This Illinois company was just sold for $3 billion, but hundreds of employees are getting a cut. Some will get $800,000
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune
Tue, May 17, 2022, 10:15 AM·4 min read
When private equity firm KKR announced the $3 billion sale Monday of C.H.I. Overhead Doors to steel company Nucor, it created a windfall for hundreds of hourly workers at the plant in tiny Arthur, Illinois, who will receive between $20,000 and $800,000 each when the transaction closes.
The deal represents a huge return on investment for KKR, which bought the garage door manufacturer for $600 million in 2015. For employees, who were vested with equity in the company at no charge, the sale is potentially life-changing.
“I had no idea that was going to be this big of a deal,” said Rhonda Jamison, 60, office manager at C.H.I. Overhead Doors.
Jamison, a 17-year veteran of the garage door company, learned about the sale and her six-figure payout at an all-employee meeting last week. The payouts vary based on seniority and salary, with some long-tenured truck drivers — the highest-paid hourly workers — hauling home upward of $800,000 from the sale.
More than 630 hourly workers and truck drivers will receive an average of $180,000 through the sale, the company said.
Located in Arthur, a village of about 2,100 residents south of Champaign, Illinois, the 41-year-old company makes garage doors for commercial and residential use. When KKR bought the company in 2015, it allowed all 800 workers — including salaried employees — to participate in the stock ownership plan as a free benefit.
Employees who earned more than $100,000 per year were also allowed to invest their own money into the stock plan.
The program has been rolled out by New York-based KKR at 25 companies in its portfolio since 2011. The garage door manufacturer, which generated KKR’s highest return on investment in more than 30 years, proved the value of the equity plan for both ownership and employees.
“We do it because obviously it’s good for the workers,” said Pete Stavros, 47, co-head of private equity at KKR and chairman of C.H.I. Overhead Doors. “And it turns out, it’s also smart business. It leads to a more engaged, stable, financially resilient, less likely to quit workforce, which yields better outcomes for companies and investors.”
Stavros, an Arlington Heights native whose dad was a union road grader with a Chicago construction company, developed the model for vesting hourly employees with equity ownership at no cost. In addition to an ownership stake, employees were allocated $1 million per year for enhancing the factory, investing in everything from air conditioning to new break rooms and a cafeteria.
Productivity flourished, Stavros said, with revenue growing by 120% and the earnings margin increasing from 21% to 35% during KKR’s ownership of C.H.I.
Last month, Stavros helped launch a nonprofit, Ownership Works, to help proliferate the employee ownership model at more companies.
Founded in 1981, C.H.I. Overhead Doors is the largest employer in Arthur, which is about three hours south of Chicago. The manufacturer, which has had four private equity owners during the new millennium, plans to continue its operations at the same location under the new owner, Nucor, a North Carolina-based steel producer.
The sale, which is expected to close in June, pending regulatory approval, will generate more than $360 million in payouts for 800 employees. Hourly employees will receive about $114 million of the proceeds, while salaried employees will get about $250 million, the company said.
When Stavros announced the deal in front of about 400 employees last Wednesday, with potential payouts projected on a large screen, Jamison and her co-workers were overwhelmed by the news.
“The whole crowd went crazy,” Jamison said. “Grown men were crying. I just about fainted.”
Jamison, who lives in nearby Atwood, Illinois, will receive “several hundred thousand dollars” from the sale. She plans to pay off her home mortgage and several loans, and use some of the proceeds from the sale to help a grandson with special needs.
She doesn’t plan to quit work anytime soon, however.
“There’s no reason for me to leave,” Jamison said. “I want to stay as long as they’ll have me.”
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Environmentalists oppose more life for California nuke plant
FILE - This Nov. 3, 2008 file photo shows one of Pacific Gas and Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors in Avila Beach, Calif. Facing possible electricity shortages, California Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the state's sole remaining nuclear power plant might continue operating beyond a planned closing by 2025, an idea that could revive a decades-old fight over earthquake safety at the site. Dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear groups are opposing an extension of the plant's life.
FILE - This Nov. 3, 2008 file photo shows one of Pacific Gas and Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors in Avila Beach, Calif. Facing possible electricity shortages, California Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the state's sole remaining nuclear power plant might continue operating beyond a planned closing by 2025, an idea that could revive a decades-old fight over earthquake safety at the site. Dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear groups are opposing an extension of the plant's life.
(AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)
MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Tue, May 17, 2022
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear organizations expressed opposition Tuesday to any attempt to extend the life of California’s last operating nuclear power plant, challenging suggestions that its electricity is needed to meet potential future shortages in the nation's most populous state.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant — which sits on a coastal bluff halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles — could keep running beyond a scheduled closing by 2025. His office said the governor is in favor of “keeping all options on the table to ensure we have a reliable (electricity) grid.”
In a letter to Newsom, groups that included San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, the Oregon Conservancy Foundation, the Snake River Alliance and the Ohio Nuclear Free Network said the plant is old, unsafe and too close to earthquake faults that pose a threat to the twin reactors.
“Your suggestion to extend the operational life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility is an outrage,” they wrote. “Diablo Canyon is dangerous, dirty and expensive. It must retire as planned.”
The Democratic governor has no direct authority over the operating license for the plant. He floated the idea that owner Pacific Gas & Electric could seek a share of $6 billion in federal funding the Biden administration established to rescue nuclear plants at risk of closing.
PG&E, which in 2016 decided to shutter the plant by 2025, did not directly address Newsom’s suggestion at the time or say whether the company would consider seeking federal dollars to remain open beyond the scheduled closing.
PG&E announced the closing plan in 2016 as part of a deal with environmentalists and union workers, citing a “recognition that California’s new energy policies will significantly reduce the need for Diablo Canyon’s electricity output.” But Newsom’s suggestion highlights that the thinking has shifted, as the state looks for reliable power sources amid a changing global climate as California gradually shifts to solar, wind and other renewables.
Recently, state officials warned that extended drought, extreme heat and wildfires — paired with supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry — will create challenges for energy reliability this summer and into coming years.
The environmental groups argued that continuing to operate the plant beyond its scheduled closing would generate hundreds of tons of highly radioactive waste, with no permanent storage site for it. And they said state, by its own account, is lining up enough wind, solar and other renewables to replace Diablo's electricity.
They also questioned whether any federal funds would be enough to unravel the complex deal to close Diablo Canyon, which is regulated by state and federal agencies.
Issues in play at Diablo Canyon range from a long-running debate over the ability of structures to withstand earthquakes — one fault runs 650 yards (594 meters) from the reactors — to the possibility PG&E might be ordered by state regulators to spend potentially billions of dollars to modify or replace the plant’s cooling system, which sucks up ocean water and has been blamed for killing fish and other marine life.
Newsom continues to support closure of the plant “in the long term” as the state moves to renewable energy.
There are 55 commercial nuclear power plants with 93 nuclear reactors in 28 U.S. states. Nuclear power provides about 20% of electricity in the U.S., or about half the nation’s carbon-free energy.
MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Tue, May 17, 2022
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear organizations expressed opposition Tuesday to any attempt to extend the life of California’s last operating nuclear power plant, challenging suggestions that its electricity is needed to meet potential future shortages in the nation's most populous state.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant — which sits on a coastal bluff halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles — could keep running beyond a scheduled closing by 2025. His office said the governor is in favor of “keeping all options on the table to ensure we have a reliable (electricity) grid.”
In a letter to Newsom, groups that included San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, the Oregon Conservancy Foundation, the Snake River Alliance and the Ohio Nuclear Free Network said the plant is old, unsafe and too close to earthquake faults that pose a threat to the twin reactors.
“Your suggestion to extend the operational life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility is an outrage,” they wrote. “Diablo Canyon is dangerous, dirty and expensive. It must retire as planned.”
The Democratic governor has no direct authority over the operating license for the plant. He floated the idea that owner Pacific Gas & Electric could seek a share of $6 billion in federal funding the Biden administration established to rescue nuclear plants at risk of closing.
PG&E, which in 2016 decided to shutter the plant by 2025, did not directly address Newsom’s suggestion at the time or say whether the company would consider seeking federal dollars to remain open beyond the scheduled closing.
PG&E announced the closing plan in 2016 as part of a deal with environmentalists and union workers, citing a “recognition that California’s new energy policies will significantly reduce the need for Diablo Canyon’s electricity output.” But Newsom’s suggestion highlights that the thinking has shifted, as the state looks for reliable power sources amid a changing global climate as California gradually shifts to solar, wind and other renewables.
Recently, state officials warned that extended drought, extreme heat and wildfires — paired with supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry — will create challenges for energy reliability this summer and into coming years.
The environmental groups argued that continuing to operate the plant beyond its scheduled closing would generate hundreds of tons of highly radioactive waste, with no permanent storage site for it. And they said state, by its own account, is lining up enough wind, solar and other renewables to replace Diablo's electricity.
They also questioned whether any federal funds would be enough to unravel the complex deal to close Diablo Canyon, which is regulated by state and federal agencies.
Issues in play at Diablo Canyon range from a long-running debate over the ability of structures to withstand earthquakes — one fault runs 650 yards (594 meters) from the reactors — to the possibility PG&E might be ordered by state regulators to spend potentially billions of dollars to modify or replace the plant’s cooling system, which sucks up ocean water and has been blamed for killing fish and other marine life.
Newsom continues to support closure of the plant “in the long term” as the state moves to renewable energy.
There are 55 commercial nuclear power plants with 93 nuclear reactors in 28 U.S. states. Nuclear power provides about 20% of electricity in the U.S., or about half the nation’s carbon-free energy.
'Ice Age Footprints' features the monumental discovery at White Sands
Adrian Gomez, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Wed, May 18, 2022
May 18—Kirk Johnson knows the history of the terrain in New Mexico.
He should, he's an archaeologist.
Yet, when he heard about footprints being found at White Sands National Monument in 2019, a light bulb went off.
"I called NOVA and told them about it," Johnson says. "I was at a conference and I heard David Bustos talking about it. It blew me away."
After a few years of working on the project, Johnson finished the one-hour documentary, "Ice Age Footprints." It will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, on New Mexico PBS and stream on the PBS Video app.
The documentary follows archaeologists as they investigate remarkable ancient footprints found in White Sands National Park.
