Changing Landscape of Unions Free Essays

CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF UNIONS BUS 372 Employee Labor Relations November 9, 2011 CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF UNIONS At the inception of unions, its members consisted of â€Å"blue-collar† workers concentrated in the manufacturing sector. Today, only about 35% of union members remain in this sector, requiring unions to expand beyond manufacturing to broaden their membership ranks. Unions are undergoing new developments to increase membership. We will write a custom essay sample on Changing Landscape of Unions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Entering into the twenty-first century unions will emerge into a new dimension. The labor union is constantly changing, experiencing a decline in membership, losing influence and power but through experience and careful planning things change. Unions have gone through dramatic changes over the past century. The changing landscape of the unions is not only coming from decline in membership but from modern technology also. In order to show that they can change things have to change. Unions need to have the ability to show that they can effectively get their influence back, increase membership, and power. In the last century unions have been successful at negotiations especially when it came to bargaining agreements on behalf of their members. Union membership has evolved it a big way in the 21st century. No one can dispute labor’s staying power, given the labor movement’s deep penetration into virtually all the traditional parts of our economy and it continuing hold on these areas (Sloane, Witney 2011 p. 20). Local unions at times have engaged in a variety of social, educational, and community activities. Union leaders realize that the welfare of their members depends on part on a progressive and well-run community. Having vital interest to the schools since union leaders must pay taxes to operate the schools that their member’s children attend. This will lessen the tension between management and organized labor. Many local unions also conduct regularly sponsored and generally effective educational programs this important since more skilled workers are needed (Sloane, et al 2010 p. 180). With new technology that changes every year it is better to keep members well trained for more skilled jobs. Union’s support of the latest technology will help workers keep their jobs instead of hiring new workers into their workplace. Unions’ purpose is to increase wages and influence better job conditions for all its members. Jobs have moved work from this country to other countries only because they can make more profits from lower wages and more productivity. So with this in mind the labor union can raise hourly wages, better benefits, increase bargaining power and better working conditions, although it seems easy which it will not be but this can help keep American workers with jobs and stop business from going overseas and other foreign countries. Unions can propose to keep manufacturing sector such as plants, factories operating in the United States. Keep manufacturing equipment and parts in the States so more workers cannot be laid off. Stop using manufacturing products from other countries and start a campaign to only use American made products. Getting the members that they already have to come aboard as a force to be reckoned with on one accord the more numbers the more force. Today there are several major organizations under one company umbrella a large number of unions thru mergers such as AFL-CIO, SEIU, UAW just to name a few representing workers (Sloane, et al 2010 p. 18). These unions have come to understand and address issues that are important to their member in the workplace. Unions can reform to increase their membership by campaigning and adventuring outside of the normal places to get new members to join. Unions have given a voice to their many members concerning fair wages, safety, benefits, health care, and training. Unions can continue to support the training programs that will keep their members up to date with modern technology. This would help businesses from wanting to go over to other countries why should a business go somewhere else when they will have qualified workers here eager to keep up with the new technology that change all the time. This will also increase membership when the union is willing to train members especially ones that have not joined yet. This can prevent job displacement. Unions can make a win-win situation for unions and businesses by having more trained workers that can adapt to the ever changing technology in the workplace. Since the changing landscape is not only coming from low membership but new technology. Unions can try to recruit new members so that they can have more bargaining power so that jobs cannot be shifted overseas because of lower wages. The more jobs that the United States can provide the more employees can keep their jobs. Global competition is growing many unions have sought to offset this handicap by banding together for contract negotiations