Workforce and Labor
My coverage of workforce and labor issues has focused on higher education, local government, the U.S. Postal Service, and Fortune 500 companies such as Goodyear and FirstEnergy.
I reported extensively on faculty unions’ collective bargaining negotiations at the University of Akron and Kent State University during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I chronicled the opening of an Amazon distribution center in Akron and an uptick in hiring from GOJO, the maker of Purell, as a result of increased demand due to the pandemic.
University of Akron approves new six-year contract with faculty union (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | March 1, 2021)
Akron mayor decries USPS delays, calls on postmaster general to reopen city’s mail processing center (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | December 23, 2020)
Kent State to offer second round of voluntary buyouts for faculty due to pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | December 1, 2020)
Amazon opens distribution center at former Rolling Acres Mall in Akron (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | November 10, 2020)
Akron to install rubber worker statue downtown in November; commemorative bricks available for purchase (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | October 6, 2020)
Arbitrator sides with University of Akron in layoff of nearly 100 union faculty (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | September 18, 2020)
Amazon hiring 1,500 for Rolling Acres distribution facility in Akron (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | September 18, 2020)
University of Akron, faculty union file briefs in arbitration over layoffs (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | September 7, 2020)
Goodyear amends policy against political attire to allow employees to show support for law enforcement (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 20, 2020)
Akron workers, elected officials rally in support of Goodyear after President Donald Trump called for boycott (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 20, 2020)
Goodyear responds to backlash from Trump tweet, acknowledges that ‘we ask’ employees not to wear political attire (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 19, 2020)
President Donald Trump calls for boycott of Akron-based Goodyear tires after reports of policy prohibiting MAGA, ‘Blue Lives Matter’ attire (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 19, 2020)
Some mail in Northeast Ohio has been delayed weeks, gone undelivered to some neighborhoods due to cuts to Postal Service, letter carriers say (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 18, 2020)
University of Akron could pay more than $400,000 for two former presidents to teach during budget crisis (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 17, 2020)
University of Akron trustees approve budget with $44 million in cuts (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 12, 2020)
University of Akron faculty union rejects proposed contract that included layoffs (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 5, 2020)
University of Akron cuts 178 jobs as part of cost-saving measures due to coronavirus pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 15, 2020)
University of Akron, faculty union spar over funding for athletics (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 6, 2020)
University of Akron professors rally in support of faculty union during contract negotiations (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 2, 2020)
University of Akron’s plan to cut costs includes ‘substantial’ job cuts, president says (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 30, 2020)
What does the coronavirus pandemic mean for women in the workforce? Top Workplaces 2020 (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 28, 2020)
GOJO, maker of Purell, to open $25 million production facility in Maple Heights (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 9, 2020)
University of Akron trustees approve plan to consolidate colleges to cut costs due to coronavirus pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 29, 2020)
Rubber worker statue to be installed in downtown Akron in early September (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 28, 2020)
University of Akron may lay off faculty, cut pay, union says (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 21, 2020)
University of Akron releases revised plan for eliminating six colleges as cost-saving measure due to coronavirus crisis (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 20, 2020)
University of Akron releases plan for shifting from 11 colleges to five (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 7, 2020)
Kent State’s Board of Trustees approves employee pay cuts, buyouts to cut expenses during coronavirus pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 6, 2020)
GOJO Industries, maker of Purell, to open warehouse in Stark County for sanitizers in high demand due to coronavirus crisis (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 6, 2020)
Kent State University’s Board of Trustees to meet Wednesday to discuss employee pay cuts, buyouts (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 5, 2020)
University of Akron to eliminate six of 11 colleges as part of cost-saving measures due to coronavirus pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 4, 2020)
Some furloughed Akron employees to return to work Monday as city braces for 20-35% drop in revenue due to coronavirus pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | April 29, 2020)