any one to turn. However, from a labor and human rights point of view the government should make fair labor legislations that will ensure that workers in this industry are not exploited unnecessarily by their employers who are ever determined to cut labor and overall operational costs at the expense of poor workers. Nevertheless, such legislations should not be unfair to industry players like Publix who play a significant role in national economic growth and development. Reference List Griffinreport (2011). Associates Customer Satisfaction Drive Ultimate Success for Publix. Web. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (2002). The Benefits of Unionization for Workers in the Retail Food Industry. Web. Ness, I. (2005). Immigrants, unions, and the new U.S. labor market. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Unionization on Publix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11 /page Learn More This research paper on Impact of Unionization on Publix was written and submitted by user Jaxon E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Cortez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy

Cortez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy Commonly considered a variation of Cortà ©s, Cortà ©z is a Spanish or Portuguese (Cortà ªs) surname derived from the Old French corteis or curteis, meaning courteous or polite. The descriptive surname was often bestowed as a nickname to a man of good education, or one who was considered refined or accomplished. The Cortez surname is the Spanish/Portuguese equivalent of the English surname Curtis. Cortes may also be a geographical, or habitational name from any of the many places in Spain and Portugal called Cortes, the plural of corte, meaning a court of a king or sovereign. Cortez is the 64th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Portuguese Alternate Surname Spellings:  CORTES, COURTOIS, COURTES, CURTIS   Famous People with the Surname CORTEZ Hernn Cortà ©s / Hernando Cortà ©s - Spanish conquistador of the Aztec empire, and Governor of New Spain (later to become Mexico) from 1521 to 1528.Alfonso Cortà ©s - Well-known Nicaraguan poet.Gregorio Cortez – A Mexican American folk hero to Mexicans in the American Old West. Where Do People With the Cortez Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Cortà ©z  as the 984th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in the Philippines and with the highest density in El Salvador. The Cortes spelling is more popular worldwide, ranking 697th. Cortes is found most prevalently in Mexico, and by the greatest percentage of population in Chile. Cortes is also the spelling now more commonly found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler,  especially in the Extremadura region along the border with Portugal.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname CORTEZ 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Cortez Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Cortez family crest or coat of arms for the Cortez surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   The Cortez DNA ProjectThis ancestral y-DNA testing project is open to any male with any spelling of the Cortez surname. The Genealogy of Hernando CortesA basic outline genealogy of some descendants of famous Spanish conquistador Don Hernando Cortes. GeneaNet - Cortez RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Cortez surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. CORTEZ Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Cortez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Cortez query. FamilySearch - CORTEZ GenealogyAccess over 1.8 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Cortez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DistantCousin.com - CORTEZ Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Cortez. The Cortez Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Cortez from the website of Genealogy Today.Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Moving Average Calculations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moving Average Calculations - Essay Example B., â€Å"Technical Analysis from A to Z†). Simple Moving Average is one of the most important methods utilized for the calculation of moving average. It is denoted by SMA. It is calculated by measuring the average concluding price of a stock along with large number of time periods. It is one of the simple types of moving averages. It mainly includes two different parameters such as ‘period’ and ‘cost’. Moreover, in most of the times, the total number of periods is calculated along with closing value of the stocks. The formula used for the calculation of simple moving average is , where n denotes the number of time periods and Pn is the cost or price required to calculate SMA. The prime benefit of SMA is that it is quite an easy method and is used by most of the traders all over the world (Achelis, S. B., â€Å"Technical Analysis from A to Z†). Exponential Moving Average is the other important practice utilized for calculation of moving average. It is also denoted as EMA. It is almost similar to SMA except the average is calculated with the help of the most recent price. It is the only reason that many scientific analysts prefer using EMA rather than SMA for examination. The formula utilized for the calculation of EMA is: EMA (current) = ((Price (current) – EMA (prev)) x Multiplier) + EMA (prev). The value of EMA changes with alterations in the number of periods which is denoted by ‘multiplier’. Moreover, the method of EMA is also beneficial as it offers the most exact value. Apart from these, it only requires the previous days average value rather than the data of entire phase. Thus, it is more advantageous than SMA (Achelis, S. B. â€Å"Technical Analysis from A to Z†). A Weighted Moving Average is also the other vital practice utilized for the calculation. It is also a quite well known method. It is denoted as WMA. A weighted moving average provides more importance