purposes in what is known as coordinated bargaining. This universally denotes the presentation of united union front at the bargaining table and often also involves common union demands (Sloane et al 2010 p. 218). Unions can reform by using reverse tactics, keep corporations from operating in various countries, get control over the combination of tax concessions, control the lower-cost labor abroad, and get more control over accessibility to vital material. Get control over the expanded employment that is going across the U. S. Unions can get together and stop workers from being displaced and passing higher cost to consumers. This will give unions more effective power of collective bargaining agreements to keep manufacturing facilities, keep members, and jobs. Today’s collective bargaining sessions have no place for the uninformed, the inept, or the unskilled (Sloane et al 2010 p. 234). Unions must do everything to survive in this next century by giving member what they want and keeping goals that they have set for each other. Reference Sloane, A. A. , Witney, F. (2010). Labor relations. 13th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson Educational, Inc. 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Flinder Valves free essay sample

In early May 2008, talk began between president of Flinder Valves, Bill Flinder and Tom Eliot, chairman and CEO of RSE about a possible acquisition of Flinder Valves by RSE. The industrial manufacturing industry had taken a hit due to rough economic times and the acquisition made sense. Both leaders were very concerned about the challenges and risks of the deal. Flinder was a company that engineered and manufactured specialty valves and heat exchangers. These products required extensive research and development and they were one of very few firms working in these types of applications. A bullk to FVC’s sales came from defense and aerospace applications. They were known for their prime contracts and engineering excellence. Sales have continually grown for FVC and from 2007 to 2008 they jumped up over 23%. After going public in 1996, Auden, a distributor for FVC came to them with proposals of a merger but a deal was never made. FVC has been approached by numerous firms but no deals have gone through. Lately, FVC has drawn more attention from us with the disclosure of their new project, the widening gyre. We feel as though if this technology takes off and is applied could bring value ranging from $5 to $15 million. VALUATION From RSE’s analysts and accountants due diligence, we have come to the conclusion that we believe FVC to be valued around $186.4 million. Our procedures for coming up with this value was based on the sales projections from 2008-2012 that FVC has provided for us. We used a discount rate of 3.2%. The percentage used was based on the growth rate of GDP and what numerous other sites suggest the industrial manufacturing industry is growing at. We are also under the assumption that FVC’s cash flow projections are correct. However, we are very skeptical of FVC’s projected growth. From 2003 to 2007 their sales increased by a total of 36% over the period. Their projections from 2008 to 2012 reflect a 51% increase over the period. Now, we understand that they are not accounting for the widening gyre in these projections, so what exactly are they basing these projections off? We would need to see the introduction of numerous new products to accept these cash flows as relevant. While running the transaction multiples analysis we evaluated net sales, operating income and cash flows from other mergers within the industry. We calculated the means and medians and used those in our valuation of FVC. When calculating net sales we came up with a range high of $78.1 million and low of $71.3 million. With operating income we came up with a range high of $166.4 million and low of $151.1 million. The last factor we looked at was cash flows and came up with a range high of $89.2 million and low of $79.6. The next valuation method we used was the market multiples analysis. We took the average of similar companies in the industry, multiplied it by our earnings per share, at $2.28, which gave us a value of $42.29. We then multiplied that number by the number of shares, at 2,440,000, which gave us a value of $103.2 million. Due to FVC’s current market cap at $100 million, we feel as though this a very accurate value for them. ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES While we not only valued FVC, we also have to take into major consideration the advantages and disadvantages. These can have major impacts on the future earnings and health of a company. We feel as though the biggest advantage to the acquisition would be the collaboration of our engineering teams. While our collaboration has lacked in the past, FVC’s has excelled and has become industry leaders. With improved engineering and products, we can begin to cross-market and sell our products with FVC’s to further increase our revenues. Because FVC is a more specialized company, by acquiring them we can diversify ourselves and lessen our risk of competitors. Another big advantage will be the lower cost of materials from our suppliers saving more on cost of goods sold and improving our bottom line. We will also be able to implement our new resource management system that will save $1.5 million in the first year and $3 million the years after. A couple disadvantages we found with the acquisition would be an increase of debt or decrease in cash holdings, depending on how we decided to fund the acquisition. Some people within our company worry about the dilution of our shares. We currently have close to 63 million shares outstanding and acquiring an additional 2.4 million will not dilute our earnings. Another concern we have is how well FVC employees will be able to adapt to our company culture and size of our company. FVC is a smaller, more entrepreneurial company and we are cautious of the risk that FVC engineers work ethic and productivity could change due to working for a bigger firm with a different cultural environment. As for some alternatives to not reaching a deal, we feel as though it would be best to reinvest money back into RSE or invest in other projects. Our RD department has been extremely weak the past two years and we could benefit from investing in that. There have not been any recent new innovations within the company, and with reinvestment into the RD department, we are confident that new innovations will be right around the corner. RSE has had their eyes on many other companies in the industry so we will not rule out possible acquisitions of those companies as an alternative to FVC. RISKS We are aware of a few risks with this possible merger that concern both companies. One of our main concerns is the preservation of relationship between the two companies. If a deal is not reached or an offer is made that might offend either party, we do not want our relationship with FVC to deteriorate. A transaction risks that we have addressed is the possibility of environmental fluctuations during the negotiation process. If we wait too long to reach a deal, others in our industry could be gaining ground on us. The exchange rates could change and affect our foreign sales. There are multiple financial risks that we face. One of the biggest risks we fear is overpaying for FVC and they happen to under-perform how we anticipated. Our shareholders will be very displeased and will likely not support future acquisition inquiries. Another risk we face when acquiring FVC is that Auden will pull out of his position as our distributor. Auden accounts for 15% of FVC’s sales, which would definitely hurt our cash flows if we take them on. Some operational risks that we fear are assimilating FVC into our company. Though we still want them to operate as independent entity, we want them to adopt some of our processes as well. We fear that some of these processes might not be adopted at first and will be costly to implement. All of these mentioned risks that have been addressed out could have a potential negative, inverse effect on the future cash flows of FVC. GOALS From our perspective, we hope that many things can be accomplished whether we reach a deal or not. First off, from RSE’s side we would like to acquire FVC at the lowest reasonable price possible. Regardless of whether we reach a deal, we would like to preserve the relationship with FVC. We feel as though if a deal is not reached, both companies can add value by learning from each other. During the negotiation we will keep an open mind to new information coming from FVC and adjust our models accordingly. We do not want to let our emotions get involved in this negotiation. We will stay true to our quantitative analysis and take qualitative information into consideration when we feel it is appropriate. When entering the negotiation we intend to come in with as much knowledge as possible. Our due diligence and research of FVC will help us accomplish this goal. We believe that FVC’s goals in this negotiation are to preserve the relationship, as well, and to settle the deal at a high price. FVC will likely want to keep the same engineering practice standards versus letting them be watered down with ours. They would like to remain as independent as possible from us to ensure their brand is not lost within ours. NEGOTIATING STRATEGY Our strategy for this negotiation is to enter with a reasonable, low offer which we believe is around $103.2 million. We base this off our market multiples valuation and industry average price/earning ratio. We will put that offer on the table to FVC and see what their next move is. By starting low, this strategy gives some wiggle room. Our absolute highest walk-away price will be based on DCF analysis. The value we came up for that is $186.4 million but we will walk away somewhere around $175-$180 million range. On a per share basis we came up with $42.29. For a walk away per share basis, we came up with $76.40. We fully intend to listen to FVC’s valuation with open minds, but also feel as though our prices are very solid and accurate. We will stick to our quantitative analysis and be stern with our offers.

