Blog Post #8

I read an article called "Ford workers ratify new contract with UAW" by Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher from the Pioneer press on 10/18/2011. Ford Motor Co.'s US factory workers have approved a new four-year labor contract. The contract promises profit-sharing checks and billions in U.S. plant investments but keeps the company's labor costs under control. A local union in Kentucky was one of the last votes and ensured that the agreement will go into effect. The contract promises more than 1.2 billion dollars in investments and new products at the two Kentucky assembly plants. The agreement covers 41,000 Ford workers in the U.S. The UAW talks are watched because they set the pay for 112,000 workers at the Detroit Three. Ford has promised 4.8 billion dollars in new investments and 5,750 new jobs through 2015. A simple majority of voting is needed for a contract's adoption.

I think that this is amazing! It says in here though that the St Paul factory is supposed to be shut down. So some jobs in the twin cities will be lost. But in Kentucky almost 6,000 jobs will be opened. Overall, more jobs will be opened in the future.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_19141636

Blog Post #7

I read an article called "VIkings fans, beware: Second L.A stadium proposal just got more attractive". It was written in the Los Angeles Times on 10/11/2011. The NFL stadium controversy in Southern California just got more interesting and competitive. Real estate Ed Roski changed his offer to teams eying relocation. His bid for a stadium in City of Industry has for months been lost in the shadows of a rival proposal next to Staples Center. ROski has dropped his demand for a no-cash minority share of a franchise. Instead he is offering to hand over the 600 acres to any team that relocates there. The team would than finance the stadium he propose, and than sell him a share of the franchise at market rate. Roski says "My goal is to bring football back to Los Angeles, create jobs now, and to create an incredible NFL experience every game day for fans." The stadium is expected to be done by 2014 and he is budgeting $16 million over the next six months to complete construction documents on an open-air stadium built into a hillside. The teams trying to relocate include the Chargers, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Jaguars, Bills, and the 49ers. The team most likely to relocate is the San Diego Chargers.

I think it would be so stupid for the Vikings to relocate. St Paul is way too big of a market to not have a professional football team. Plus the state of California already has enough football teams. The new stadium proposal does look pretty sweet but it would just be dumb of the Vikings to move. Hopefully a team like the Rams or the Jaguars relocate.