For the first time, scientists date the footprints, and if confirmed, their results would indicate that humans were present in North America much earlier than archaeologists previously thought.
The footprints include tracks from 13-foot-tall mammoths, huge ground sloths, packs of dire wolves and camels.
Alongside them, though, is something even rarer — footprints of humans that have been buried for thousands of years and are gradually being exposed by wind erosion.
Johnson says the film uses immersive 3D graphics to bring viewers face to face with some of the magnificent creatures that roamed North America during the last Ice Age — animals that went extinct more than 10,000 years ago — while revealing an untold story of human history on the continent.
Johnson, who is the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, spent a few weeks in New Mexico to capture the work of a team of archaeologists and other scientists led by Bustos, White Sands National Park resource program manager, as they try to unlock the secrets of these extraordinary prints before they erode to dust.
He says one fascinating set of footprints excavated by forensic footprint expert Matthew Bennett tells the story of an individual making a journey and then coming back later the same day. Forensic analysis of the prints shows the person was in a hurry, and — as revealed by a set of much smaller tracks at one point along the path — they were carrying a child.
Later, their track is crossed by the prints of an enormous ground sloth, which appears to rear up on its hind legs — possibly to sniff the air as it detects humans — a scene that reveals just how close humans and Ice Age animals came to one another.
"The footprints are so striking because they seem so dynamic," said Chris Schmidt, NOVA co-executive producer. "It's so easy to reach across time and picture these people and their families moving through the land and interacting with the living world around them."
Johnson says mainstream archaeology community holds that humans first arrived in North America about 13,000 years ago.
More recently, evidence pushed that date to around 2,000 years earlier.
Many scientists argued that they could not have arrived sooner, because much of the continent was covered with massive ice sheets.
With the White Sands footprints, that could be challenging that story.
Scientists Jeff Pigati and Kathleen Springer are also pulled into the journey as they use radiocarbon dating on ancient seeds found buried between the footprints and find that the footprints were made between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago.
Pigati and Springer were amazed.
"With every layer, we found more tracks," Johnson says. "It was amazing."
While the dramatic findings may be surprising for some scientists, for many Indigenous people, they are confirmation of long-held beliefs.
"The tribes talk about going way back. We all talk about having been here forever," explains archaeologist Joe Watkins, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, in the film. "We have the evidence. It really does put our footprints firmly into the past here in North America. These are our relatives."
ON TV
The one-hour documentary, "Ice Age Footprints." It will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, on New Mexico PBS and stream on the PBS Video app
Adrian Gomez, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Wed, May 18, 2022
May 18—Kirk Johnson knows the history of the terrain in New Mexico.
He should, he's an archaeologist.
Yet, when he heard about footprints being found at White Sands National Monument in 2019, a light bulb went off.
"I called NOVA and told them about it," Johnson says. "I was at a conference and I heard David Bustos talking about it. It blew me away."
After a few years of working on the project, Johnson finished the one-hour documentary, "Ice Age Footprints." It will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, on New Mexico PBS and stream on the PBS Video app.
The documentary follows archaeologists as they investigate remarkable ancient footprints found in White Sands National Park.
For the first time, scientists date the footprints, and if confirmed, their results would indicate that humans were present in North America much earlier than archaeologists previously thought.
The footprints include tracks from 13-foot-tall mammoths, huge ground sloths, packs of dire wolves and camels.
Alongside them, though, is something even rarer — footprints of humans that have been buried for thousands of years and are gradually being exposed by wind erosion.
Johnson says the film uses immersive 3D graphics to bring viewers face to face with some of the magnificent creatures that roamed North America during the last Ice Age — animals that went extinct more than 10,000 years ago — while revealing an untold story of human history on the continent.
Johnson, who is the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, spent a few weeks in New Mexico to capture the work of a team of archaeologists and other scientists led by Bustos, White Sands National Park resource program manager, as they try to unlock the secrets of these extraordinary prints before they erode to dust.
He says one fascinating set of footprints excavated by forensic footprint expert Matthew Bennett tells the story of an individual making a journey and then coming back later the same day. Forensic analysis of the prints shows the person was in a hurry, and — as revealed by a set of much smaller tracks at one point along the path — they were carrying a child.
Later, their track is crossed by the prints of an enormous ground sloth, which appears to rear up on its hind legs — possibly to sniff the air as it detects humans — a scene that reveals just how close humans and Ice Age animals came to one another.
"The footprints are so striking because they seem so dynamic," said Chris Schmidt, NOVA co-executive producer. "It's so easy to reach across time and picture these people and their families moving through the land and interacting with the living world around them."
Johnson says mainstream archaeology community holds that humans first arrived in North America about 13,000 years ago.
More recently, evidence pushed that date to around 2,000 years earlier.
Many scientists argued that they could not have arrived sooner, because much of the continent was covered with massive ice sheets.
With the White Sands footprints, that could be challenging that story.
Scientists Jeff Pigati and Kathleen Springer are also pulled into the journey as they use radiocarbon dating on ancient seeds found buried between the footprints and find that the footprints were made between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago.
Pigati and Springer were amazed.
"With every layer, we found more tracks," Johnson says. "It was amazing."
While the dramatic findings may be surprising for some scientists, for many Indigenous people, they are confirmation of long-held beliefs.
"The tribes talk about going way back. We all talk about having been here forever," explains archaeologist Joe Watkins, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, in the film. "We have the evidence. It really does put our footprints firmly into the past here in North America. These are our relatives."
ON TV
The one-hour documentary, "Ice Age Footprints." It will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, on New Mexico PBS and stream on the PBS Video app
ABOLISH THE MONARCHY
Prince Charles faces backlash over refusal to apologise for historic genocide in CanadaAndy Wells
·Freelance Writer
Thu, May 19, 2022
Prince Charles refused to apologise on behalf of the Queen for historic genocide in Canada.
(Paul Chiasson/AFP/Getty)
Prince Charles’ official trip to Canada has sparked a row after he failed to apologise on behalf of the Queen and the royal family for historic genocide in the country.
The country is dealing with a national scandal stretching back decades that saw thousands of indigenous children die or be abused in the residential school system, with hundreds of human remains discovered last year at former church-run schools.
In a speech during the first day of his tour of Canada with the Duchess of Cornwall, Charles pledged to listen and learn from Canadians embarking on a process of reconciliation to “come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past”.
When the couple first arrived in the country they visited a Heart Garden in the east coast settlement of St John’s, dedicated to the victims of the residential school scandal, and met survivors during a ceremony of remembrance in the open space.
Prince Charles’ official trip to Canada has sparked a row after he failed to apologise on behalf of the Queen and the royal family for historic genocide in the country.
The country is dealing with a national scandal stretching back decades that saw thousands of indigenous children die or be abused in the residential school system, with hundreds of human remains discovered last year at former church-run schools.
In a speech during the first day of his tour of Canada with the Duchess of Cornwall, Charles pledged to listen and learn from Canadians embarking on a process of reconciliation to “come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past”.
When the couple first arrived in the country they visited a Heart Garden in the east coast settlement of St John’s, dedicated to the victims of the residential school scandal, and met survivors during a ceremony of remembrance in the open space.
Prince Charles, pictured with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, pledged to listen and learn from Canadians embarking on a process of reconciliation.
(Chris Jackson/Getty)
RoseAnne Archibald, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, appealed directly to Charles for an apology from the monarch during a reception in the Canadian capital where many leading figures from the country’s indigenous community were invited, along with prime minister Justin Trudeau and other prominent individuals.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby recently visited Canada and apologised for the “terrible crime” of the Anglican Church’s involvement in the country’s residential schools – and for his church’s “grievous sins” against the indigenous peoples of Canada.
Pope Francis plans to visit Canada this summer to apologise for the abuse suffered by indigenous people at the hands of the Catholic Church.
Watch: Charles aiming to 'come to terms' with Canada's dark past
We're going to back up.
However, Charles would not apologise for the “assimilation and genocide”, but instead “acknowledged” failures by Canadian governments in handling the relationship between the Crown and indigenous people which “really meant something”.
Archibald said: “I asked for an apology from his mother the Queen, the head of the Anglican church, for whatever happened in the institutions of assimilation and genocide. I also asked for an apology for the failures of the Crown in that relationship that we have with them, in our treaty relationship with them.
“One of the things that he did say about the relationship was that he recognised there had been failures by those who are responsible for that relationship with the Crown and I thought that was a really, not a surprising thing that he said, but that kind of acknowledgement really meant something.”
RoseAnne Archibald, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, appealed directly to Charles for an apology from the monarch during a reception in the Canadian capital where many leading figures from the country’s indigenous community were invited, along with prime minister Justin Trudeau and other prominent individuals.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby recently visited Canada and apologised for the “terrible crime” of the Anglican Church’s involvement in the country’s residential schools – and for his church’s “grievous sins” against the indigenous peoples of Canada.
Pope Francis plans to visit Canada this summer to apologise for the abuse suffered by indigenous people at the hands of the Catholic Church.
Watch: Charles aiming to 'come to terms' with Canada's dark past
We're going to back up.
However, Charles would not apologise for the “assimilation and genocide”, but instead “acknowledged” failures by Canadian governments in handling the relationship between the Crown and indigenous people which “really meant something”.
Archibald said: “I asked for an apology from his mother the Queen, the head of the Anglican church, for whatever happened in the institutions of assimilation and genocide. I also asked for an apology for the failures of the Crown in that relationship that we have with them, in our treaty relationship with them.
“One of the things that he did say about the relationship was that he recognised there had been failures by those who are responsible for that relationship with the Crown and I thought that was a really, not a surprising thing that he said, but that kind of acknowledgement really meant something.”
Hundreds of women participated in the annual Red Dress Day march in downtown Edmonton, commemorating the lives of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls across Canada. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty)
A participant holds a placard with words 'Stolen Lives On Stolen Land' on the Red Dress Day march. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty)
However, Archibald said the acknowledgement was “not enough” and that an apology “will just be one step on the road to healing for First Nations”.
She presented Charles with statements from two indigenous leaders highlighting claims that promises enshrined in treaties between their people and the Crown had not been honoured and asking for their grievances to be addressed.
