Union says strike by Dublin Bus drivers now ?99% certain?

Christopher McKinley

In anticipation of possible strike action tomorrow Dublin Bus have announced that no Nitelink services will operate toninght.

In a statement on Twitter the company said that ?due to probable industrial action (whereby) services may not operate tomorrow, no Nitelink services will operate tonight?.

The Irish Times takes no responsibility for the content or availability of other websites.

The announcement comes after Siptu transport organiser, Willie Noone, said it?s now ?99 per cent certain? that Dublin Bus drivers will go on strike tomorrow.

?I can?t see how anything is going happen between now and midnight,? he said. Siptu and National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) drivers at the State company are set to go on strike tomorrow in a long-running row over ?11.7 million in cost saving measures.

An expectation that talks between both sides could take place at the Labour Relations Commission today is receding.

Mr Noone said members of Dublin Bus had already taken pay cuts and had not been given many options regarding the cost savings.

Last night Dublin Bus wrote to all their employees urging them not to engage in industrial action.

If the industrial action does go ahead the strikers will start picketing outside bus garages at midnight.

Public demand for bus services was also expected to be high this weekend with both the Oxegen festival and All-Ireland football quarter finals taking place tomorrow.

The strike will affect an estimated 200,000 public transport users and cost Dublin Bus approximately ?200,000 per day.

The halting of bus services in the capital is also expected to disrupt businesses.

Unions have overwhelmingly rejected a Labour Court supported plan which includes reduced overtime, reductions in bank holiday payments and in annual leave.

Dublin Bus said that they have no choice but to implement the measures in order to stabilise the company?s finances.

A Dublin Bus spokeswoman said that the strike would cause disruption to customers and further losses for the company.

She said her information was that the unions planned to strike and said the company was urging them strongly not to.

?It?s really, really, disappointing, counterproductive and damaging?.

?We?d be hopeful that common sense would prevail,? she said. ?Striking is not going to solve the problem and the financial situation will worsen as a result of the strike?.

She said Dublin Bus was willing to enter talks if they were ?constructive around achieving the savings necessary?.

?Dublin Bus does not have a problem with talking,? she said. ?We?ve had exhaustive talks. We?ve exhausted the industrial relations mechanism?.

The company said that bus drivers? core pay of around ?40,000 per annum would not be cut while management and executives faced pay cuts of 3 per cent to 5 per cent. She also said that only about 25 per cent of drivers opted for overtime.

?We have nowhere else to go. We have met the unions 60 times and were at the LRC seven times and at the Labour Court,? she said.

There are also concerns the dispute may affect train users. NBRU assistant general secretary Dermot O?Leary said Irish Rail members would not stand ?idly by? while cuts were imposed on employees at their sister company Dublin Bus.

Both Siptu and the NBRU have said drivers had lost up to ?250 a week from cuts in 2009 and faced a ?94 cut for each day of the six Bank Holidays they worked per year, along with a cut of ?35 if they work a rest day.

Fianna Fail transport spokesman Timmy Dooley urged Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to intervene and said an ?act of leadership? was required to bridge the divide.

On Thursday the Minister urged both sides to do everything to agree the necessary savings and avoid disruption. ?Payroll savings are needed to protect existing service levels. There have already been substantial fare increases,? he said.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/851/f/10838/s/2f82f4dd/sc/8/l/0L0Sirishtimes0N0Cnews0Cireland0Cirish0Enews0Cunion0Esays0Estrike0Eby0Edublin0Ebus0Edrivers0Enow0E990Ecertain0E10B1484187/story01.htm

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From soybeans to baseball, Henry has had success

Boston Red Sox majority owner John Henry watches a baseball game between the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox majority owner John Henry watches a baseball game between the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON (AP) ? John W. Henry took a backward ballclub in a dilapidated park and transformed it into a two-time World Series champion that is one of baseball's model franchises.

As the owner of The Boston Globe, he will try to turn around a newspaper that ? like many other major metro dailies ? is shedding staff, subscribers and advertisers as it makes the transition into the Internet age.

Henry agreed to buy the Globe along with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and the Boston Metro for $70 million, a fraction of the $1.1 billion The New York Times Co. paid 20 years ago. Henry apparently made this deal without his Red Sox partners, though he said in a statement that more information will soon be available "concerning those joining me in this community commitment and effort."