Types of Meaning free essay sample

Leech gives primacy to conceptual meaning because it has sophisticated organization based on the principle of contrastiveness and hierarchical structure. E. g. /P/  can be described as-  voiceless + bilabial + plosive. Similarly Boy = + human + male-adult. 2/Associative meaning The associative meaning of an expression  has to do with individual mentalunderstandings of the speaker. They, in turn, can be broken up into six sub-types:connotative, collocative, social, affective, reflected and thematic Collocative meaning is the meaning which a word acquires in the company of certain words. Words collocate or co-occur with certain words only e. g. Big business not large or great. Collocative meaning refers to associations of a word because of its usual or habitual co-occurrence with certain types of words. ‘Pretty’  and  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœhandsome’indicate  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœgood looking’. However, they slightly differ from each other because of collocation or co-occurrence. The word  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœpretty’  collocates with –  girls, woman, village, gardens, flowers, etc. On the other hand, the word  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœhandsome’  collocates with –  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœboys’ men, etc. so  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœpretty woman’ and ‘handsome man’. 7) Thematic Meaning: It refers to what is communicated by the way in which a speaker or a writer organizes the message in terms of ordering focus and emphasis . Thus active is different from passive though its conceptual meaning is the same. Various parts of the sentence also can be used as subject, object or complement to show prominence. It is done through focus, theme (topic) or emotive emphasis. Thematic meaning helps us to understand the message and its implications properly. For example, the following statements in active and passive voice have same conceptual meaning but different communicative values. e. g. 1)  Mrs. Smith donated the first prize )  The first prize was donated by Mrs. Smith. In the first sentence  Ã¢â‚¬Å"who gave away the prize  Ã¢â‚¬Å"is more important, but in the second sentence  Ã¢â‚¬Å"what did Mrs. Smith gave is important†. Thus the change of focus change the meaning also. Sense relations,,,, Sense relations are paradigmatic relations between words or predicate s of the same syntactic categories, which can replace one another without violating the grammatical rules; or in other words, those relations reveal the semantic choices available at a particular structure point in a sentence. Two major types of sense relations can be distinguished: * Sense relations of inclusion, esp. yponymy  and  synonymy * Sense relations of exclusion, esp. complementarity  and  antonymy Synonymy is the relationship between two words that have the same sense. This is a strict definition of synonymy – the identity of sense. Some linguists, however, consider synonymy a similarity of meaning Hyponymy is a sense relation between lexemes such that the meaning of one lexeme is included in the meaning of the other. Antonymy is a sense relation in which oppositeness of meaning is observed. There are many pairs or groups of words, which, though different in meaning, are pronounced alike or spelled alike, or both. Such words are called homonyms. Polysemy refers to the phenomenon in which one and the same word has more than one meaning. Semantic field Semantic field is a term to refer to the phenomenon that vocabulary is an integrated system interrelated in sense and can be divided into semantically related sets or fields. Words in each semantic field defines one another, Sense and reference†¦. Frege is said to be the first person to set out the difference between sense and reference in a systematic form, and it is from his writing that the terms first arise. Reference Reference is a part of meaning. Assume that there are three trees in a field. Each tree has a unique reference. Each branch on each tree has a unique reference. And each leaf and the field have a unique reference. There are two ways we can look at reference. The first is physical in that each atom and electron has reference whether it can be seen or not. The second is perceptual: this means how we see objectsdo we see them as an object or not? We will take the latter approach. Reference also includes imaginary objects: unicorns, leprechauns, Santa Claus, Hades, elves, eternal bliss, and so forth. This would also include objects which currently do not exist but could exist: a King of France, dinosaurs, a five-cent ice-cream cone, and so forth. Sense Sense is the more interesting part meaning. Sense refers to how we see an object or the amount of information given about an object. The classic example cited showing the distinction is the planet Venus. As a planet it has reference arbitrarily given the name Venus. It is often called the morning star when seen in the morning, and the everning star when seen in the evening. Thus, it has two senses, depending on the time of day the object is seen. The planet itself is the referent, the morning star is one sense, the evening star the other sense. It could have other senses. Theories of meaning,,,, Different theories of meaning can be distinguished, according to how they deal with the relation