Why you should not recycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why you should not recycle - Essay Example The vastness of landspace is underestimated when it is thought to be saved with recycling as the waste consumes very little of the total landspace. â€Å"If all the solid waste for the next thousand years were put into a single space, it would take up 44 miles of landfill, a mere .01% of the U.S. landspace† (Cordato, 1995). This means that the benefit obtained by recycling in terms of the saved landspace is negligible and can be easily overlooked. Secondly, one of the strongest arguments in favor of recycling that is conventionally raised is that recycling is a method to preserve trees. Since paper is made from trees, it is claimed that recycling paper would reduce the need to cut trees to make paper from. Although the argument seems quite convincing, yet it does not reflect the real phenomenon. Since the supply of a material at a particular point in time is consistent with the demand for it, a reduction in the demand of paper would result in an equivalent reduction in the number of trees. People would care little to plant more trees if there occurs a decline in their need. The validity of this argument can be estimated from the number of trees that are grown with the intention of using them for the making of paper. â€Å"In the paper industry, 87% of the trees used are planted to produce paper. For every 13 trees "saved" by recycling, 87 will never get planted† (Cordato, 1995). Thus recycling has an overall negative e ffect on the growth of trees. â€Å"Promoting recycling may therefore not simply be pointless but actually damaging† (FOPAP, 2012). Thirdly, recycling hardly does anything to reduce pollution. There is no noticeable difference between the extent of chemicals released in the environment in the process of manufacturing things and those that are released in recycling things. Recycling involves a lot of chemical processing of the used material, which has an equivalent impact on the environment. Recycling also causes a decline in the quality

Social psychology Essay Example for Free

Social psychology Essay Thesis: Stereotypes have many negative effects such as inducing a discriminative movement, having an impact on the psychological identity of a person, and leading to prejudices. I. Stereotypes may induce a discriminative movement. A. Fat persons are not hired in some companies. B. Stereotypes tend to prevent people from learning real facts about an individual. C. Generalizations can induce false accusations. II. Stereotypes may have an impact on the psychological identity of a person. A. A little boy who grows up in a minority group restrains his own achievements because of negative stereotypes about his group. B. The persons in a minority group tend to fall into an unsafe or negative behavior. C. Stereotypes can promote success in the majority of groups. D. An individual can feel lost as he or she doesn’t match the stereotype attributed to the group. III. Stereotypes lead to prejudices. A. All Arab people are considered as dangerous. B. The media provides a lot of negative images about Arab people. C. The negative images may prevent friendship. People are All the Same Soren Kierkegaard said once: â€Å"Once you label me you negate me. † Indeed, people tend to judge all the time the people that they consider different from them. Our brains are simply wired to stereotype others by some basic generalizations. People categorize the persons every day by race, gender, religion, ethnic background, and so on. However, it is when people overuse these generalizations that the danger can appear. Stereotypes have many negative effects such as inducing a discriminative movement, having an impact on the psychological identity of a person, and leading to prejudices. First, stereotypes may induce a discriminative movement. A good example is when any company wants to hire a fat person. Indeed, these companies focus only on the physique of the person who is applying for the job instead of looking at his or her real skills. The physique of the fat person acts as an obstacle to the other persons. In other words, it stops people from learning real facts about the subjected individual. People usually see the fat persons as lazy, not healthy, incompetent, or even as handicapped. This generalization allows people to believe that fat persons don’t have a legal right to be hired when in fact, they do have this right. Also, based on other negative generalizations, people may be accused for example for criminal facts without having any credible proof. As Alane Michaelson explained in his essay ‘stereotyping Consequences,’ they tend to accuse them just because of their race, their religion, or any other characteristic that make them belonging to another social group. Thus, discrimination is one of the greatest risks associated with stereotypes. Second, stereotypes may have an impact on the psychological identity of a person. When a little boy grows up in a minority group where the people are always seen as incompetent, he may start to believe on these critics and, consequently, start to restrain his own achievements unconsciously. Hearing perpetual stereotypes about a group may cause the persons belonging to this group to believe that all the stereotypes that are said out by the minority group are true. Therefore, as Julie Moore mentioned is her article ‘The Effects of Stereotyping,’ the persons in minority tend to fall into an unsafe or negative behavior. Consequently, children cannot grow up properly with all these stereotypes that surround them in their daily life. However, the impact on the identity of the individual can have an opposite effect when it comes to positives stereotypes in the majority groups. In this case, instead of limiting their achievements, people improve their skills until they reach the generalized fact. In this manner, these people will feel that they are â€Å"true† participants in the group as they fit to the stereotype. In contrast, some people may also feel not appropriate to the group that they belong as they don’t belong to the stereotype attributed tothe gr oup. Thus, generalizations made about a group can have an important impact on the identity of the persons belonging to this group. Third, stereotypes lead to prejudices. In her article ‘The Effect of Stereotyping,’ Julie Moore explains an example that is related more or less to the main idea of the first paragraph: when a white female person doesn’t approach an Arab person who is next her as she believes that all Arab persons are dangerous. Thus, the female judges before meeting or speaking with the man. Obviously, this prejudice doesn’t come from nowhere; it is actually partly the result of the media effect that tends to throw a lot of negative images about the Arabian people. They always project images of Arab with weapons in a manner to show to the world that they are dangerous. Also, because of these negative prejudices that people usually make, building relationship with new friends can often be a big obstacle. If the white woman knew that the Arab man was in fact a rich famous surgeon in America, she would directly establish a conversation with him. Thus, prejudices can often lead to surprised result. Yet another example related to prejudices is Brent Staples’ experiences. Through his essay ‘Night Walker,’ the black man explains how people, especially girls, are afraid of him when he walks behind them in a dark and empty street because of his skin color and the way he dresses. Consequently, while stereotypes appear as a natural fact and help people to understand certain groups as a whole, they don’t include and allow individual differences. By creating stereotypes, people promote more discrimination, prejudices, and a significant impact on the individual’s identity. Therefore, to prevent all these negative effect of stereotypes, people should take into consideration that even if every individual belongs to a certain group, it doesn’t mean that a person is like all the other members of the group. People should dare to approach the persons that are different than them by letting go the negative images and learning about each other as special individuals. Finally, creating relationship with people that are totally different would be like a benefit that may lead to a rich and interesting life. Works cited Aronson, Joshua, â€Å"The Impact of Stereotypes. † BU Today. Science Tech. 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Michaelson, Alane, â€Å"Stereotyping Consequences. † eHow. Culture Society. 13 Jun. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Moore, Julie, â€Å"The Effect of Stereotyping. † Mental health. Yahoo. 4 May 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Staples, Brent. â€Å"Night Walker. † The Short Prose Reader. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller and Harvey S. Wiener. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 2013. 220-23. Print.