A sign hounours missing children of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School on the grounds of the former residential school, in Brantford, Canada.
(Cole Burston/AFP/Getty)
Cassidy Caron, Metis National Council president, who had said before the event she would also raise the question of an apology from the Queen, said Charles was “listening” and “acknowledging” what had happened in Canada’s past which was “very important” for the country
Caron, who represents the Metis, a distinct indigenous people, originally the offspring of Indian women and European fur traders, said: “It might not have been so much of looking for the words of an apology, but in our culture it’s important to acknowledge what has happened in the past. Acknowledge the roles that individuals and institutions might have played in colonisation.
“And in the last day I have really truly seen that Prince Charles is listening and is acknowledging what has taken place in Canada’s past and that’s very important here in Canada as we continue to move forward.”
Cassidy Caron, Metis National Council president, who had said before the event she would also raise the question of an apology from the Queen, said Charles was “listening” and “acknowledging” what had happened in Canada’s past which was “very important” for the country
Caron, who represents the Metis, a distinct indigenous people, originally the offspring of Indian women and European fur traders, said: “It might not have been so much of looking for the words of an apology, but in our culture it’s important to acknowledge what has happened in the past. Acknowledge the roles that individuals and institutions might have played in colonisation.
“And in the last day I have really truly seen that Prince Charles is listening and is acknowledging what has taken place in Canada’s past and that’s very important here in Canada as we continue to move forward.”
Prince Charles Addresses U.K.'s 'Dark' and 'Difficult' Colonial Past in Canada amid Calls for an Apology
Stephanie Petit
Tue, May 17, 2022
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the Confederation Building on day one of the Platinum Jubilee Royal Tour of Canada on May 17, 2022 in Saint John's, Canada. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are visiting for three days from 17th to 19th May 2022. The tour forms part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Prince Charles
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have arrived in Canada — and the royal heir wasted no time in addressing the need to "come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past."
Prince Charles, 73, gave a speech at the Confederation Building shortly after landing, thanking Canadians for their warm welcome as they kick off a three-day tour in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, as Canada is one of the 14 countries outside of the U.K. where the Queen is head of state.
"It is with the greatest respect that both my wife and I begin our visit to these homelands that have been lived in and cared for by Indigenous peoples — First Nations, Métis and Inuit — for thousands of years," he began.
Prince Charles said he had spoken with the Governor-General about the "vital process" of reconciliation in the wake of the mistreatment of Indigenous people of the region, particularly the children who were forcibly relocated from the 19th century to the 1970s by the Anglican Church — of which the Queen is the head.
RELATED: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Kick Off Their Royal Tour in Canada
Chris Jackson/Getty Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles
"As we look to our collective future, as one people sharing one planet, we must find new ways to come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past: acknowledging, reconciling and striving to do better. It is a process that starts with listening," he said. "I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to discuss with the Governor-General the vital process of reconciliation in this country – not a one-off act, of course, but an ongoing commitment to healing, respect and understanding. I know that our visit here this week comes at an important moment — with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples across Canada committing to reflect honestly and openly on the past and to forge a new relationship for the future."
He added, "As we begin this Platinum Jubilee visit, which will take us from the newest member of Confederation to among the oldest communities in the North — and to a much-storied capital at the heart of a great nation — my wife and I look forward to listening to you and learning about the future you are working to build."
Starting in the 19th century, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and enrolled in a Christian-run network of residential schools — and last year, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at the side of former residential schools for Indigenous children. The process started when Canada was still a British colony. In recent years, community leaders have called for an apology from the Anglican Church, which ran dozens of the schools until 1969.
After the speech, the royal couple took part "in a solemn moment of reflection and prayer at the Heart Garden, on the grounds of Government House, with Indigenous leaders and community members in the spirit of reconciliation," Chris Fitzgerald, Deputy Private Secretary said last month. "Heart Gardens are in memory of all Indigenous children who were lost to the residential school system, in recognition of those who survived, and the families of both."
Charles and Camilla are expected to focus on local communities, continuing a relationship the Prince of Wales has fostered over decades while on visits to Canada, during the tour.
"Throughout the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will take the opportunity to continue to engage with Indigenous communities. Over five decades, HRH continues to learn from Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world," Fitzgerald said. "[The Prince] recognizes their deep ties to the land and water and the critical traditional knowledge they hold to restore harmony between people and nature."
Jacob King/Pool/Getty Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby apologized for the "terrible crime" of the Anglican Church's involvement in the residential school system during a visit to Canada.
"I am more sorry than I can say. I am ashamed. I am horrified," Welby said after hearing stories from survivors.
In April, Pope Francis apologized for the involvement of Catholic church members.
"For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God's forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry. And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon," he said, according to Vatican News. "It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational traumas."
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade
Karwai Tang/WireImage
All eyes will be on Prince Charles and Camilla's reception by Canadians in the wake of Prince William and Kate Middleton's controversial tour of Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's visit to other Caribbean countries — both of which were met with protests over Britain's colonial past and historic role in the slave trade and questions over Queen as head of state.
During his tour of the Caribbean, William, 39, expressed his "sorrow" at the "abhorrent" history of slavery that shames the U.K. — though for some, he didn't go far enough and actually apologize.
At the end of the tour, the Duke of Cambridge released a landmark statement, reflecting on the future governance of the Caribbean nations.
"I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon," he said.
Stephanie Petit
Tue, May 17, 2022
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the Confederation Building on day one of the Platinum Jubilee Royal Tour of Canada on May 17, 2022 in Saint John's, Canada. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are visiting for three days from 17th to 19th May 2022. The tour forms part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Prince Charles
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have arrived in Canada — and the royal heir wasted no time in addressing the need to "come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past."
Prince Charles, 73, gave a speech at the Confederation Building shortly after landing, thanking Canadians for their warm welcome as they kick off a three-day tour in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, as Canada is one of the 14 countries outside of the U.K. where the Queen is head of state.
"It is with the greatest respect that both my wife and I begin our visit to these homelands that have been lived in and cared for by Indigenous peoples — First Nations, Métis and Inuit — for thousands of years," he began.
Prince Charles said he had spoken with the Governor-General about the "vital process" of reconciliation in the wake of the mistreatment of Indigenous people of the region, particularly the children who were forcibly relocated from the 19th century to the 1970s by the Anglican Church — of which the Queen is the head.
RELATED: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Kick Off Their Royal Tour in Canada
Chris Jackson/Getty Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles
"As we look to our collective future, as one people sharing one planet, we must find new ways to come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past: acknowledging, reconciling and striving to do better. It is a process that starts with listening," he said. "I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to discuss with the Governor-General the vital process of reconciliation in this country – not a one-off act, of course, but an ongoing commitment to healing, respect and understanding. I know that our visit here this week comes at an important moment — with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples across Canada committing to reflect honestly and openly on the past and to forge a new relationship for the future."
He added, "As we begin this Platinum Jubilee visit, which will take us from the newest member of Confederation to among the oldest communities in the North — and to a much-storied capital at the heart of a great nation — my wife and I look forward to listening to you and learning about the future you are working to build."
Starting in the 19th century, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and enrolled in a Christian-run network of residential schools — and last year, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at the side of former residential schools for Indigenous children. The process started when Canada was still a British colony. In recent years, community leaders have called for an apology from the Anglican Church, which ran dozens of the schools until 1969.
After the speech, the royal couple took part "in a solemn moment of reflection and prayer at the Heart Garden, on the grounds of Government House, with Indigenous leaders and community members in the spirit of reconciliation," Chris Fitzgerald, Deputy Private Secretary said last month. "Heart Gardens are in memory of all Indigenous children who were lost to the residential school system, in recognition of those who survived, and the families of both."
Charles and Camilla are expected to focus on local communities, continuing a relationship the Prince of Wales has fostered over decades while on visits to Canada, during the tour.
"Throughout the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will take the opportunity to continue to engage with Indigenous communities. Over five decades, HRH continues to learn from Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world," Fitzgerald said. "[The Prince] recognizes their deep ties to the land and water and the critical traditional knowledge they hold to restore harmony between people and nature."
Jacob King/Pool/Getty Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby apologized for the "terrible crime" of the Anglican Church's involvement in the residential school system during a visit to Canada.
"I am more sorry than I can say. I am ashamed. I am horrified," Welby said after hearing stories from survivors.
In April, Pope Francis apologized for the involvement of Catholic church members.
"For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God's forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry. And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon," he said, according to Vatican News. "It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational traumas."
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade
Karwai Tang/WireImage
All eyes will be on Prince Charles and Camilla's reception by Canadians in the wake of Prince William and Kate Middleton's controversial tour of Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's visit to other Caribbean countries — both of which were met with protests over Britain's colonial past and historic role in the slave trade and questions over Queen as head of state.
During his tour of the Caribbean, William, 39, expressed his "sorrow" at the "abhorrent" history of slavery that shames the U.K. — though for some, he didn't go far enough and actually apologize.
At the end of the tour, the Duke of Cambridge released a landmark statement, reflecting on the future governance of the Caribbean nations.
"I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon," he said.
Canadians not preoccupied with constitutional change, PM says as Prince Charles, Camilla start tour
Canadian 2022 Royal Tour of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall
Tue, May 17, 2022
By Anna Mehler Paperny and Steve Scherer
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadians are not preoccupied with constitutional change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters as Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla kicked off their Canadian tour in the eastern province of Newfoundland on Tuesday.
"When I hear from Canadians about the things they're preoccupied about, and the things they want their governments to work on, it's not about constitutional change," he said.
The three-day tour, the prince's 19th of Canada, will include the Northwest Territories and Canada's capital region, and is focused on the issues of climate change and reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
The visit is also part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth's seven decades on the throne.
An opinion poll released by the Angus Reid research group in April shows a growing share of Canadians support eventually abolishing the country's constitutional monarchy, with about 51% saying it should disappear in coming generations, up from 45% in January 2020.
Although Canada ceased being a British colony in 1867, it remained a member of the British Commonwealth, with a British-appointed governor-general acting on the monarch's behalf.
Tuesday's events were to include a smudging ceremony - an Indigenous spiritual practice that usually involves burning medicines such as sweetgrass, cedar, sage or tobacco - and a prayer in the Heart Garden in St. John's, a site that commemorates the child victims of Canada's residential schools.
