Laid Off Workers and Unions In France Resort To "Bossnapping" For Better Severance

The financial crisis has given rise to a new strategy and term called "bossnapping" in France. So far this phenomenon has only occurred in France and has not spread outside the Country but it may embolden people and groups to act in similar fashion throughout the European Union.

Though it has also not spread to the United States at this time, the actions in France were started by union labor and the United States has seen a rise in union organized protests around certain aspects of the financial crisis, so this may not be outside the realm of possibility if the financial crisis continues to worsen leading to lay offs.

The companies affected were Sony and 3M with the Sony executive being the first and held in his office for a night. The Sony executive was released only after agreeing to hold future talks for better severance pay for the workers who lost their jobs.The incident at Sony happened about two weeks ago.

The more recent case of "bossnapping" at 3M occurred yesterday, and he is still being held as far as sources say at this time.

According to Jean-Francois Caparros of Force Ouvriere union Luc Rousselet, a 3M industrial director, was being held as a "bargaining chip" and also stated "Until we have a commitment from 3M that they will increase pay packets and are ready to discuss our conditions for negotiations, then Mr. Rousselet will have to remain here," Force Ouvriere's Jean-Francois Caparros said. "It is out of the question that he leaves without discussing our conditions."

The most troubling part of the incident is that in both cases the police refused to step in and stated that these were radical tactics and considered to be part of the negotiation process and that no harm would come to the executives being held.

According to other sources this seems to be a growing trend in severance negotiations through France and has occurred a few other times in the past year, though we could find no other reports of such occurrences.

Last week, in another sign of growing labour unrest, angry workers from the Continental tyre firm burst into a management meeting in the Champagne town of Reims and pelted their bosses with eggs to protest at the closure of their plant.

Outside their colleagues hung effigies of managers and threw shoes and other projectiles at them.

"This sort of thing will inevitably happen again," said Bruno Lemerle of the CGT union in the Peugeot car plant in Sochaux, France's biggest factory.

"Those who sow misery reap fury. The violence is done by those who cut jobs, not by those who try to defend them," he said.

The executive from 3M was released late last night.

Flood Waters Continue To Rise In Fargo North Dakota

Workers continue to pile up sandbags in the hopes of holding flood waters at bay. Snow plows are busy clearing roads so flat bed trucks can carry more sandbags to where they are needed, and rescue crews have already rescued at least 78 people from the area South of Fargo.

Officials say the flood levels in Fargo are currently 39.2 feet, more than twice the 18-foot-level that is considered flood stage. The river may reach 41 feet on March 28 which will be a foot over the record flooding set back in 1897 and beat the flood of 1997 which crested at the same level.

The April 1997 flooding was the worst in 100 years and caused $5 billion in damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It led Grand Forks, about 81 miles north of Fargo, to build a $450 million levee system, said city spokesman Kevin Dean.

Cass County’s Johnson said police are going from house to house urging residents to flee and reminding them that officials can’t perform rescues at night. More than 130,000 people live in the county, which includes Fargo.

Disaster Tip of The Week:Start or Purchase A First Aid Kit

Keeping a First Aid Kit on hand is important and not just for when there is a major disaster.

It is a good idea to keep one available for everyday use. You never know when you or a family member may suffer a burn, cut, or something more severe. Having the proper first aid supplies on hand and in order will help to keep you calm and better enable you to help an injured person.

You also don't need to purchase anything elaborate but for people who would rather not put a kit together themselves you can easily by one from your local drug store, supermarket, or even online.

If you do decide to purchase one, be sure to check it periodically for expired items and restock your kit as you use items.

According to Ready.gov here are some items that you should make sure you have or add to your First Aid Kit:

• Two pairs of Latex, or other sterile gloves (if you are allergic to Latex).
• Sterile dressings to stop bleeding.
• Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect.
• Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
• Burn ointment to prevent infection.
• Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes.
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant.
• Thermometer
• Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.
• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies.

Things it may be good to have:

• Cell Phone
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant

Non-prescription drugs:

• Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid (for upset stomach)
• Laxative

You should also consider taking a first aid course from the Red Cross and you can also purchase a pocket guide to first aid such as the one we mentioned and reviewed by Nuru

Millions Seized At United States and Mexican Border Since March 1st

The DHS put out a Press Release today to announce the seizure of Millions of dollars headed across the border.

See the full DHS Press Release.

Partial Statement from the Press Release below:

On March 6, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Texas assisted the Laredo Police Department in the seizure of $1.2 million in U.S. currency hidden in rolls of carpet inside a tractor-trailer driving southbound on Interstate Highway 35. On March 3, CBP officers worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to act on an anonymous tip and intercept a southbound SUV with Mexico plates, and found a non-factory compartment made of steel and wrapped with lead containing $1.45 million U.S. currency concealed in the roof of the vehicle. And on March 1, CBP officers conducting outbound operations selected an SUV for inspection and discovered $561,132 hidden in the spare tire and inside a powdered detergent box.

“Our agents and officers, working together with local law enforcement agencies, are preventing millions of dollars from crossing the border into Mexico,” said Secretary Napolitano. “In stopping the funds that fuel the drug war, we will stifle cartel activity in the United States while helping our neighbors to the south by cracking down on illegal cash before it gets there.”

Just yesterday we posted a story on how bad and widespread the problem is. See our post: Connection Between Mexican Drug Cartels and Terrorists Clear

Connection Between Mexican Drug Cartels and Terrorists Clear

General Craig McKinley, the head of the United States National Guard said the link between terrorism and drug cartels along the United States border with Mexico is increasingly clear.

The drug cartels are supporting and funneling money to terrorist organizations according to the General, and are becoming increasingly violent.

If this statement is true, and as the situation develops it may only be a matter of time before terror groups set up bases of operations in Mexican Cities along the United States Border. In addition to increased numbers of terrorists crossing our border, we may also see the emergence of rocket attacks into the United States that are similar in nature to the rocket attacks on Israel.

It is for this reason, we cannot wait for the situation to further decline, the violence has already crossed into our Country.

When asked by Bill O’Reilly on his Fox News show if the violence was going to spread into the United States, Zapata County Sheriff Sigi Gonzalez said; “I’m not going to say it’s coming, I’m saying it’s already here.”

U.S. Representative Lamar Smith recently said the rise in violence along the border “has turned some American communities and neighborhoods into the Wild West." He added that “a battle is building on the border, and U.S. citizens are getting caught in the crossfire.... Congress must address the violence before more lives are lost."