The son of southern Illinois soybean farmers now worth an estimated $1.5 billion, Henry was a minority owner of the New York Yankees and the sole owner of the Florida Marlins when he led a group that bought the Red Sox for $660 million in 2002. (The original group included The New York Times, which sold the last of its 17.5 percent ownership last year.)

They soon set out to preserve Fenway Park while taking a wrecking ball to most everything else that had mired the franchise in failure for more than eight decades.

Henry, who made his money by taking a mathematical approach to the commodities markets, brought a similar method to the baseball diamond, hiring the statistically savvy Theo Epstein, then 28 years-old, as the youngest general manager in baseball history. They hired statistical pioneer Bill James as a consultant, putting the Red Sox at the forefront of the revolution that had just begun to take hold in front offices long dominated by old-time and hidebound scouting types.

But, perhaps more importantly, the new owners turned what had long been a stagnant family business into a revenue spigot.

They took NESN, which had been almost exclusively an outlet for Red Sox and Boston Bruins games, into a full-fledged sports network. (Not every effort ? like the sports-themed dating show "Sox Appeal" ? was a success.) And they spent more than $285 million turning the once-doomed Fenway Park into a modern ? well, as modern as a 100-year-old ballpark can be, anyway ? sporting venue.

With seats above the Green Monster and a roof deck in right field, a high-tech scoreboard and new concourses and concessions, Fenway sold out 820 consecutive games ? by official count, anyway ? the longest such streak in professional sports history. Thousands more file through the turnstiles 12 months a year, paying up to $16 just to see the park when it is empty.

Though fans sometimes chafed at the team's new businesslike approach, the initiatives helped pay for a player payroll that grew from $75.5 million in 2000 to more than $130 million by 2004. That year, the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years, ending one of the longest title droughts in sports.

They won again three years later.

Henry was also a different kind of owner than Bostonians had grown accustomed to.

While most owners of the local franchises had treated their teams like family fiefdoms or corporate cash registers ? or both ? Henry engaged with fans, chatting with them on Internet message boards (he would also became an early adopter on Twitter). He spent less time in his luxury box and more in his dugout-side seats, and was once seen running the bases on the Fenway diamond with the woman who is now his wife.

And Henry kept looking beyond baseball.

Through a sister company, the Red Sox owners bought into NASCAR as co-owners of Roush Fenway Racing; soccer, by purchasing the Liverpool FC of the English Premier League; and basketball, through a sponsorship deal with LeBron James. Their business offshoot, known as New England Sports Ventures, has also dabbled in marketing for college sports and professional golf.

In buying a newspaper, Henry enters an industry in turmoil and joins a progression of publishers who have tried to figure out how to balance the free-flowing information of the internet with the costs of quality journalism.

While providing no clues, Henry vowed to try.

"The Boston Globe's award-winning journalism as well as its rich history and tradition of excellence have established it as one of the most well-respected media companies in the country," he said in his statement. "This is a thriving, dynamic region that needs a strong, sustainable Boston Globe playing an integral role in the community's long-term future."

___

Follow Jimmy Golen on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jgolen.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-08-03-Boston%20Globe-Henry/id-3f31d85c0e3f401eafec2ac0dd4fe85e

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7 new members set to enter NFL Hall of Fame

The past meets the present this weekend at the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Festival.

Seven new members will be welcomed into the institution on Saturday headlined by the outspoken Cris Carter, who will speak last despite being the only enshrinee in the year's group without a Super Bowl championship on his resume.

Carter will be joined by offensive lineman Larry Allen, defensive tackles Curley Culp and Warren Sapp, left tackle Jonathan Ogden, linebacker Dave Robinson and head coach Bill Parcells in making up the 2013 class.

Carter was unceremoniously dumped by the Philadelphia Eagles and Buddy Ryan back in 1989 with Ryan firing off his now famous quip "all he does is catch touchdowns." In truth Carter was having off-the-field problems with drugs and alcohol, but turned his life around in Minnesota, which picked up the Ohio State product for a paltry $100 waiver fee.

"Minnesota fans didn't judge me when a lot of bad things were being said about me," Carter said on Friday as the gold anniversary festivities for the Hall of Fame kicked off. "They always cheered for Cris. The only thing I really wish is we could've won that championship for those people. What they did for my life, every day I went out there, I played for those people."

Carter now credits Ryan's decision to cut him from the Eagles for helping him turn his life around and has said the Vikings helped him kick a cocaine addiction and get his drinking under control.