Under the auspices of Canada's federal government and in the name of the Crown about 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and enrolled in abusive church-run residential schools between 1831 and 1996.
Canada was rocked last year by discoveries of what is believed to be the remains of thousands of children at or near the sites of former residential schools. Canada's government was warned of high death rates in these schools, often due to abuse or neglect, more than a century ago.
(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Canadian 2022 Royal Tour of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall
Tue, May 17, 2022
By Anna Mehler Paperny and Steve Scherer
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadians are not preoccupied with constitutional change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters as Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla kicked off their Canadian tour in the eastern province of Newfoundland on Tuesday.
"When I hear from Canadians about the things they're preoccupied about, and the things they want their governments to work on, it's not about constitutional change," he said.
The three-day tour, the prince's 19th of Canada, will include the Northwest Territories and Canada's capital region, and is focused on the issues of climate change and reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
The visit is also part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth's seven decades on the throne.
An opinion poll released by the Angus Reid research group in April shows a growing share of Canadians support eventually abolishing the country's constitutional monarchy, with about 51% saying it should disappear in coming generations, up from 45% in January 2020.
Although Canada ceased being a British colony in 1867, it remained a member of the British Commonwealth, with a British-appointed governor-general acting on the monarch's behalf.
Tuesday's events were to include a smudging ceremony - an Indigenous spiritual practice that usually involves burning medicines such as sweetgrass, cedar, sage or tobacco - and a prayer in the Heart Garden in St. John's, a site that commemorates the child victims of Canada's residential schools.
Under the auspices of Canada's federal government and in the name of the Crown about 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and enrolled in abusive church-run residential schools between 1831 and 1996.
Canada was rocked last year by discoveries of what is believed to be the remains of thousands of children at or near the sites of former residential schools. Canada's government was warned of high death rates in these schools, often due to abuse or neglect, more than a century ago.
(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FORTEAN PHENOMENA; HOLLOW EARTH
Southern China sinkhole discovered, home to towering ancient trees
Caitlin McFall
Tue, May 17, 2022
A massive sinkhole was discovered in southern China with ancient trees over 130 feet in length growing at the bottom, according to reports.
The sinkhole, one of 30 found in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, measures over 1,000 feet in length, 490 feet in width and nearly 630 feet in depth, the Xinhua news agency reported earlier this month.
MEXICO SINKHOLE PHOTOS SHOW HOUSE ON EDGE OF COLOSSAL CRATER
Photo taken on Oct. 10, 2020, shows palm trees in a Tiankeng, or giant karst sinkhole, at Luoquanyan Village in Xuan'en County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hubei Province.
FILE - Aerial Photo taken on April 19, 2020, shows the scenery of Dashiwei Tiankeng, a giant karst sinkhole, at Leye-Fengshan Global Geopark in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Leye-Fengshan Geopark was added to the UNESCO's Global Geopark List in 2010.
Southern China sinkhole discovered, home to towering ancient trees
Caitlin McFall
Tue, May 17, 2022
A massive sinkhole was discovered in southern China with ancient trees over 130 feet in length growing at the bottom, according to reports.
The sinkhole, one of 30 found in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, measures over 1,000 feet in length, 490 feet in width and nearly 630 feet in depth, the Xinhua news agency reported earlier this month.
MEXICO SINKHOLE PHOTOS SHOW HOUSE ON EDGE OF COLOSSAL CRATER
Photo taken on Oct. 10, 2020, shows palm trees in a Tiankeng, or giant karst sinkhole, at Luoquanyan Village in Xuan'en County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hubei Province.
Xinhua/Song Wen via Getty Images
Experts classified the sinkhole as "large" with three cave entrances in the chasm.
The sinkhole was formed in "karst terrain," which means rock below the surface can easily be dissolved by groundwater circulating through the bedrock, according to the U.S. Department for Interior.
The three interior caves are believed to have formed during earlier occurring erosion.
The sinkhole's bottom is lined with a "well-preserved primitive forest" with the trees growing up towards the sun, according to the local news agency.
Shade plants were reported to be growing as high as an adult's shoulders, leader of the Guangxi 702 cave expedition team, Chen Lixin, told the publication.
Experts classified the sinkhole as "large" with three cave entrances in the chasm.
The sinkhole was formed in "karst terrain," which means rock below the surface can easily be dissolved by groundwater circulating through the bedrock, according to the U.S. Department for Interior.
The three interior caves are believed to have formed during earlier occurring erosion.
The sinkhole's bottom is lined with a "well-preserved primitive forest" with the trees growing up towards the sun, according to the local news agency.
Shade plants were reported to be growing as high as an adult's shoulders, leader of the Guangxi 702 cave expedition team, Chen Lixin, told the publication.
FILE - Aerial Photo taken on April 19, 2020, shows the scenery of Dashiwei Tiankeng, a giant karst sinkhole, at Leye-Fengshan Global Geopark in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Leye-Fengshan Geopark was added to the UNESCO's Global Geopark List in 2010.
Xinhua/Zhou Hua via Getty Images
The first expedition of the cave was completed earlier this month after experts scaled down more than 300 feet and hiked for several hours before reaching the base of the sinkhole.
The discovery of the latest sinkhole is not an anomaly.
Southern China, like areas in Mexico, Peru and Australia, are home to dramatic sinkholes.
The first expedition of the cave was completed earlier this month after experts scaled down more than 300 feet and hiked for several hours before reaching the base of the sinkhole.
The discovery of the latest sinkhole is not an anomaly.
Southern China, like areas in Mexico, Peru and Australia, are home to dramatic sinkholes.
Chinese scientists find massive 630ft-deep sinkhole with an entire hidden forest inside
Stuti Mishra
Wed, May 18, 2022,
A massive 630ft-deep sinkhole has been found in China in which a stunning ancient forest range has been discovered by researchers with trees as tall as 131ft (40m) and could include species that have not been seen before.
Cave explorers came across the sinkhole near Ping’e village in Leye County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region earlier this month.
The sinkhole is 630ft (192m) deep and measures 1,000ft (304m) in length and 490ft (149m) in width, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The discovery was classified as “large” and experts hiked for several hours before reaching the base of the sinkhole and found three cave entrances.
The sinkhole’s bottom is lined with a “well-preserved primitive forest” with the trees growing up towards the sun, according to experts quoted by the news agency.
Chen Lixin, who led the cave expedition team, told Xinhua that the dense undergrowth on the sinkhole floor was as high as a person’s shoulders and that some of the ancient trees at the bottom were 131ft (40m) tall.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now,” Mr Lixin said.
China’s Guangxi region is known for its beautiful and sometimes dramatic karst formations.
Leye County alone, where this current sinkhole was discovered, is home to a number of such sinkholes. The discovery of this new one has brought the number of sinkholes in this county to 30, reported Xinhua.
Karst landscapes are formed primarily by the dissolution of bedrock, George Veni, the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) in the US, told Live Science.
“Because of local differences in geology, climate and other factors, the way karst appears at the surface can be dramatically different,” he said.
“So in China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth,” he added.
“In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don’t notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a metre or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them.”
Stuti Mishra
Wed, May 18, 2022,
A massive 630ft-deep sinkhole has been found in China in which a stunning ancient forest range has been discovered by researchers with trees as tall as 131ft (40m) and could include species that have not been seen before.
Cave explorers came across the sinkhole near Ping’e village in Leye County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region earlier this month.
The sinkhole is 630ft (192m) deep and measures 1,000ft (304m) in length and 490ft (149m) in width, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The discovery was classified as “large” and experts hiked for several hours before reaching the base of the sinkhole and found three cave entrances.
The sinkhole’s bottom is lined with a “well-preserved primitive forest” with the trees growing up towards the sun, according to experts quoted by the news agency.
Chen Lixin, who led the cave expedition team, told Xinhua that the dense undergrowth on the sinkhole floor was as high as a person’s shoulders and that some of the ancient trees at the bottom were 131ft (40m) tall.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now,” Mr Lixin said.
China’s Guangxi region is known for its beautiful and sometimes dramatic karst formations.
Leye County alone, where this current sinkhole was discovered, is home to a number of such sinkholes. The discovery of this new one has brought the number of sinkholes in this county to 30, reported Xinhua.
Karst landscapes are formed primarily by the dissolution of bedrock, George Veni, the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) in the US, told Live Science.
“Because of local differences in geology, climate and other factors, the way karst appears at the surface can be dramatically different,” he said.
“So in China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth,” he added.
“In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don’t notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a metre or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them.”
Cave explorers discover ‘heavenly' sinkhole surprise living down below
Marianne Mizera
Wed, May 18, 2022,
When we think of sinkholes, images of deep-pitted wells of buckling and sunken asphalt come to mind as they swallow up chunks of earth and everything with it.
Gaping large and dramatic enough, they often draw the curious onlookers eager for a peek at what might be lurking far below the surface.
But peering into one recently discovered sinkhole in the hilly outlying regions of southern China, one finds a lush forest down below with ancient towering trees. It's a place they call "tiankeng" in Mandarin, meaning "heavenly pit."
The gaping hole, measuring 1,003 feet (306 meters) long and 492 feet (150 meters) wide, was discovered by cave explorers on May 6 in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near Ping'e village in the county of Leye. What made it all the more mysterious were the three smaller cave entrances an expedition team stumbled upon once inside the 623-foot-deep cavernous pit.
The group of cave scientists and explorers -- called "speleologists" and "spelunkers" -- rappelled down to the bottom of this enormous chasm to document the flora and other life that has flourished and taken hold in the space as the sinkhole's opening slowly grew larger and larger "over millennia," according to experts.
Chen Lixin, who led the cave expedition team, described the plentiful and ancient, 140-foot-tall trees growing at the bottom with their branches stretched out toward the sunlight and the dense undergrowth on the sinkhole floor that is as high as a person's shoulders.
Scientists believe the subterranean habitat may even harbor some still unknown species.
"I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now," George Veni, executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in New Mexico, told AccuWeather.
Such unknowns are what lend to their mysterious nature.
"You don't know what you're going to find in each corner, and sometimes we are surprised and occasionally something breaks through our own expectations," he added.
For scientists and researchers who devote their lives to studying sinkholes and caves, Veni said, "they inspire us and challenge us to learn and explore more."
