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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Upcoming Events
Vision 2008 Economic Outlook Conference
Thurs., April. 3
8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Texas A&M International University
Register/Pay Online
more...
 
Ribbon Cuttings/Grand Openings
Monday, March 24, 2008
IBC @ HEB Del Mar
210 W. Del Mar.
10:00 a.m.
 
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Comfort Suites
6551 Metro Court
Calle Del Norte
5:00 p.m.
 
Friday, April 11, 2008
18th Annual Home & Garden Show
Laredo Civic Center
3:30 p.m.
 
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Greetings!
Your input can shape the final decisions for the proposed I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor project. Between February 4 and March 4, the Texas Department of Transportation conducted 47 public hearings regarding the proposed project to receive comments.
 
The public can still provide comments after the hearings, through the project website www.keeptexasmoving.com or by mail to I-69/TTC, P.O. Box 14428, Austin, TX 78761. The deadline to submit comments for inclusion in the Tier One Final Environmental Impact Statement is March 19, 2008.
ONE WORD ON EMPLOYEE PRIVACY - CAUTION

EMP RIGHTSFederal, state, and local legislation provide a basic source of protection against invasion of privacy by private parties, including employers. Legislation also limits privacy rights, however, that may otherwise exist under common law or other statutes. Also important to remember is that the law varies greatly from state to state.

Searches
Simply posting a sign in the parking lot that cars are subject to search, for example, doesn't always preclude employees' rights to privacy in all areas of the country. It's important for employers to determine what they legally can search - such as desks, lockers, and lunchboxes - and under what circumstances before a problem arises. Employers also need to communicate clearly to employees what their expectations of privacy in the workplace are.

Drug and alcohol testing
Employers who incorporate drug and alcohol testing policies into their background checking process can almost certainly expect questions about privacy to arise. Like all other workplace privacy issues, there are as many different boundaries and rules regarding employees' rights in the face of drug and alcohol testing as there are legal jurisdictions in the United States.

Privacy in the electronic workplace
Currently, physical searches are taking a backseat to issues created by the tech-driven workplace, KEY LOGwhich often veer into uncharted legal territory. It's no longer necessary for supervisors to literally look over an employee's shoulder. New monitoring tools, such as computer software, can record keystrokes, data entry errors, times for starting work and breaks, and the time and date that documents are opened and closed.

Bar codes track jobs as they move through the production system and allow precise measurements of workers' productivity. Database and e-mail systems allow managers to review report drafts, track time, contents, and quality of documents as they progress through a team or hierarchy, and read both business and personal communications. The line for how and when all that data can be used is being decided and rewritten at all levels of government.

Personal information
Also of concern is the fact that through record requirements for health insurance, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and such employers may learn about employees' health conditions and personal information. Employers have a serious responsibility to refrain from divulging information contained in medical records they come across.

They also have a duty to take measures to protect such sensitive personal information as social security numbers from inside or outside identity theft, a fairly recent, critically important area of concern for HR personnel.

DO THE BEST COMPANIES JOIN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE?

forbesThe best places to work tend to belong to their local chamber of commerce, according to a recent study by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). Of Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" in the United States and Canada this year, 94 are members of their local chamber, including all of the top 24.

Separately, ACCE found that in a random sample of 100 companies in the Fortune 1000, at least 75 were members of their local chamber.

"This 'Best Companies to Work For' information is one more indication that the best companies tend to be chamber members," according to ACCE President Mick Fleming. "If a company cares about its employees, there's a good chance it also cares about its community and the chamber is the way that great employers invest in both."

Local chambers of commerce are associations of businesses that come together to improve the local economic climate and help members network and find new business. Strong employers link with and learn from like-minded peer companies through business-led civic organizations - chambers of commerce.

Here is the Fortune list of the best places to work:  http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008/

Consumers seem to expect chamber members to be better-than-average companies. A study by the Atlanta-based Schapiro Group last August found that consumers are 63 percent more likely to buy products from companies that they believe are chamber members.

John Bachmann, senior partner at Edward Jones (St. Louis, MO), which placed No. 4 on the "Best Places to Work For" list, said, "I find in my experience, both locally and nationally, that the single most effective voice on issues is the chamber. Because of that, we want to be involved. Whether it is healthcare, performing arts, public schools or universities, people most interested in the community are members of the local chamber." Bachmann is a former chair of both the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Paul Speranza Jr. is vice chairman of Wegman's Food Markets (Rochester, NY), which placed No. 3 on the Fortune list. His company is active in the local, state, and U.S. Chamber, of which he is the current chair. He's travelled to many local chambers and appreciates what they do. "It is easy for me to see the great value that many of these chambers provide their members in so many areas, including education and workforce development - showing member companies how to be excellent and appreciated employers by partnering in developing great programs and sharing best practices."

acce_logo.gifACCE plans to probe further into which kinds of companies join their local chamber and which ones don't. "We are not surprised that many of the best companies join chambers of commerce," said Mick Fleming. "And, I believe when more people are aware of this, we're going to see still more firms joining their local chamber."

Established in 1914, ACCE serves the professional development needs of chamber executives throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more than 7,000 individuals, ACCE enhances the knowledge, leadership skills, and management effectiveness of chamber executives and their staff through education, benefits programs, trend analysis, benchmarking, and network development. ACCE supports and develops chamber professionals to lead businesses and their communities. To learn more about ACCE, visit www.acce.org.

Source: ACCE

Publication Date: March 11, 2008

PRE-VISION 2008 ECONOMIC UPDATE
EUGENIO J. ALEMÁN, Ph.D.On April 2, 2008 Wells Fargo Bank's Dr. Eugenio Aleman, will deliver an update and outlook of the economies in the U.S. and Mexico during a cocktail sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank..  This is a different presentation from the one he will deliver the following morning at TAMIU during the Vision 2008 Conference. The cocktail and press conference will be held at Wells Fargo Bank at 100 Matamoros Street beginning at 7:00 PM.

Eugenio J. Alemán holds a doctorate in economics with an emphasis in economic development and international trade and finance from Florida International University. Mr. Alemán forecasts national, regional, and international economic trends, focusing on Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. He specializes in the border-town economies that trade with Mexico and in the Maquiladora manufacturing sector along the U.S.-Mexican border. Mr. Alemán also contributes to the analysis of the U.S. economy for Wells Fargo, including interest rates and the Texas economy.

Mr. Alemán joined Wells Fargo as senior economist in July 2005. He worked at Global Insight, one of the most important economic forecasting and consulting firms in the U.S. as Managing Director for its Latin America Service (1998-2005). He has worked for the petroleum industry, and was also an adjunct professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia (1999-2005) and a professor of Economics and the director of the MBA program at the Inter-American University in Puerto Rico (1985-1986).

BUSINESS TERM OF THE WEEK
CAVEAT VENDITOR:
The Latin for "let the seller beware". It is a counter to caveat emptor, and suggests that sellers too can be deceived in a market transaction. This forces the seller to take responsibility for the product, and discourages sellers from selling products of unreasonable quality.
 
In the landmark case of MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. (1916), New York Court Appeals Judge Benjamin N. Cardozo established that privity of duty is no longer required in regards to a lawsuit for product liability against the seller. This case is predominantly regarded as the origin of caveat venditor as it pertains to modern tort law in US.
Robert Alexander Eads
Vice President of Operations/Chief Operations Officer
Laredo Chamber of Commerce