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Jesse
Jackson confident Enron will distribute checks
HOUSTON
(AP) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson emerged from a meeting Thursday
with Enron Corp.’s interim chief executive confident the company
will issue a new round of checks to laid off employees soon.
A
Manhattan federal bankruptcy judge this week approved $1,100 in
emergency payments to each of the 4,500 workers laid off after Enron
declared bankruptcy Dec. 2. The company has said the checks will
be distributed with “deliberate speed.”
Jackson
said after a brief meeting with Enron head and restructuring expert
Stephen Cooper that he would now push for freeing up as much as
$30,000 per former employee in severance pay. Cooper told The Associated
Press this week he likely would not support further payments.
“It
(the total fund) could be $75 million, or it could be zero,”
said Jackson, accompanied by Democratic state Sen. Rodney Ellis.
“There will be a settlement reached in time.”
Thousands
of rank-and-file Enron workers were let go days after energy traders
and other key
employees split $105 million in pre-bankruptcy retention bonuses
that will be studied by the court.
Baby
found in garage was killed shortly after birth
MIDLAND
(AP) — A dead infant found in a Midland woman’s garage
last week was killed just after birth, according to a preliminary
autopsy report.
Stephanie
Jo Durham, 20, has been charged with capital murder. Authorities
believe she is the baby girl’s mother.
The
preliminary report from the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences
in Dallas, released Wednesday, listed the cause of death as homicidal
violence. Forensic doctors have not said how the full-term baby
was killed.
The
newborn was placed in a gym bag. Durham’s boyfriend found the
baby Feb. 27 while the couple was moving and reported it to police.
Durham,
who remained in the Midland County Jail on Thursday on $100,000
bail, has two other children, an 18-month-old and a 3-year-old.
Those children were taken into Child Protective Services custody
after Durham’s arrest last week.
U
of Mass. RAs vote to form first undergraduate union AMHERST,
Mass. (U-WIRE)— Resident assistants and community development
assistants at University of Massachusetts-Amherst voted 138-88 to
form the first undergraduate labor union in the country.
The
University has seven days to challenge the results of the election.
“We’re
disappointed at the result. I think the vote showed that a lot of
people are actually not in favor of a union; 88 votes is a significant
number," said Javier Cevallos, vice chancellor for Student
Affairs. “We’ll take a few days to assess the situation
and think about it and then we’ll decide what the next steps
are going to be.”
The
RA union will be affiliated with United Auto Workers Local 2322.
“We're
very excited, and we feel as though that the RA's have spoken that
they want a union once again like they did when they signed the
original petition," said Tim Scott, a union organizer. “We
look forward to sitting down and having RA's bargain a good contract
to improve their working conditions.”
Austin
festival kicks off with films, music and more
AUSTIN
(AP) — The South by Southwest festivals open Friday with movie
debuts and Hollywood stars in the city that bills itself as the
“live music capital of the world.”
What
began 16 years ago as a platform for struggling musicians hoping
to be discovered has grown into one of the industry’s most
popular events, incorporating film screenings, multimedia shows
and educational panels. The events bring together bands, filmmakers,
industry executives and journalists.
“It’s
a real smorgasbord of bands and movies that people get a chance
to sample in a relatively short period of time,” said South
by Southwest co-founder and managing director Roland Swenson.
The
SXSW Film Conference and Festival, running through Tuesday, presents
new independent films as well as works from established directors.
The
music festival — considered the heart of the annual event —
kicks off Wednesday with the 20th annual Austin Music Awards. Performances
are to include Asleep At The Wheel, Sixpence None the Richer and
a memorial tribute to Austin musician Carroll DesChamps “Champ”
Hood.
During
the five-day music event, nearly 1,000 performers of genres from
hip-hop to alternative country will perform at 50 venues ranging
from small pubs to a free outdoor stage.
Limited
expansion planned for Dallas Love Field airport
DALLAS
(AP) — Federal regulators have approved limited expansion and
other improvements at Dallas Love Field, including an old terminal’s
demolition.
Approval
of the master plan for the close-in Dallas airport came this week
from the U.S. Transportation Department and last week from the Federal
Aviation Administration.
The
master plan also addresses noise, traffic and air pollution issues
at the airport.
Last
year, the Dallas City Council approved a $147 million master plan
for upgrading the airport and, in effect, capping flights at the
city-owned facility.
The
city’s master plan restricts the airport, which now has 26
gates, to 32. That restriction would control the number of takeoffs
and landings.
About
half of Love Field’s east concourse will be torn down to make
way for a new cargo terminal. Gwyn said Fort Worth-based American
Airlines and Continental Express will retain leases to five gates
on the east concourse.
Gwyn
expects demolition to begin in a week to 10 days.The master plan
also includes provisions to improve the road system and monitors
for noise and pollution.
South
Padre economy set for Spring Break tourism boost
AUSTIN(U-WIRE)
— A freak accident jinxed South Padre Island days after the
worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but island businesses soon
may have a charm in spring break.
A
portion of the 2.5-mile link between the island and the mainland—the
Queen Isabella Causeway— collapsed Sept. 15 when a tugboat
slammed into it, killing eight people. The bridge collapse cut off
traffic to the island and halted end-of-season tourism.
As
the rest of the U.S. travel industry braced for the aftereffects
of a post-Sept. 11 economy, Padre staggered from a double whammy—
even if Americans had been traveling, they couldn't have made it
to the island.
The
causeway reopened Nov. 21, and spring break will initiate its first
tourism season since the collapse. July and August are the island’s
busiest months, but the spring break surge launches the season.
U
of Michigan union still planning March 11 strike
ANN
ARBOR, Mich.(U-WIRE) — Despite withdrawing four minor proposals
during its contract bargaining session with University of Michigan,
the Graduate Employees Organization still plans to go ahead with
Monday’s one-day walk-out, pending a negative vote from the
membership or great progress at Thursday’s bargaining session,
GEO chief negotiator and Rackham student Alyssa Picard said.
In-depth
planning for the walk-out took place after Tuesday night’s
bargaining session.
GEO
President Cedric de Leon said the strike would need at least 470
picketers in order to surround those areas, and at that number each
supporter would need to picket for four hours.
GEO
members said they will continue to push for a clause against bottom-line
budgeting in the contract. Some considered putting it under a discrimination
clause by arguing bottom-line budgeting discriminates against GSIs
who have to pay higher tuitions.
But
many union members voiced concern over that possibility.
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