between words, concepts and things in the world, and the conventions that are constitutive of this relation. Referential theories are concerned with the relation between expressions and the external world. The referential theory is used to explain our knowledge of linguistic meaning, but makes no claim about how we actually know how linguistic expressions acquire meaning. In other words, it makes no psychological claims. A referential theory of semantics assumes that MEANING IS REFERENCE TO FACTS OR OBJECTS IN THE WORLD The Ideational Theory of Meaning This theory was developed by the British empiricist philosopher, John Locke. The theory explains that the meaning attached to words can be separated from the word themselves. This means that meaning originates in the mind in the form of ideas. Words are just sensible signs for the convenience of communication. Language is therefore, a mechanism for expressing thoughts and thought is viewed as a succession of conscious ideas. The ideational theory is mentalistic. Thus the meaning of a word is the mental image or idea of the word or the expression generated in the mind of the speaker or hearer. The ideational theory is perceived to be abstract or imprecise because of dependence on mental images for decoding the meaning of words. Ideas may be too vague to comprehend. There are also many words (especially the abstract ones) that do not have specific physical realities, let alone mental manifestations. It is unthinkable that the mind can create an image of what the senses cannot perceive. The theory may not be able to account for synonymous expressions. It may also be difficult to use the theory to explain the mental image conjured by sentences. Indeed, sentences derive their meaning more from the word order. The prototype theory was proposed by Eleanor Rosch. She suggested that when people categorize items they match them against the prototype, or ideal exemplar, which contains the most representative features inside the category. Objects that do not share all the characteristics of the prototype are still members of the category but not prototypical ones. She argued that prototypes represent a basic level of categorization, e. g. chair, as opposed to a superordinate, e. g. furniture and a subordinate level, e. g. kitchen chair. The prototype theory has been particularly fruitful in providing several researchers with a convenient explanation of some phenomena in studies of vocabulary acquisition and teaching, mental lexicon, as well as in studies of cognitive linguistics and linguistic data. It has also been suggested that categorization based on prototypes is the basis for human development, and that this learning relies on learning about the world via embodiment. Componential analysis, also called feature analysis or contrast analysis, refers to the description of the meaning of words through structured sets of semantic features, which are given as â€Å"present†, â€Å"absent† or â€Å"indifferent with reference to feature†. The method thus departs from the principle of compositionality. Componential analysis is a method typical of structural semantics which analyzes the structure of a words meaning. Thus, it reveals the culturally important features by which speakers of the language distinguish different words in the domain (Ottenheimer, 2006, p. 20). This is a highly valuable approach to learning another language and understanding a specific semantic domain of an Ethnography. Denotation and connotation,,,, Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the dictionary definition. ? For example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its denotative meanings is any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles? Khaving a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions. Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the associations that are connected to a certain word or the emotional suggestions related to that word. The connotative meanings of a word exist together with the denotative meanings. The connotations for the word snake could include evil or danger. Denotation is an act of denoting or indicating something. denotation means the literal definition of a wordfrom the notation. connotation means the associations of a wordwith the definition. Connotation means implication, intention or imagination with a specific thing or person. Collocation†¦ A collocation is a combination of words that are commonly used together; the simplest way of describing collocations is to say that they ‘just sound right’ to native English speakers. Other combinations that may mean the same thing would seem ‘unnatural’. Collocations include noun phr ases like ‘stiff wind’ and ‘weapons of mass destruction’, phrasal verbs such as ‘to get together’ and other stock phrases such as ‘the rich and famous’

Sonys Evolving Human Resource Challenges