"It's interesting that we've gone from living in caves to now studying and exploring them," Veni mused.
Sinkholes and caves are rather common in the southern parts of China due to the vast karst topography throughout the region.
An aerial view of an expressway interchange between misty hills of the karst landform in Jingxi city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Oct. 06, 2021.
Marianne Mizera
Wed, May 18, 2022,
When we think of sinkholes, images of deep-pitted wells of buckling and sunken asphalt come to mind as they swallow up chunks of earth and everything with it.
Gaping large and dramatic enough, they often draw the curious onlookers eager for a peek at what might be lurking far below the surface.
But peering into one recently discovered sinkhole in the hilly outlying regions of southern China, one finds a lush forest down below with ancient towering trees. It's a place they call "tiankeng" in Mandarin, meaning "heavenly pit."
The gaping hole, measuring 1,003 feet (306 meters) long and 492 feet (150 meters) wide, was discovered by cave explorers on May 6 in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near Ping'e village in the county of Leye. What made it all the more mysterious were the three smaller cave entrances an expedition team stumbled upon once inside the 623-foot-deep cavernous pit.
The group of cave scientists and explorers -- called "speleologists" and "spelunkers" -- rappelled down to the bottom of this enormous chasm to document the flora and other life that has flourished and taken hold in the space as the sinkhole's opening slowly grew larger and larger "over millennia," according to experts.
Chen Lixin, who led the cave expedition team, described the plentiful and ancient, 140-foot-tall trees growing at the bottom with their branches stretched out toward the sunlight and the dense undergrowth on the sinkhole floor that is as high as a person's shoulders.
Scientists believe the subterranean habitat may even harbor some still unknown species.
"I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now," George Veni, executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in New Mexico, told AccuWeather.
Such unknowns are what lend to their mysterious nature.
"You don't know what you're going to find in each corner, and sometimes we are surprised and occasionally something breaks through our own expectations," he added.
For scientists and researchers who devote their lives to studying sinkholes and caves, Veni said, "they inspire us and challenge us to learn and explore more."
"It's interesting that we've gone from living in caves to now studying and exploring them," Veni mused.
Sinkholes and caves are rather common in the southern parts of China due to the vast karst topography throughout the region.
An aerial view of an expressway interchange between misty hills of the karst landform in Jingxi city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Oct. 06, 2021.
(Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Karst landscapes form usually when rainwater dissolves certain types of rocks, creating ridges, fissures, sinkholes and the like.
In fact, these towering karst formations, which range from sinkholes to rock pillars to natural bridges, have earned the region a UNESCO world heritage site designation that protects the area.
"The geologic conditions are just right in China" to create such wonders of the Earth, said Veni.
"In China, you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth," Veni added.
This most recent find is the 30th sinkhole to have been discovered in this region of China, according to the Xinhua news agency. The country also holds the honor of being home to the largest sinkhole. Located in Xiaozhai Tiankeng, the sinkhole there is 2,100 feet deep, 2,000 feet long and 1,760 feet wide and includes a waterfall within its depths.
The United States, he noted, claims 25% of the world's karst caves and sinkholes, "but they're not as dramatic."
"Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them."
And the karst isn't just pretty spectacular to look at. It provides a basic necessity for millions of people worldwide. Veni said about 700 million people depend on karst aquifers as their primary or sole water source.
2021-22 marked the first-ever International Year of Caves and Karst that has featured 500 events around the world.
Karst landscapes form usually when rainwater dissolves certain types of rocks, creating ridges, fissures, sinkholes and the like.
In fact, these towering karst formations, which range from sinkholes to rock pillars to natural bridges, have earned the region a UNESCO world heritage site designation that protects the area.
"The geologic conditions are just right in China" to create such wonders of the Earth, said Veni.
"In China, you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth," Veni added.
This most recent find is the 30th sinkhole to have been discovered in this region of China, according to the Xinhua news agency. The country also holds the honor of being home to the largest sinkhole. Located in Xiaozhai Tiankeng, the sinkhole there is 2,100 feet deep, 2,000 feet long and 1,760 feet wide and includes a waterfall within its depths.
The United States, he noted, claims 25% of the world's karst caves and sinkholes, "but they're not as dramatic."
"Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them."
And the karst isn't just pretty spectacular to look at. It provides a basic necessity for millions of people worldwide. Veni said about 700 million people depend on karst aquifers as their primary or sole water source.
2021-22 marked the first-ever International Year of Caves and Karst that has featured 500 events around the world.
Giant sinkhole found in China has hidden forest with ancient trees growing at its floor
Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Wed, May 18, 2022
Cave explorers in southern China may have found the modern-day equivalent of The Lost World.
At the bottom of the newly discovered 630-foot deep sinkhole lies a hidden forest, lush with shoulder-high flora and tall trees.
Researchers also think there may be new species of animals and plants within the sinkhole, which is made up of three caves and measures 5 million square meters, the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools.
The sinkhole was discovered in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near Ping'e village in the county of Leye, according to the Chinese government's official news agency Xinhua, The area of southern China is known for its caves, sinkholes, and karst forests, limestone formations that populate the landscape.
Exploring caves in 3D: Technology helps scientists discover cache of ancient Native American cave art
Leader of the cave exploration team, Chen Lixin, told Xinhua the ancient trees growing at the bottom of the sinkhole are nearly 130 feet tall – taller than most oak trees. Dense shade plants grew as tall as the explorers' shoulders, Lixin said.
"I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now," Lixin said, according to Live Science.
These type of sinkholes and caves could harbor new flora and fauna, international cave expert George Veni told Live Science. "This is cool news," said Veni, who was not involved in the discovery or exploration of this new cave. He is the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Sinkholes and caves are created over time as water dissolves limestone, according to the institute. Large sinkholes can have small ponds and fields of plants at the bottom.
Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer with the Institute of Karst Geology of China Geological Survey, categorized the find as a large sinkhole, with a well-preserved primitive forest at the bottom, Xinhua reported.
The explorers completed their expedition on May 6, emerging from the sinkhole after rappelling more than 100 meters down (about 330 feet) and walking several hours to reach its bottom, according to Xinhua. The sinkhole measures about 1,000 feet in length, 500 feet in width and 630 feet in depth.
That such a sinkhole might be found in China is not a big surprise because the region has "this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth," Veni told Live Science.
Zhang Yuanhai was part of a team that explored an even larger sinkhole found in Guangxi five years ago.
This latest discovery brings the region's number of such sinkholes to 30, Xinhua reported. Mexico and Papua New Guinea are other countries where sinkholes are frequently found.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China sinkhole found with ancient forest, tall plants at the bottom
Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Wed, May 18, 2022
Cave explorers in southern China may have found the modern-day equivalent of The Lost World.
At the bottom of the newly discovered 630-foot deep sinkhole lies a hidden forest, lush with shoulder-high flora and tall trees.
Researchers also think there may be new species of animals and plants within the sinkhole, which is made up of three caves and measures 5 million square meters, the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools.
The sinkhole was discovered in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near Ping'e village in the county of Leye, according to the Chinese government's official news agency Xinhua, The area of southern China is known for its caves, sinkholes, and karst forests, limestone formations that populate the landscape.
Exploring caves in 3D: Technology helps scientists discover cache of ancient Native American cave art
Leader of the cave exploration team, Chen Lixin, told Xinhua the ancient trees growing at the bottom of the sinkhole are nearly 130 feet tall – taller than most oak trees. Dense shade plants grew as tall as the explorers' shoulders, Lixin said.
"I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now," Lixin said, according to Live Science.
These type of sinkholes and caves could harbor new flora and fauna, international cave expert George Veni told Live Science. "This is cool news," said Veni, who was not involved in the discovery or exploration of this new cave. He is the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Sinkholes and caves are created over time as water dissolves limestone, according to the institute. Large sinkholes can have small ponds and fields of plants at the bottom.
Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer with the Institute of Karst Geology of China Geological Survey, categorized the find as a large sinkhole, with a well-preserved primitive forest at the bottom, Xinhua reported.
The explorers completed their expedition on May 6, emerging from the sinkhole after rappelling more than 100 meters down (about 330 feet) and walking several hours to reach its bottom, according to Xinhua. The sinkhole measures about 1,000 feet in length, 500 feet in width and 630 feet in depth.
That such a sinkhole might be found in China is not a big surprise because the region has "this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth," Veni told Live Science.
Zhang Yuanhai was part of a team that explored an even larger sinkhole found in Guangxi five years ago.
This latest discovery brings the region's number of such sinkholes to 30, Xinhua reported. Mexico and Papua New Guinea are other countries where sinkholes are frequently found.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China sinkhole found with ancient forest, tall plants at the bottom
Restoring the Great Lakes: After 50 years of US-Canada joint efforts, some success and lots of unfinished business
Daniel Macfarlane, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Western Michigan University
Early results were encouraging. Both governments invested in new sewage treatment facilities and convinced manufacturers to reduce phosphate loads in detergents and soaps. But as phosphorus levels in the lakes declined, scientists soon detected other problems.
Toxic contaminants
In 1973, scientists reported a perplexing find in fish from Lake Ontario: mirex, a highly toxic organochloride pesticide used mainly to kill ants in the southeast U.S. An investigation revealed that the Hooker Chemical company was discharging mirex from its plant in Niagara Falls, New York. The contamination was so severe that New York State banned eating popular types of fish such as coho salmon and lake trout from Lake Ontario from 1976 to 1978, shutting down commercial and sport fishing in the lake.
In response to this and other findings, the U.S. and Canada updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1978 to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances. This version formally adopted an ecosystem approach to pollution control that considered interactions between water, air and land – perhaps the first international agreement to do so.
In 1987, the two countries identified the most toxic hot spots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. However, as scholars of North American environmental regulations acknowledge, both nations too often allowed industries to police themselves.
Since the 1990s, studies have identified toxic pollutants including PCBs, DDT and chlordane in and around the Great Lakes, as well as lead, copper, arsenic and others. Some of these chemicals continued to show up because they were persistent and took a long time to break down. Others were banned but leached from contaminated sites and sediments. Still others came from a range of point and nonpoint sources, including many industrial sites concentrated on shorelines.
