The United Auto Workers and Ford have reached a tentative agreement that will end a nearly six-week strike at the automaker. The proposed deal includes 25% pay increases over the terms of the 4 1/2-year agreement, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments and substantial pay increases for the lowest-paid workers. Local UAW leaders and a majority of the 57,000 union-represented workers at Ford must ratify the deal, but employees will return to Ford plants while the approval and voting process plays out. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (10/25),Detroit Free Press (10/26),CNBC (10/26),The New York Times (10/25)
Recruiting & Retention
US weekly jobless claims increase by 10K to 210K Initial jobless claims in the US increased by 10,000 last week, with 210,000 Americans applying for unemployment benefits. The uptick comes after jobless claims reached an eight-month low the previous week. The four-week moving average of claims increased slightly to 207,500. Full Story: The Associated Press (10/26)
What do Gen X employees want from their benefits? Workers born between 1965 and 1980 want benefits tailored to midlife's balance of caring for parents, children and themselves, and companies are increasingly obliging. From grandparent leave to menopause support, such programs tend to be cost effective and to send a message that employers value and want to retain Generation X employees, who are likely senior leaders, experts say. Full Story: BBC (10/25)
Team leaders are most effective when they have the skills needed to assign clear roles, establish goals, are open to new ideas, solve the right problems and celebrate their team's success, writes author and leadership expert Paul B. Thornton. "The challenge here is to stay focused on being efficient, but not at the expense of being effective," Thornton writes. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (10/26)
What your kids (or you) get in your trick-or-treat bag this Halloween depends on where you live. If you're in Rhode Island, North Carolina or Oregon, you'll get lots of M&Ms, while those in Wyoming, Kentucky or Florida will get a haul of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, according to data from Candy Store. Odds are good you could wind up with a lot of candy corn if you're in New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho or South Carolina. Full Story: Deseret News (Salt Lake City) (10/19)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis was completed in October 1965, and was designed by which famed architect?
