[Seattle-editorial] FEATURE PROPOSALS: Offshoring Tech Jobs etc.

[Jason Reep]

thumbs up

jonathan lawson wrote:

> [note == 3 separate features]
>
> subtitle: OFFSHORING TECH JOBS
> title: Microsoft Plans Largest-ever Lay-off of Full-time Employees
>
> As Microsoft prepares a massive relocation of telephone support jobs 
> to India and Canada, U.S. employees expect the company to eliminate 
> hundreds of jobs from call centers in Dallas, Issaquah and Charlotte, 
> NC, shifting the work offshore. Earlier this year, Microsoft officials 
> specifically denied that they would lay off workers or transfer work 
> offshore, although those claims are contradicted by recent comments by 
> Microsoft management, as well as by an <a 
> href="http://www.washtech.org/docs/html_ppts/01.php">internal 
> Microsoft campaign</a> encouraging divisions to cut costs by shifting 
> work to India.
> <a 
> href="http://www.washtech.org/wt/news/industry/display.php?ID_Content=4585">Read 
> the whole story.</a>
>
> <p>On a related note, Bill Gates and free software theorist Richard 
> Stallman have both crisscrossed India in recent months; soon 
> large-scale IT infrastructure projects will dramatically expand 
> computing access throughout India, bringing Internet access  millions 
> across India. Gates would like them to be using Windows--but there's 
> also a very strong Free Software Movement resisting the 
> Microsoft-ization of Indian computing. For information, see:<br>
> <a 
> href="http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20021209/indcomp1.shtml">Windows 
> vs. open source in India</a> | <a 
> href="http://www.symonds.net/~fsug-kochi/mass-memo.html">Kerala 
> activists protest placing of Windows computers in public schools</a> |
> <a href="http://www.fsf.org.in/">Free Software Foundation India</a>
>
>
>
> subtitle: MEDIA DIVERSITY IN SEATTLE
> title: Citizens Group Fights to Keep Seattle a Two-Newspaper Town
>
> The newly-formed <a href="http://www.twonewspapertown.org">Committee 
> for a Two- Newspaper Town</a> has filed a motion to intervene in a 
> lawsuit between the owners of Seattle's two daily newspapers. The 
> group, a coalition of community, political and labor leaders and 
> activists, hopes to protect the Joint Operating Agreement which has 
> kept both papers in print for the past twenty years.
>
> In April, the Hearst Corporation (owners of the Post-Intelligencer) 
> filed suit to prevent the Times from dissolving the JOA and shuttering 
> the P-I. The Times countered April 29 by saying it had lost money for 
> three years and needed to close the P-I to return to profitability. 
> The new Committee's intervention takes aim at a provision of the JOA 
> that would pay Hearst 32 percent of the Times' profits for 80 years if 
> it closes the P-I. The group contends that this provision may be an 
> illegal restraint of trade. The group also argues that the Times has 
> breached the JOA contract by asserting it has had three years' worth 
> of losses. Finally, by intervening in the suit, the Committee 
> guarantees itself a seat at the table for any discussions of a 
> settlement between Hearst and the Times.
> <a 
> href="http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/stories.php?story=03/07/01/4256550">
> Read the full story</a>.
>
> <p><a href="http://www.twonewspapertown.comCommittee for a 
> Two-Newspaper Town</s> | <a href="http://www.nwguild.org">Pacific 
> Northwest Newspaper Guild </a>
>
>
> subtitle: MEDIA ACTIVISM
> title: Community Media and Social Change: Tacoma, July 9-12
>
> On July 9-12, the <a href="http://www.alliancecm.org">Alliance for 
> Community Media</a> will hold its annual conference in Tacoma. It's a 
> great opportunity for Northwest community video producers to meet 
> colleagues from across the country, and to attend seminars and 
> workshops on production techniques, media literacy, funding challenges 
> and public policy related to community media.
>
> <p>This year's conference features a special <a 
> href="http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/socialchangemedia.php">Community 
> Media and Social Change</a> track, in which grassroots producers, 
> media activists and educators can consider their role in the media 
> democracy movement and other social justice struggles. Topics include 
> youth media production, media ownership reform and cable franchise 
> negotiation challenges. Presenters represent a broad range of media 
> and activist groups: <a href="http://www.colorsnw.com/">Colors 
> Northwest</a>, <a href="http://www.hatefreezone.org/">Hate Free 
> Zone</a>, the Independent Media Center, <a 
> href="http://kbcs.fm">KBCS</a>, <a 
> href="http://www.mediatank.org">Media Tank</a>, <a 
> href="http://www.reclaimthemedia.org">Reclaim the Media</a> and <a 
> href="http://www.cultureisaweapon.org/">Third World Majority</a>, 
> among others.
>
> <p><a href="http://www.reclaimthemedia.org">Reclaim the Media</a>
>
>
>
>
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