New Orientation in Staffing Sony relies on an ethnocentric orientation in staffing. The staffing orientation requires that managers from headquarters hold key organizational positions in new marketplaces. By employing individuals to work in places they understand better, Sony will empower the employees accordingly based on the organizational culture practiced in the specific country of doing business.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sony’s Evolving Human Resource Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When recruiting individual for foreign operations, the company should employ competent individuals who understand the region better (Abraham 28). This will make it easier to cope with the culture of the people. Proper training and mentoring programs to the managers will ensure they are prepared for the international assignments. Managing Talent in the Company The presented analysis shows that Sony i s facing challenges in finding the best talent for its organizational operations in Europe and China. If the company is to have an adequate pool of international talent and managers, the first approach is to embrace the issue of diversity. The company should recruit managers from different backgrounds with knowledge and proper expertise towards management in the business (Abraham 28). The managers should also be familiar with the working environment and region where the business will operate. This is because different cultures have varied cultural mindsets and organizational behavior. The idea entails promoting productivity and ensuring the greatest gains from the business. The company should also promote diversity in the workplace. This is an important to promote a global mindset thereby improve performance. Sony’s Training Efforts Sony’s training efforts is effective as applied currently. The company pursues programs to train its recruits and counsels them to do what ever they are passionate about and improve their talent. The company also offers an online training system. However, in light of the company’s multi-country operations, the company can take some steps to improve the training process. The first step is recruiting a diverse workforce. A training program based on the expected performance and the unique knowledge of the recruits in needed. The other step involves mentoring and leading the employees to improve their talent (Abraham 27). Finally, the company’s 2-year eight-module training program covers all aspects of Sony’s business and operations. The program should train the employees about their specific works and departments they are working in.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Labor Relation Problems In Indonesia, Sony faced some labor unrest thus affecting its output. In Britain and Mexico, similar cases of labor unrest and issues have been faced and the reason there is need to address them. If the management is to improve these labor relations, the first thing is to improve the working conditions of the employees and offer them good working environment. This will improve the labor relations in the company. A proper human resource team should address the specific problems and issues faced by the workers (Abraham 28). The top management should design a standardized workplace norms catering for the needs and expectations of the employees. There should also be a long-term strategy to employ the required number of workers to avoid future lay-offs. Sony’s Corporate Social Responsibility The current integrity approach employed by Sony to maintain and retain a universal workplace standard is a good idea. The best thing for the company is to standardize its workplace conditions to create the best working environment internationally. This will result in equal opportunities for a ll employees and offer them a superior working condition. While this is something acknowledgeable and effective, the company can consider doing more like promoting environment conservation programs, fighting poverty, and providing essential needs to individuals in the developing nations (Abraham 28). The company should improve the working conditions in the emerging markets. This will make the company an industrial leader because it will manage its operations properly and achieve the greatest gains. Works Cited Abraham, Susan. Development of Employee Engagement Programme on the Basis of Employee Satisfaction Survey. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance and Marketing, 2012; 4(1), 27-37. Print. This case study on Sony’s Evolving Human Resource Challenges was written and submitted by user The Fury 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.

Biography of Lucky Luciano, American Gangster

Biography of Lucky Luciano, American Gangster Charles Lucky Luciano (born Salvatore Lucania; November 24, 1897–January 26, 1962) was instrumental in creating the American Mafia as we know it today. After graduating from the gritty street gangs of New York, Luciano went on to become a henchman for the American branch of the infamous Cosa Nostra. A criminal mastermind, it was Luciano who orchestrated the unification of warring mob factions, creating the first Organized Crime Commission. In addition to taking on the mantle of the first kingpin of the modern Genovese crime family, he and his mob associates launched the highly successful and lucrative National Crime Syndicate. Lucky Luciano Known For: Charles â€Å"Lucky† Luciano was the criminal mastermind whose influence in shaping the mafia earned him the title of â€Å"father of modern organized crime.