Many hazardous sites have been slowly cleaned up. However, toxic pollution in the Great Lakes remains a colossal problem that is largely unappreciated by the public, since these substances don’t always make the water look or smell foul. Numerous fish advisories are still in effect across the region because of chemical contamination. Industries constantly bring new chemicals to market, and regulations lag far behind.
Nonpoint sources
Another major challenge is nonpoint source pollution – discharges that come from many diffuse sources, such as runoff from farm fields.
Nitrogen levels in the lakes have risen significantly because of agriculture. Like phosphorus, nitrogen is a nutrient that causes large blooms of algae in fresh water; it is one of the main ingredients in fertilizer, and is also found in human and animal waste. Sewage overflows from cities and waste and manure runoff from industrial agriculture carry heavy loads of nitrogen into the lakes.
As a result, algal blooms have returned to Lake Erie. In 2014, toxins in one of those blooms forced officials in Toledo, Ohio, to shut off the public water supply for half a million people.
One way to address nonpoint source pollution is to set an overall limit for releases of the problem pollutant into local water bodies and then work to bring discharges down to that level. These measures, known as Total Maximum Daily Loads, have been applied or are in development for parts of the Great Lakes basin, including western Lake Erie.
But this strategy relies on states, along with voluntary steps by farmers, to curb pollution releases. Some Midwesterners would prefer a regional approach like the strategy for Chesapeake Bay, where states asked the U.S. government to write a sweeping federal TMDL for key pollutants for the bay’s entire watershed.
In 2019, Toledo voters adopted a Lake Erie Bill of Rights that would have permitted citizens to sue when Lake Erie was being polluted. Farmers challenged the measure in court, and it was declared unconstitutional.
Warming and flooding
Climate change is now complicating Great Lakes cleanup efforts. Warmer water can affect oxygen concentrations, nutrient cycling and food webs in the lakes, potentially intensifying problems and converting nuisances into major challenges.
Flooding driven by climate change threatens to contaminate public water supplies around the lakes. Record-high water levels are eroding shorelines and wrecking infrastructure. And new problems are emerging, including microplastic pollution and “forever chemicals” such as PFAS and PFOA.
It will be challenging for the U.S. and Canada to make progress on this complex set of problems. Key steps include prioritizing and funding cleanup of toxic zones, finding ways to halt agricultural runoff and building new sewer and stormwater infrastructure. If the two countries can muster the will to aggressively tackle pollution problems, as they did with phosphates in the 1970s, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement gives them a framework for action.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Daniel Macfarlane, Western Michigan University.
Read more:
Nutrient pollution: Voluntary steps are failing to shrink algae blooms and dead zones
Tons of plastic trash enter the Great Lakes every year – where does it go?
Daniel Macfarlane has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Western Michigan University.
Daniel Macfarlane, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Western Michigan University
THE CONVERSATION
Thu, May 19, 2022
Children participate in a water fight in Lake Ontario in Mississauga, Ontario, during a heat wave on June 5, 2021. Zou Zheng/Xinhua via Getty Images
The Great Lakes cover nearly 95,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers) and hold over 20% of Earth’s surface fresh water. More than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada rely on them for drinking water. The lakes support a multibillion-dollar maritime economy, and the lands around them provided many of the raw materials – timber, coal, iron – that fueled the Midwest’s emergence as an industrial heartland.
Despite their enormous importance, the lakes were degraded for well over a century as industry and development expanded around them. By the 1960s, rivers like the Cuyahoga, Buffalo and Chicago were so polluted that they were catching fire. In 1965, Maclean’s magazine called Lake Erie, the smallest and shallowest Great Lake, “an odorous, slime-covered graveyard” that “may have already passed the point of no return.” Lake Ontario wasn’t far behind.
In 1972, the U.S. and Canada signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a landmark pact to clean up the Great Lakes. Now, 50 years later, they have made progress, but there are new challenges and much unfinished business.
I study the environment and have written four books on U.S.-Canadian management of their shared border waters. In my view, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was a watershed moment for environmental protection and an international model for regulating transboundary pollution. But I believe the people of the U.S. and Canada failed the Great Lakes by becoming complacent too soon after the pact’s early success.
Thu, May 19, 2022
Children participate in a water fight in Lake Ontario in Mississauga, Ontario, during a heat wave on June 5, 2021. Zou Zheng/Xinhua via Getty Images
The Great Lakes cover nearly 95,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers) and hold over 20% of Earth’s surface fresh water. More than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada rely on them for drinking water. The lakes support a multibillion-dollar maritime economy, and the lands around them provided many of the raw materials – timber, coal, iron – that fueled the Midwest’s emergence as an industrial heartland.
Despite their enormous importance, the lakes were degraded for well over a century as industry and development expanded around them. By the 1960s, rivers like the Cuyahoga, Buffalo and Chicago were so polluted that they were catching fire. In 1965, Maclean’s magazine called Lake Erie, the smallest and shallowest Great Lake, “an odorous, slime-covered graveyard” that “may have already passed the point of no return.” Lake Ontario wasn’t far behind.
In 1972, the U.S. and Canada signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a landmark pact to clean up the Great Lakes. Now, 50 years later, they have made progress, but there are new challenges and much unfinished business.
I study the environment and have written four books on U.S.-Canadian management of their shared border waters. In my view, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was a watershed moment for environmental protection and an international model for regulating transboundary pollution. But I believe the people of the U.S. and Canada failed the Great Lakes by becoming complacent too soon after the pact’s early success.
Starting with phosphates
A major step in Canada-U.S. joint management of the Great Lakes came in 1909 when they signed the Boundary Waters Treaty. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement built on this foundation by creating a framework to allow the two countries to cooperatively restore and protect these border waters.
However, as an executive agreement, rather than a formal government-to-government treaty, the pact has no legal mechanisms for enforcement. Instead, it relies on the U.S. and Canada to fulfill their commitments. The International Joint Commission, an agency created under the Boundary Waters Treaty, carries out the agreement and tracks progress toward its goals.
The agreement set common targets for controlling a variety of pollutants in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River, which were the most polluted section of the Great Lakes system. One key aim was to reduce nutrient pollution, especially phosphates from detergents and sewage. These chemicals fueled huge blooms of algae that then died and decomposed, depleting oxygen in the water.
Like national water pollution laws enacted at the time, these efforts focused on point sources – pollutants released from discreet, readily identifiable points, such as discharge pipes or wells.
A major step in Canada-U.S. joint management of the Great Lakes came in 1909 when they signed the Boundary Waters Treaty. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement built on this foundation by creating a framework to allow the two countries to cooperatively restore and protect these border waters.
However, as an executive agreement, rather than a formal government-to-government treaty, the pact has no legal mechanisms for enforcement. Instead, it relies on the U.S. and Canada to fulfill their commitments. The International Joint Commission, an agency created under the Boundary Waters Treaty, carries out the agreement and tracks progress toward its goals.
The agreement set common targets for controlling a variety of pollutants in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River, which were the most polluted section of the Great Lakes system. One key aim was to reduce nutrient pollution, especially phosphates from detergents and sewage. These chemicals fueled huge blooms of algae that then died and decomposed, depleting oxygen in the water.
Like national water pollution laws enacted at the time, these efforts focused on point sources – pollutants released from discreet, readily identifiable points, such as discharge pipes or wells.
Early results were encouraging. Both governments invested in new sewage treatment facilities and convinced manufacturers to reduce phosphate loads in detergents and soaps. But as phosphorus levels in the lakes declined, scientists soon detected other problems.
Toxic contaminants
In 1973, scientists reported a perplexing find in fish from Lake Ontario: mirex, a highly toxic organochloride pesticide used mainly to kill ants in the southeast U.S. An investigation revealed that the Hooker Chemical company was discharging mirex from its plant in Niagara Falls, New York. The contamination was so severe that New York State banned eating popular types of fish such as coho salmon and lake trout from Lake Ontario from 1976 to 1978, shutting down commercial and sport fishing in the lake.
In response to this and other findings, the U.S. and Canada updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1978 to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances. This version formally adopted an ecosystem approach to pollution control that considered interactions between water, air and land – perhaps the first international agreement to do so.
In 1987, the two countries identified the most toxic hot spots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. However, as scholars of North American environmental regulations acknowledge, both nations too often allowed industries to police themselves.
Since the 1990s, studies have identified toxic pollutants including PCBs, DDT and chlordane in and around the Great Lakes, as well as lead, copper, arsenic and others. Some of these chemicals continued to show up because they were persistent and took a long time to break down. Others were banned but leached from contaminated sites and sediments. Still others came from a range of point and nonpoint sources, including many industrial sites concentrated on shorelines.
Many hazardous sites have been slowly cleaned up. However, toxic pollution in the Great Lakes remains a colossal problem that is largely unappreciated by the public, since these substances don’t always make the water look or smell foul. Numerous fish advisories are still in effect across the region because of chemical contamination. Industries constantly bring new chemicals to market, and regulations lag far behind.
Nonpoint sources
Another major challenge is nonpoint source pollution – discharges that come from many diffuse sources, such as runoff from farm fields.
Nitrogen levels in the lakes have risen significantly because of agriculture. Like phosphorus, nitrogen is a nutrient that causes large blooms of algae in fresh water; it is one of the main ingredients in fertilizer, and is also found in human and animal waste. Sewage overflows from cities and waste and manure runoff from industrial agriculture carry heavy loads of nitrogen into the lakes.
As a result, algal blooms have returned to Lake Erie. In 2014, toxins in one of those blooms forced officials in Toledo, Ohio, to shut off the public water supply for half a million people.
One way to address nonpoint source pollution is to set an overall limit for releases of the problem pollutant into local water bodies and then work to bring discharges down to that level. These measures, known as Total Maximum Daily Loads, have been applied or are in development for parts of the Great Lakes basin, including western Lake Erie.
But this strategy relies on states, along with voluntary steps by farmers, to curb pollution releases. Some Midwesterners would prefer a regional approach like the strategy for Chesapeake Bay, where states asked the U.S. government to write a sweeping federal TMDL for key pollutants for the bay’s entire watershed.
In 2019, Toledo voters adopted a Lake Erie Bill of Rights that would have permitted citizens to sue when Lake Erie was being polluted. Farmers challenged the measure in court, and it was declared unconstitutional.