"That day, September 19, 1990, when I stopped drinking, that life choice I made on that day is the most significant thing to getting here," an emotional Carter said. "I just started on that day trying not to have a drink for one week ... and here I am, August 1, 2013, and I still haven't had that drink. And I could have ended doing so many different things than what I am right now."

Parcells, who was the coach of the New York Giants at the time, was actually the first to contact Carter after he was released by the Eagles, but Minnesota was ahead of "Big Blue" in the waiver process. When Carter retired after the 2002 season he was behind only Jerry Rice in all-time receptions and touchdowns.

Some claim Carter was even better than Rice.

"The guy I knew would never drop a ball," Chris Spielman, who played with Carter at Ohio State and against him for 10 seasons as a linebacker with the Detroit Lions, told the Akron Beacon Journal. "If I saw it going his direction when we were playing the Vikings, I said, 'Hopefully we'll knock it down before it gets to him.'"

Carter's college roommate William White, an 11-year NFL player, added: "If you put Cris Carter with Joe Montana for 15 years, what do you think he would have done?"

Two of this year's inductees have Dallas Cowboys connections. The 'Boys and Miami Dolphins will help culminate this weekend's festivities at the 50th Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on Sunday night.

Allen was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and seven-time All-Pro with Dallas after being drafted by the club in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of tiny Sonoma State. The Los Angeles native was so dominant he's was named to both the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team as well as the 2000s All-Decade Team.

Parcells, meanwhile, although better known for being the two-time Super Bowl- winning coach of the Giants, coached the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006, compiling a 34-30 mark with the team and piloting Dallas to two postseason appearances. Parcells, though, is probably most respected for his willingness to take on rebuilding projects.

"I hate routine. I really do, even it's a successful routine, I don't like it," Parcells said. "I'm just a little ... impatient for the next challenge. That grew as I went along. It did. I can't say that's a great quality."

Ogden was one of the elite left tackles of his generation. He was the first draft pick ever by the Baltimore Ravens and now the franchise's first Hall of Famer after earning a Super Bowl ring in 2000.

"It's somewhat overwhelming," said Ogden. "You look around and there's Joe Greene and Joe Namath. You can't stop naming names."

Sapp, meanwhile, was a standout defensive tackle, who captured a title in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Robinson was a big part of Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packer teams and was a part of the first two Super Bowl winning teams. Culp was a pass-rushing marvel at defensive tackle for Kansas City who brought home a championship with the Chiefs in 1969.

Source: http://chicagotribune.feedsportal.com/c/34253/f/622872/s/2f84aa90/sc/13/l/0L0Schicagotribune0N0Csports0Cbreaking0Cchi0Enfl0Ehall0Eof0Efame0E20A130Eclass0E20A130A80A30H0A0H8161930Bstory0Dtrack0Frss/story01.htm

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Twins to host baseball provincials

The Mission Twins boys baseball team is hosting the mosquito AAA Tier 2 provincial championship this week, Aug. 1-4, at Mission Sports Park.

The Twins, comprised of boys age 10 and 11, are coached by Ryan Steele, Chad Barker and Yuki Fujie. The team is coming off a terrific regular season where they went undefeated, posting a 6-0 record. They will take on teams from across B.C. at the provincial championship.

Source: http://www.missioncityrecord.com/sports/217419191.html

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Stamkos, St. Louis invited to Team Canada camp

Tribune staff

Published: July 22, 2013

Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning were invited to an orientation camp for the Canadian national team, Hockey Canada announced Monday.

A total of 47 players were invited to the camp, the first step in assembling the team that will represent Canada in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russa. The camp is Aug. 25-28 in Calgary.

Stamkos and St. Louis were among 25 forwards invited. St. Louis played for Canada in the 2006 Olympics.

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Stve Yzerman is Team Canada's executive director.

"I would like to congratulate the players being invited today to our orientation camp," Yzerman said in a statement. "This marks an important step for this program, as it is our only opportunity to be together as a group before Sochi."

The team will be coached by Mike Babcock, coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/bolts/~3/cMZ0rFkjc6A/

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Washington laments loss of ag trade with Cuba - Fri, 02 Aug 2013 PST

HAVANA ?The aisle of a Havana grocery store is lined with shelf after shelf of cheddar-flavored Pringles. At the deli counter, there are dozens of boxes of frozen fish sticks. Down another aisle, a brand of baby wipes fill the?shelves.

The produce section, meanwhile, is almost bare. A few bags of frozen fruits and vegetables sit in a glass?case.