†Born: November 24, 1897 in Lercara Friddi,  Sicily, ItalyParents: Rosalia Capporelli and Antonio LucaniaDied: January 26, 1962 in Naples,  Campania, ItalySpouse:  Igea LissoniCriminal Convictions: Pandering, drug traffickingPublished Work: The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano: The Mafia Story in His Own Words (as told to Martin A. Gosch  and  Richard Hammer)Notable Quote: â€Å"There’s no such thing as good money or bad money. There’s just money. Early Years Lucianos family immigrated to the United States in 1906. His criminal career began not long after. At the age of 10, he was charged with his first crime (shoplifting). Luciano launched his first racket in 1907, charging Jewish and Italian kids in his Lower East Side neighborhood anything from one or two pennies to as much as a dime for his protection to and from school. If they refused to pay, Luciano beat them up rather than protect them. One of the kids, Meyer Lansky, refused to ante up. After Luciano failed to pound Lansky to a pulp, the two became friends and joined forces in the protection scheme. They remained friends and close associates throughout most of their lives. At the age of 14, Luciano dropped out of school and started a $7 per week delivery job, but after winning more than $200 in a craps game, he realized there were faster and easier ways of earning money. His parents sent him to The Brooklyn Truant School in hopes of straightening him out but in 1916 after his release, Luciano took over as leader of the notorious Five Points Gang, where he became acquainted with future Mafia leaders Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. In the years leading up to World War I, Luciano expanded his criminal enterprises to include pimping and drug trafficking, and while the police named him as a suspect in several local murders, he was never indicted. The 1920s By 1920, Luciano had branched out into bootlegging and illegal gambling. With financing and an education in social skills from his mentor Arnold the Brain Rothstein, Luciano and his partners were grossing over $12 million a year from the sale of illicit alcohol by 1925. Luciano, Costello, and Genovese had the largest bootlegging operation in New York with a territory that extended as far as Philadephia. By the late 1920s, Luciano had become a chief aide in the largest crime family in the country, led by Giuseppe Joe the Boss Masseria. Initially recruited as a gunman, as time went on, Luciano came to despise the old Mafia (Cosa Nostra) traditions- and especially Masserias belief that non-Sicilians could not be trusted (which ironically, turned out to be true in Lucianos case). After being kidnapped and mugged, Luciano discovered Joe the Boss was behind the attack. A few months later, he decided to betray Masseria by covertly joining forces with the second largest mafia clan led by Salvatore Maranzano. The Castellammarese War began in 1928 and, over the next two years, several gangsters connected to Masseria and Maranzana were killed. Luciano, who was still working for both camps, led four men- including Bugsy Siegel- to a meeting he had arranged with Masseria. The four men sprayed his former boss with bullets, killing him. After the death of Masseria, Maranzano became the Boss of Bosses in New York but his ultimate goal was to become the leading boss in the United States. Maranzano appointed Lucky Luciano as his No. 2 man. The working relationship was short-lived, however. After learning of a plan by Maranzano to double-cross him and wipe out Al Capone in the bargain, Luciano decided to strike first, organizing a meeting at which Maranzano was killed. Lucky Luciano became The Boss of New York and, almost overnight, he began moving into more rackets and expanding their power. The 1930s The 1930s were prosperous times for Luciano, who was now able to break ethnic barriers formerly laid out by the old Mafia. He strengthened his outreach in areas of bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, loan-sharking, narcotics, and labor rackets. In 1936, Luciano was convicted on charges of compulsory prostitution (pandering) and drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 30-50 years but maintained control of the syndicate while behind bars. The 1940s In the early 1940s at the onset of Americas involvement in World War II, Luciano struck a deal with U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence. He offered to supply information to help protect the mob-run New York docks from Nazi saboteurs  in exchange for a move to a better prison and the possibility of early parole. Luciano was transferred to Great Meadow Correctional Facility from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora in upstate New York. He continued his collaboration, known as Operation Underworld, for the remaining years of the war. In 1946, Governor Thomas E. Dewey (who while serving as Special Prosecutor was responsible for Lucianos conviction) granted the mobster a commutation of sentence and had him deported to Italy, where he was able to resume control over the American syndicate. Luciano snuck into Cuba in October 1946, where he attended The Havana Conference, a meeting of the five major crime families hosted by Lansky who already had an established presence in Cuba. The cover for the meeting was an appearance by Frank Sinatra. During the week-long conference that focused on the heroin trade and gambling activities in Cuba, and also to decide the fate of Bugsy Siegel and his Las Vegas money pit, the Flamingo Hotel, Luciano met privately with Genovese, who suggested that Luciano take on a figurehead role as Boss of Bosses while allowing Genovese to control the day-to-day activities of the syndicate. Luciano declined, saying: There is no Boss of Bosses. I turned it down in front of everybody. If I ever change my mind, I will take the title. But it wont be up to you. Right now you