Warming and flooding
Climate change is now complicating Great Lakes cleanup efforts. Warmer water can affect oxygen concentrations, nutrient cycling and food webs in the lakes, potentially intensifying problems and converting nuisances into major challenges.
Flooding driven by climate change threatens to contaminate public water supplies around the lakes. Record-high water levels are eroding shorelines and wrecking infrastructure. And new problems are emerging, including microplastic pollution and “forever chemicals” such as PFAS and PFOA.
It will be challenging for the U.S. and Canada to make progress on this complex set of problems. Key steps include prioritizing and funding cleanup of toxic zones, finding ways to halt agricultural runoff and building new sewer and stormwater infrastructure. If the two countries can muster the will to aggressively tackle pollution problems, as they did with phosphates in the 1970s, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement gives them a framework for action.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Daniel Macfarlane, Western Michigan University.
Read more:
Nutrient pollution: Voluntary steps are failing to shrink algae blooms and dead zones
Tons of plastic trash enter the Great Lakes every year – where does it go?
Daniel Macfarlane has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Western Michigan University.
NY complaint alleges Amazon discriminated against pregnant, disabled worker
David Robinson, New York State Team
Wed, May 18, 2022,
New York authorities have filed a complaint alleging Amazon discriminated against pregnant workers and workers with disabilities by denying them reasonable accommodations, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
The complaint claimed that Amazon's policies forced pregnant workers and workers with disabilities to take an unpaid leaves of absence, rather than allowing them to work with a reasonable accommodation.
The complaint, filed by the state Division of Human Rights, comes after Amazon workers in Staten Island, voted to unionize early last month, the first successful U.S. organizing effort among people employed at the retail giant.
Amazon on Wednesday issued a statement voicing surprise at the discrimination complaint, which was unrelated to the unionization vote. Spokeswoman Kelly Nantel noted Amazon had previously been "cooperating and working closely with Hochul's investigator" on the matter.
“Ensuring all our employees, including those with disabilities and expectant mothers, feel safe and supported is extremely important to Amazon and we have numerous programs to ensure that’s the case," Nantel said in a statement.
"While we don't always get it right with a workforce of over 1.6 million people, we work diligently to offer the best available options to accommodate individual situations," she added, noting Amazon could not comment further because it had yet to receive the complaint.
People arrive for work at the Amazon distribution center in the Staten Island borough of New York, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.
What the Amazon discrimination complaint says
State law in New York requires that all employers, upon request, reasonably accommodate workers with disabilities or pregnancy-related conditions.
The accommodations can include modification of job duties that allow an employee to perform the essential functions of their jobs.
Amazon, which operates 23 worksites with over 39,000 workers across New York, employs in-house "accommodation consultants" to evaluate employee requests and recommend appropriate action.
UNION: Who is Chris Smalls? What to know about the Amazon labor union organizer
AMAZON: What to know about Amazon warehouse in Mount Pleasant
Authorities in New York allege Amazon's policy of allowing worksite managers to override the recommendations made by those consultants caused Amazon employees to be denied reasonable accommodations for their disabilities and pregnancy-related conditions.
The complaint included accusations that an Amazon manager forced a pregnant warehouse worker to continue lifting packages over 25 pounds, despite the consultant approving the worker’s request for an alternative job to avoid the heavy lifting, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
As a result of the heavy lifting, the worker was injured and required further accommodations, but Amazon denied that request and forced the worker into indefinite unpaid leave, the statement added.
A sign at Amazon’s fulfillment center in the Town of Montgomery, NY, on Oct. 13, 2021.
Another Amazon worker was allegedly improperly denied when they requested a modified work schedule due to a documented disability.
The worker's condition necessitated a specific sleep schedule and the worker submitted supporting medical records with the request. Prior to the request, the worker had been swapping shifts with a coworker to accommodate this condition without objections from management.
Amazon's internal consultant recommended that the worker’s request be granted but the manager refused without explanation, according to the governor's office's statement. The consultant then reversed their decision, the statement added, citing a lack of qualifying condition despite the medical records.
The complaint seeks a Human Rights administrative hearing decision that requires Amazon to cease its discriminatory conduct, the governor’s office said.
The complaint also seeks that Amazon be required to:
Adopt non-discriminatory policies and practices regarding the review of requests for reasonable accommodations
Train its employees on the provisions of Human Rights law
Pay civil fines and penalties to New York state
Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks in Mount Vernon City Hall April 15, 2022.
What NY officials say about Amazon discrimination complaint
Hochul asserted New York has the strongest worker protections in the nation, noting it was one of the first states to have protections for workers who are pregnant and those with disabilities.
"My administration will hold any employer accountable, regardless of how big or small, if they do not treat their workers with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Hochul said in a statement, addressing the complaint against Amazon.
Melissa Franco, deputy commissioner for enforcement at the Human Rights Division, added New York law has prohibited discrimination against pregnant workers since the 1970s – well before the federal Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
“The (Humans Rights) division will work to ensure that everyone in our state is fully afforded the rights and dignities that the law requires," Franco said in a statement.
New York’s complaint against Amazon comes after U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and other federal lawmakers sent a letter in September to federal regulators seeking an investigation of Amazon’s policies.
The letter referenced allegations that Amazon “systematically denies reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees at its fulfillment centers.”
It also cited accusations linked to Amazon worksites in Oklahoma City and California, including a worker who had a miscarriage after her request to stop lifting heavy packages was denied by Amazon.
Between 2015 and 2019, former Amazon employees filed at least seven lawsuits alleging that Amazon wrongfully terminated them during their pregnancies and failed to accommodate rudimentary requests, such as more frequent bathroom breaks and fewer continuous hours on their feet, Gillibrand said in a statement about the letter.
Support local journalism
We cover the stories from the New York State Capitol and across New York that matter most to you and your family. Please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription to the New York publication nearest you.
David Robinson is the state health care reporter for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached at drobinson@gannett.com and followed on Twitter: @DrobinsonLoHud
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: NY alleges Amazon discriminated against pregnant, disabled workers
David Robinson, New York State Team
Wed, May 18, 2022,
New York authorities have filed a complaint alleging Amazon discriminated against pregnant workers and workers with disabilities by denying them reasonable accommodations, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
The complaint claimed that Amazon's policies forced pregnant workers and workers with disabilities to take an unpaid leaves of absence, rather than allowing them to work with a reasonable accommodation.
The complaint, filed by the state Division of Human Rights, comes after Amazon workers in Staten Island, voted to unionize early last month, the first successful U.S. organizing effort among people employed at the retail giant.
Amazon on Wednesday issued a statement voicing surprise at the discrimination complaint, which was unrelated to the unionization vote. Spokeswoman Kelly Nantel noted Amazon had previously been "cooperating and working closely with Hochul's investigator" on the matter.
“Ensuring all our employees, including those with disabilities and expectant mothers, feel safe and supported is extremely important to Amazon and we have numerous programs to ensure that’s the case," Nantel said in a statement.
"While we don't always get it right with a workforce of over 1.6 million people, we work diligently to offer the best available options to accommodate individual situations," she added, noting Amazon could not comment further because it had yet to receive the complaint.
People arrive for work at the Amazon distribution center in the Staten Island borough of New York, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.
What the Amazon discrimination complaint says
State law in New York requires that all employers, upon request, reasonably accommodate workers with disabilities or pregnancy-related conditions.
The accommodations can include modification of job duties that allow an employee to perform the essential functions of their jobs.
Amazon, which operates 23 worksites with over 39,000 workers across New York, employs in-house "accommodation consultants" to evaluate employee requests and recommend appropriate action.
UNION: Who is Chris Smalls? What to know about the Amazon labor union organizer
AMAZON: What to know about Amazon warehouse in Mount Pleasant
Authorities in New York allege Amazon's policy of allowing worksite managers to override the recommendations made by those consultants caused Amazon employees to be denied reasonable accommodations for their disabilities and pregnancy-related conditions.
The complaint included accusations that an Amazon manager forced a pregnant warehouse worker to continue lifting packages over 25 pounds, despite the consultant approving the worker’s request for an alternative job to avoid the heavy lifting, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
As a result of the heavy lifting, the worker was injured and required further accommodations, but Amazon denied that request and forced the worker into indefinite unpaid leave, the statement added.
A sign at Amazon’s fulfillment center in the Town of Montgomery, NY, on Oct. 13, 2021.
Another Amazon worker was allegedly improperly denied when they requested a modified work schedule due to a documented disability.
The worker's condition necessitated a specific sleep schedule and the worker submitted supporting medical records with the request. Prior to the request, the worker had been swapping shifts with a coworker to accommodate this condition without objections from management.
Amazon's internal consultant recommended that the worker’s request be granted but the manager refused without explanation, according to the governor's office's statement. The consultant then reversed their decision, the statement added, citing a lack of qualifying condition despite the medical records.
The complaint seeks a Human Rights administrative hearing decision that requires Amazon to cease its discriminatory conduct, the governor’s office said.
The complaint also seeks that Amazon be required to:
Adopt non-discriminatory policies and practices regarding the review of requests for reasonable accommodations
Train its employees on the provisions of Human Rights law
Pay civil fines and penalties to New York state
Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks in Mount Vernon City Hall April 15, 2022.
What NY officials say about Amazon discrimination complaint
Hochul asserted New York has the strongest worker protections in the nation, noting it was one of the first states to have protections for workers who are pregnant and those with disabilities.
"My administration will hold any employer accountable, regardless of how big or small, if they do not treat their workers with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Hochul said in a statement, addressing the complaint against Amazon.
Melissa Franco, deputy commissioner for enforcement at the Human Rights Division, added New York law has prohibited discrimination against pregnant workers since the 1970s – well before the federal Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
“The (Humans Rights) division will work to ensure that everyone in our state is fully afforded the rights and dignities that the law requires," Franco said in a statement.
New York’s complaint against Amazon comes after U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and other federal lawmakers sent a letter in September to federal regulators seeking an investigation of Amazon’s policies.
The letter referenced allegations that Amazon “systematically denies reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees at its fulfillment centers.”
It also cited accusations linked to Amazon worksites in Oklahoma City and California, including a worker who had a miscarriage after her request to stop lifting heavy packages was denied by Amazon.