Research in Genetic Engineering Should Be Halted :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

"The tools of molecular biology have enormous potential for both good and evil. Lurking behind every genetic dream come true is a possible Brave New World nightmare" (Dudley 13). Although we all might not acknowledge it, these words hold the key to the future of mankind. The science of genetic engineering, also referred to as biotechnology, first came into the scientific realm in the 1970s. This recent technology offered a new way to manipulate an organism or a population of organisms. Researchers and scientists from around the world were thrilled at the upcoming knowledge that could answer many of their questions dealing with all aspects of genetics. The new genetic engineering technology was never meant to hurt individuals. On the contrary, it offered promises of manipulating the molecules that make up the genetics of living matter in order to benefit, even save, an individual's life. Although genetic engineering promises good fortune for the human race, many questions have been raised pertaining to issues concerning safety, necessity, and, most of all, morality of the entire enterprise. It has been shown through the years, that genetic engineering not only provides great risks to men, women, and children but also presents potential dangers to the environment. True, genetic engineering can have numerous medical advantages, but overall, it is a detrimental procedure to the advancement of humanity. The subject of genetic engineering performed on humans has achieved great acclaim as well as great opposition. Some people say that genetic engineering is beneficial to society while others argue that it should be halted. In order to fully understand this issue, it is important to look at both views in this controversy. One must believe that those who do not know their opponent's arguments do not completely understand their own. When the opinion of others is known one can then become a more "intelligent and discriminating consumer of information in our media-centered culture" (Dudley 9). What are the benefits of genetic engineering? For one thing, chronic and fatal diseases can be avoided before they strike. Many lives, as well as medical dollars, could be saved if doctors could identify individuals that have a likelihood of developing heart disease, cancer, and other fatal diseases. If genetic engineering is allowed to continue, there might even someday be a cure for heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, cancer, and even AIDS. Genetic engineering might also be used to correct genetic disorders.