work for me and I aint in the mood to retire. Dont you ever let me hear this again, or Ill lose my temper. When the U.S. government got wind of Lucianos presence in Cuba, it quickly moved to have him repatriated to Italy, where he remained for the rest of his life. While he continued to profit from mob-related activities, his power and influence waned. Death and Legacy As Luciano grew older, his long-time relationship with Lansky began to falter. Luciano felt he wasnt getting his fair share from the mob. Disgruntled, he arranged to have his memoirs written- not to bare his soul so much as to set the record straight as he saw it. He outlined his exploits to writer Richard Hammer and had also arranged to meet with producer Martin Gosch about a possible film version of the project. Word of his confessional (The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano: The Mafia Story in His Own Words, published posthumously) did not sit well with Lucianos former mob associates. In 1962, Luciano suffered a fatal heart attack in the Naples airport, where he talked about the movie with Gosch. There is some conjecture that Luciano did not die of natural causes and that his death may have been a hit in retribution for his turning canary. Lucianos body was sent back to the United States and buried at St. Johns Cemetery in New York City. It is believed that Luciano was one of the most powerful men in organized crime and to this day, his influence over the gangster activity can be felt in this country. He was the first person to challenge the old Mafia by breaking through ethnic barriers and creating a network of gangs that comprised the first national crime syndicate and continued to exert control organized crime long after his death. Sources Donati, William. Lucky Luciano: The Rise and Fall of a Mob Boss. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Company, 2010.  Gosch, Martin A.; Hammer, Richard. 1974.  The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano: The Mafia Story in His Own Words. Little Brown and Company.Newark, Tim. Boardwalk Gangster: The Real Lucky Luciano. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2011.

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Ethics - Case Study Example GM was simply doing what it thought would best help its business, and it did what it felt it had to do, even if it was illegal. This scandal however, did help root out the electric bus system, and pave the way for the automobile industry as we now see it today. Secondly, the new buses also set up new, better forms of transportation for people to use. The "the reception was generally favorable"(Span), and most people liked the new bus system over the old one. Were the practices that got them there corrupt Of course, but all the people in the cities saw were new cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. The third consequence of the scandal was the effect is had on GM's image. Maybe theorists still believe the whole thing was a plan to undermine the United States government. And that kind of press going around about a company is not good for business. In conclusion, while the affair was illegal and GM prosecuted, there were also many positive things to come from the GM Street Car Scandal.

If you were a legislator in the New York State Legislature, would you Essay - 1

If you were a legislator in the New York State Legislature, would you vote to uphold or repeal this latest tax increase Why - Essay Example The NY excise tax increase is now considered the highest excise tax imposed by a state on cigarettes and tobaccos (NCSL 2010 p. 2). Opponents of the tax increase argue that it is inherently regressive because it affects the ‘have-nots’ more than it does the ‘haves.’ Furthermore, these increases are said to be defeating their purpose, which is to raise revenues, because they can drive away potential customers who may altogether quit smoking or who may use backdoor sources to obtain their fix. On the other hand, proponents of the tax measure, specifically the legislators, contend that it will help keep New York sustain and maintain its health care programs (Confessore 2010). The biggest argument, however, for the measure comes from health advocates and researchers who are extolling the tax increase as a vehicle for compelling smokers to quit the habit and ultimately saving more lives. If I were a member of the New York Legislature, I too, would have supported and voted for the passage of the latest round of excise tax increases on cigarettes and tobacco because it will ultimately redound to the good and welfare of the public. First, it is good for the public health because of the possibility of reducing smoking prevalence especially of the young, who are unwilling or unable to shoulder the rising cost of the habit, and; second, if it could not compel a significant number of smokers to quit, then the government will get to achieve its purpose of raising revenues to fund its health-related programs. That smoking is deadly not only to the person smoking but also to the people around him is already an established fact. This is evinced by the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MAS) where top tobacco and cigarette producers agreed to compensate, in perpetuity, billions of dollars to a considerable number of states for the costs expended by the latter in the care of individuals suffering from smoking-related illnesses (A Broken Promise to our