Between 2015 and 2019, former Amazon employees filed at least seven lawsuits alleging that Amazon wrongfully terminated them during their pregnancies and failed to accommodate rudimentary requests, such as more frequent bathroom breaks and fewer continuous hours on their feet, Gillibrand said in a statement about the letter.
Support local journalism
We cover the stories from the New York State Capitol and across New York that matter most to you and your family. Please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription to the New York publication nearest you.
David Robinson is the state health care reporter for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached at drobinson@gannett.com and followed on Twitter: @DrobinsonLoHud
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: NY alleges Amazon discriminated against pregnant, disabled workers
Target workers at a Virginia store withdraw union petition
FILE - The logo on a sign outside a Target store is seen Feb. 28, 2022. Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Va., have withdrawn their request with federal union regulators for a union election. Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks. The petition was filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board by the independent Target Workers Unite.
FILE - The logo on a sign outside a Target store is seen Feb. 28, 2022. Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Va., have withdrawn their request with federal union regulators for a union election. Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks. The petition was filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board by the independent Target Workers Unite.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
Wed, May 18, 2022,
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Virginia, have withdrawn their request with federal labor regulators for a union election.
Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks.
The petition was filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board by the independent Target Workers Unite. The group was founded by Adam Ryan who has been working at Target Virginia store for five years.
Ryan said last week that the filing comes as workers see their pay failing to cover rising costs for basics like food and rent.
He also noted workers feel like they are having to do too many tasks, from filling online orders to unloading trucks. No reason was given in the document filed with the NLRB. The group is not required to provide a reason for the withdrawal. The group only said it planned to refile its petition.
The NLRB declined to comment.
Target said in a statement last week it is committed to listening to its workers and creating an environment of mutual trust.
“We want all team members to be better off for working at Target,” the retailer said.
Target cited “industry-leading” starting hourly wages of $15 to $24, expanded health care benefits, personalized scheduling and opportunities for career growth. It said it raised the starting wage at its Christiansburg store last fall and increased wages for longer-tenured workers.
Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
Wed, May 18, 2022,
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Virginia, have withdrawn their request with federal labor regulators for a union election.
Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks.
The petition was filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board by the independent Target Workers Unite. The group was founded by Adam Ryan who has been working at Target Virginia store for five years.
Ryan said last week that the filing comes as workers see their pay failing to cover rising costs for basics like food and rent.
He also noted workers feel like they are having to do too many tasks, from filling online orders to unloading trucks. No reason was given in the document filed with the NLRB. The group is not required to provide a reason for the withdrawal. The group only said it planned to refile its petition.
The NLRB declined to comment.
Target said in a statement last week it is committed to listening to its workers and creating an environment of mutual trust.
“We want all team members to be better off for working at Target,” the retailer said.
Target cited “industry-leading” starting hourly wages of $15 to $24, expanded health care benefits, personalized scheduling and opportunities for career growth. It said it raised the starting wage at its Christiansburg store last fall and increased wages for longer-tenured workers.
Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
Apple Store workers at the World Trade Center accuse the company of union busting
Robert Nickelsberg via Getty Images
Mariella Moon
·Contributing Reporter
Thu, May 19, 2022,
The Communications Workers of America has filed a second Unfair Labor Practice charge against Apple this week. This time, the labor union is accusing the tech giant of violating multiple federal labor laws at its flagship World Trade Center store. The complaint alleges that Apple interrogated workers at the WTC store regarding their "protected concerted activities." Apple also allegedly monitored those activities, or at least made employees believe that they were being monitored. Based on the group's filing, those incidents happened on or about May 3rd.
By May 15th, the group said Apple "unlawfully implemented" a rule at the store that prohibits employees from posting union flyers in work areas during their breaks. Further, it's accusing the tech giant of conducting "captive-audience" speeches designed to discourage them from unionizing.
Earlier this year, Apple Store workers across the US started planning to unionize in an effort to get the company to increase their pay, which they claim isn't keeping up with the cost of living. Apple reportedly hired anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson, which counts Starbucks and McDonald's as clients, in response. According to a Motherboard report, the company also recently started arming its Store managers with anti-union talking points. They were apparently instructed to tell employees that they could lose career opportunities, as well as personal time off and work flexibility, if they join a union.
The Communications Workers of America also filed an Unfair Labor Practice complaint against Apple on behalf of workers at the Cumberland Mall store on May 17th. In it, the group accused the company of holding mandatory captive audience meetings regarding the upcoming union election for the Atlanta location that's scheduled to take place in early June.
Tim Dubnau, CWA's Deputy Organizing Director, said:
"Apple retail workers across the country are demanding a voice on the job and a seat at the table. Unfortunately, and in contradiction to its stated values, Apple has responded like a typical American corporation with heavy-handed tactics designed to intimidate and coerce workers. The best thing Apple can do is allow workers to choose for themselves whether or not they want a union. When we learn of situations where Apple is violating labor law, we intend to hold the company accountable and help the workers defend their rights under the law."
Robert Nickelsberg via Getty Images
Mariella Moon
·Contributing Reporter
Thu, May 19, 2022,
The Communications Workers of America has filed a second Unfair Labor Practice charge against Apple this week. This time, the labor union is accusing the tech giant of violating multiple federal labor laws at its flagship World Trade Center store. The complaint alleges that Apple interrogated workers at the WTC store regarding their "protected concerted activities." Apple also allegedly monitored those activities, or at least made employees believe that they were being monitored. Based on the group's filing, those incidents happened on or about May 3rd.
By May 15th, the group said Apple "unlawfully implemented" a rule at the store that prohibits employees from posting union flyers in work areas during their breaks. Further, it's accusing the tech giant of conducting "captive-audience" speeches designed to discourage them from unionizing.
Earlier this year, Apple Store workers across the US started planning to unionize in an effort to get the company to increase their pay, which they claim isn't keeping up with the cost of living. Apple reportedly hired anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson, which counts Starbucks and McDonald's as clients, in response. According to a Motherboard report, the company also recently started arming its Store managers with anti-union talking points. They were apparently instructed to tell employees that they could lose career opportunities, as well as personal time off and work flexibility, if they join a union.
The Communications Workers of America also filed an Unfair Labor Practice complaint against Apple on behalf of workers at the Cumberland Mall store on May 17th. In it, the group accused the company of holding mandatory captive audience meetings regarding the upcoming union election for the Atlanta location that's scheduled to take place in early June.
Tim Dubnau, CWA's Deputy Organizing Director, said:
"Apple retail workers across the country are demanding a voice on the job and a seat at the table. Unfortunately, and in contradiction to its stated values, Apple has responded like a typical American corporation with heavy-handed tactics designed to intimidate and coerce workers. The best thing Apple can do is allow workers to choose for themselves whether or not they want a union. When we learn of situations where Apple is violating labor law, we intend to hold the company accountable and help the workers defend their rights under the law."
U.S. files third labor complaint in Mexico, on behalf of Panasonic workers
Wed, May 18, 2022
By Daina Beth Solomon
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -U.S. labor officials asked Mexico on Wednesday to probe whether workers at a Panasonic auto parts factory were denied their rights, marking the third U.S. labor complaint under a new trade deal that aims to improve workplace conditions in Mexico.
The request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) follows a petition from a Mexican union asking the U.S. government to probe a Panasonic plant in the northern border city of Reynosa, alleging violations of the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a letter to Mexico's Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier that the agency was concerned workers at Panasonic Automotive Systems de Mexico were being denied rights to free association and collective bargaining, in breach of the USMCA.
Panasonic Corp of North America said it "respects and supports" those rights and that it did not believe they had been denied. The unit of the Japanese conglomerate added it would cooperate with Mexican authorities.
Tai noted that previous USMCA labor complaints - one targeting automaker General Motors and another against auto parts plant Tridonex - led to worker benefits.
The U.S. government reached agreements with both companies without imposing USMCA sanctions, which can include revoking tariff-free status.
"When concerns arise, we will work swiftly to stand up for workers on both sides of the border," Tai said in a statement.
The Mexican government has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review. The Economy Ministry said it received the U.S. request and would consult with the Labor Ministry before sending a response.
The Mexican union that requested the inquiry, SNITIS, accused Panasonic of signing a union contract behind workers' backs and of firing several dozen employees who protested. Days after submitting the petition last month, SNITIS won a sweeping vote to become the plant's new labor representation.
U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, a Democrat, called for Panasonic to enter negotiations with SNITIS in good faith, and applauded the USTR complaint.
"Improving labor conditions is absolutely needed to ensure jobs here at home are not being undermined," he said.
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio, Bill Berkrot and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Wed, May 18, 2022
By Daina Beth Solomon
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -U.S. labor officials asked Mexico on Wednesday to probe whether workers at a Panasonic auto parts factory were denied their rights, marking the third U.S. labor complaint under a new trade deal that aims to improve workplace conditions in Mexico.
The request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) follows a petition from a Mexican union asking the U.S. government to probe a Panasonic plant in the northern border city of Reynosa, alleging violations of the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a letter to Mexico's Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier that the agency was concerned workers at Panasonic Automotive Systems de Mexico were being denied rights to free association and collective bargaining, in breach of the USMCA.
Panasonic Corp of North America said it "respects and supports" those rights and that it did not believe they had been denied. The unit of the Japanese conglomerate added it would cooperate with Mexican authorities.
Tai noted that previous USMCA labor complaints - one targeting automaker General Motors and another against auto parts plant Tridonex - led to worker benefits.
The U.S. government reached agreements with both companies without imposing USMCA sanctions, which can include revoking tariff-free status.
"When concerns arise, we will work swiftly to stand up for workers on both sides of the border," Tai said in a statement.
The Mexican government has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review. The Economy Ministry said it received the U.S. request and would consult with the Labor Ministry before sending a response.
The Mexican union that requested the inquiry, SNITIS, accused Panasonic of signing a union contract behind workers' backs and of firing several dozen employees who protested. Days after submitting the petition last month, SNITIS won a sweeping vote to become the plant's new labor representation.
U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, a Democrat, called for Panasonic to enter negotiations with SNITIS in good faith, and applauded the USTR complaint.
"Improving labor conditions is absolutely needed to ensure jobs here at home are not being undermined," he said.
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio, Bill Berkrot and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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