These limited choices underscore Cuba?s struggle ? it?s a country unable to feed itself but whose political history makes leaders reluctant to work with the United?States.

About a third of Cuba?s land is dedicated to agriculture??

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HAVANA ?The aisle of a Havana grocery store is lined with shelf after shelf of cheddar-flavored Pringles. At the deli counter, there are dozens of boxes of frozen fish sticks. Down another aisle, a brand of baby wipes fill the?shelves.

The produce section, meanwhile, is almost bare. A few bags of frozen fruits and vegetables sit in a glass?case.

These limited choices underscore Cuba?s struggle ? it?s a country unable to feed itself but whose political history makes leaders reluctant to work with the United?States.

About a third of Cuba?s land is dedicated to agriculture, most of it to grow sugar. Cuban farmers also grow tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, beans and potatoes. But it?s not enough to feed 11.2 million?people.

For years, Washington farmers have?helped.

Cuba imports about 80 percent of its food.In spite of an embargo against the communist country, Cubans depend increasingly on imports from the United States. For years, the U.S. was the main provider of food to Cuba. While the U.S. hasn?t boasted that title since 2010, a representative from the U.S. Interests Section in Havana said American agricultural exports to Cuba have increased by about 15 percent per year during the last three?years.

But that growth left out Washington, which once counted Cuba among its top five export markets for peas. The state hasn?t sent fruits or vegetables there since 2007 when a crackdown on the 51-year-old embargo that occurred in 2004 helped dry up Washington?exports.

Former U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., were among those who pushed to reopen trade routes between Cuba and the U.S. in the late 1990s. That resulted in an exception applied to the embargo in 2001 allowing the United States to ship food and medicine to Cuba in exchange for cash paid?upfront.

After that trade deal, Washington exports of peas, lentils, cherries and apples steadily?increased.

?I think it was good for Americans, good for farmers, good for Cubans, and I thought it was good policy,? Nethercutt?said.

Now, it?s too expensive for Washington farmers to ship produce to Cuba due to added costs , said Robert Hamilton, Gov. Jay Inslee?s trade policy?advise.

?It?s not worth it,? Hamilton?said.

Nethercutt maintains that reopening trade with Cuba would benefit Washington?farmers.

?The best thing any member of Congress or the Senate can do is assist the people you represent,? Nethercutt said. ?If it?s been restricted, it?s a function of ? members of our state delegation to fight like crazy for the Obama administration to take action to encourage?sales.?

And even though Cuba?s market is small, with a population of about 11 million people, Hamilton said the agriculture sector isn?t going to refuse that market. ?Every little bit helps,? he?said.

Only a few blocks from the Havana grocery store stands a small fruit stand, bustling with Cubans doing their shopping. There are no apples or peas here; this is all locally grown fruit that thrives in the?Caribbean.

All the produce sold here goes through the government, the owner said. Business has been steady in the three years she?s run the shop. But, ?My business would be better if more of the product came from other countries,? she?said.

Editor?s Note: City desk intern Kaitlin Gillespie studied in Havana, Cuba in May with The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State?University.

Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/02/washington-laments-loss-of-ag-trade-with-cuba/

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Welcome Judge Chen! - Patent Law Blog (Patently-O)

This morning the Senate unanimously confirmed Raymond T. Chen for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.? Soon-to-be Judge Chen comes to court with extensive experience in patent law including both private practice and governmental service (most recently as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office).?

Congratulations Judge Chen!

A brief bio from a February 2013 White House press release:

Raymond T. Chen currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a position he has held since 2008.

Chen received his B.S. in electrical engineering in 1990 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his J.D. in 1994 from the New York University School of Law. ?After graduating from law school, he joined Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, a boutique intellectual property law firm in Irvine, California, where he prosecuted patents and represented clients in intellectual property litigation.? From 1996 to 1998, Chen served as a Technical Assistant at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, performing the functions of a staff attorney.? At the end of his two-year term, he joined the USPTO as Associate Solicitor and remained in that role until his promotion to Solicitor in 2008.?? Since joining the USPTO, Chen has represented the agency in numerous appeals before the Federal Circuit and personally argued over 20 cases, issued guidance to patent examiners to ensure consistency with developing law, advised the agency on legal and policy issues, and helped promulgate regulations.? He has co-chaired the Patent and Trademark Office Committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association and is a member of the Advisory Council for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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Source: http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2013/08/welcome-judge-chen.html

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