Costs and Contract Terms Essay

Executive Summary Over the span of 168 simulated days, team Honeybadgers managed the Littlefield Technologies job shop. The team’s objective was to maximize the firm’s cash position relative to the rest of the class. Using 50 days of historical data, the team reviewed re-order points, re-order quantity, capacity, lead times, and therefore contract terms. The team also weighed the cost of new machines against capital for inventory and interest rates, evaluating the return on investment and the impact a new machine had on lead times. Using this consideration set, team Honeybadgers purchased one tuning machine, one stuffing machine, and changed the contract terms on ten occasions. Ultimately, the team placed 5th. Actions & Analysis Changing Contract Terms: A 7 day lead time generated higher revenue than the other contract terms during the first 50 days. However, we observed that there was a stretch of 5-8 days when the lead time was below a 1 day lead time during the first 50 days. Evaluating the first 50 days more closely revealed that approximately every 15-20 days, the lead time dropped substantially. Noticing a pattern, and aware that a different contract time could generate more revenue, we decided to micromanage the contracts to optimize revenue. For the duration of simulation, we adjusted contract according to the trending lead time. In times of high demand, when a lead time was more than 18 hours, we opted not to use contract #3 because of the cost of each order (avg. job cost+ordering cost = $608.33) Micromanaging the contracts according to lead times was a temporary solution. This strategy allowed us to optimize revenue when we did not have the capital to purchase a machine. Purchasing Tuning and Stuffing Machines: We originally wanted to purchase both a tuning and stuffing machine because both stations had long stretches when capacity was maxed out. However, without sufficient capital, we had to ration purchases. The tuning machine was at capacity more often. At one point the machine was at capacity for 18 days in a row. Purchasing the tuning machine eliminated a bottleneck at that station, which allowed us to produce more DSS products. Although the Tuning machine was prioritized, the bottleneck at the Stuffing machine was nearly as problematic as the Tuning station’s. The Stuffing machine was at capacity for 15 days in a row. After purchasing the Stuffing machine, bottleneck shifted again, and we were able to produce more DSS products. We did not purchase a third machine because it was unclear whether the revenue earned would offset the cost of the machine. The lead time was hovering around  ½ a day when we had the capital to make the purchase, and we did not believe the additional machine would improve our lead time enough to justify a purchase. In retrospect both machines should have been purchased earlier. We will evaluate the benefits of this approach in the â€Å"Risks and Evaluations† section. Choosing Not to Borrow: When we became eligible to take out a loan, we decided to forego the option because we did not need to borrow. Our cash standing was relatively high throughout the simulation because micromanaging contract terms proved fairly effective. Another deterrent was the grossly high interest rate. A 20% interest rate mitigated any added benefit gained from taking out a loan. Choosing Not to change re-order point: Re-ordering kits was a sizeable fixed cost, but we did not adjust the re-order point / order quantity because demand variability was fairly high. We were aware there was an opportunity cost associated with holding too much inventory because we could have earned interest revenue from the cash spent on inventory. However, we kept the order amounts Q high because (1)we want to save ordering cost and (2) we were not concerned with having too much inventory on hand when there was no direct cost (such as warehousing) associated with holding inventory. Inventory Strategy Final Hours: During the last 12 simulation days we considered developing a plan to minimize our inventory at the end of the simulation. However, we were not sure how to calculate this, and the costs associated with running of inventory was too high to risk making a mistake. Results The Honeybadgers team finished the Littlefield simulation in fifth place, posting $1,511,424 in cash. The team’s final cash position was $104,192 below the first place team, earning 93.5% of their total revenue. Risks and Evaluations At the beginning of the simulation, we wanted to maintain a high R and Q because we wanted to avoid high ordering costs. While we considered keeping inventory low to save money for a new machine, we were not sure the improved lead time could offset the cost of machines. However, in hindsight we realized that we could have managed R and Q better early in the simulation, so as to minimize the amount of excess raw inventory. We now know that we could have adjusted R according to the variability of demand, holding that the more demand fluctuates; the higher R is and vice versa. We believe that this tactic could have allowed us to accumulate enough cash to purchase machines earlier, possibly as early as day 80 or 90. Purchasing a machine earlier could have improved lead times, allowing us to switch to contract #3 earlier so as to generate more revenue. We should have balanced between ordering costs during the last 100 days and the cost of having excessive or unnecessary inventory after last day. In the last day we still had approximately $80k of inventory, which held no value after demand ceased. Managing inventory better would have given more cash on hand.