How bad was monument damaged?

Four cracks in the monument marble were first found after a earthquake rocked the nation's capital last month.Small pools of standing water were found following Hurricane IreneCracks were discovered after an earthquake in late AugustThe Washington Monument is 555 feet tall
Washington (CNN) -- Just how bad was the damage the Washington Monument suffered during the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the East Coast on August 23?
National Park Service officials will hold a news conference Monday afternoon to offer details, including plans on reopening it to the public.
The service has been working with an engineering firm to determine the extent of the damage and what it will cost to fix it.
Small pools of standing water were found in the monument during inspections following Hurricane Irene, the National Park Service said in late August.
"What happened was a lot of mortar popped out, so much so that you can see sunlight above 450 feet in the monument," spokeswoman Carol Johnson said at the time.
The Washington Monument, built between 1848 and 1884, is 555 feet, 5 and one-eighth inches tall. Its walls are 15 feet thick at the base and 18 inches at the top, and are composed primarily of white marble blocks, according to the National Park Service.
Four cracks in the monument marble were first discovered after the earthquake rocked the nation's capital. The repairs will include pinning the stones together and replacing some mortar, Johnson said then.
"The engineers have assured us that the monument is structurally sound," Johnson said.
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"Nevermind" Nirvana cover baby is now 20, just like the album

As a baby, Spencer Elden was thrown into a pool for the cover photo of Nirvana's famous album Released in 1991, Nirvana's "Nevermind" launched grunge rock Elden, now 20, loves Nirvana music

(CNN) -- As an infant 20 years ago, Spencer Elden was thrown into a pool in Southern California to be photographed, naked, underwater, appearing to reach for a dollar bill. The photo would become one of the most iconic images of 1990s music: Nirvana's "Nevermind" album cover.

Released on September 24, 1991, "Nevermind" catapulted the band and its music to the top of the charts, with songs including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" giving birth to the Seattle-based grunge musical style.

On the 20th anniversary of the album's release, Elden, the now-20-year-old son of an artist, said in jest that now he suffers more tribulations than other famously photographed babies whose images are associated more with cuteness than grunge.

"When I am introduced, they introduce me as the Nirvana baby," said Elden.

And because he was sans diaper when the famous shot was taken, there are other questions.

"They usually poke fun at me asking me, 'Is it the same size?'"

"I always say, "It's changed, do you want to see it?'"

Elden, also an artist, said he never met Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, whose looks and demeanor epitomized the '90s Generation-X subculture, a group and a mindset chronicled in films such as "Dazed and Confused" and "Slacker."

"Definitely, I like Nirvana a lot and there are no songs that I don't like -- they all have a special place for people," Elden said.

Elden said he is not swimming in cash as a result of his baby celebrity status. His father, artist Rick Elden, agreed in 1991 to work on the cover with fellow photographer Kirk Weddle. He received no royalties for the job.

"My dad was an artist rigging special effects for Hollywood," said Elden.

"They went to the local pool, threw me in the water and that was it. It was a friend-helping-a-friend kind of thing."

On Saturday, Elden said he celebrated the historic release of "Nevermind" with friends.

"We hung out ... and just listened to Nirvana music, drank beer and hung out. It was a good time," he said.

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Obama heads to L.A. for fundraising push

Obama's plan: Genuine solution or just politics?President's Monday schedule includes an event at the House of Blues in West Hollywood The president spoke Sunday at another fundraiser at Seattle's Paramount TheatreHe ripped "small politics" and said "We are tougher than the times that we live in"

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will spend part of Monday hobnobbing with celebrities and other power-brokers in Los Angeles, continuing a West Coast trip that includes town hall events and fundraisers for his re-election campaign.

The first L.A. event will be hosted by "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. With 1,000 attendees set to spend $250 each for the speech and a concert, the event is expected to help Obama collect a minimum of $250,000.

Then, Obama will head to the Fig and Olive, a restaurant on Los Angeles' trendy Melrose Place, for a private fundraiser co-hosted by investment manager John Emerson, consultant Andy Spahn, Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon, a Democrat with knowledge of the event told CNN. The campaign official said the cost to attend is $17,900 per person.

By Sunday evening, that dinner had already brought in $1.5 million for the Obama campaign in advance of the event, according to a second Democrat familiar with the event.

These fundraisers follow similar events Sunday in Washington state, including a pitch in Seattle in which the president implored his supporters to rally behind him once again, saying that helping secure his re-election is the best way to turn around a sluggish economy and overcome strident political opposition.

"We are tougher than the times that we live in, we are bigger than the small politics that we've been witnessing," he told the audience at the city's Paramount Theatre. "We are a people who write our own destiny, and it is fully within our power to write it once more."

Obama took the stage after being introduced by basketball hall of famers Lenny Wilkens and Bill Russell, the latter imploring the crowd that "as Americans, we must support our president."

Wearing a tie and button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up, the president began by referring to the "once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis" facing the nation, saying his administration knew "it was going to take years" to rebuild. The fundamental choice now, he argued, was to go forward with his and fellow Democrats' plans or use the "old worn-out ideas that were tried in the last decade."

"The question is not whether this country is going through times, the question is where are we going next," Obama said. "We can build the America that we talked about in 2008, an America where everybody gets a fair shake and everybody does their fair share. That is what this election is about."

The president touted initiatives such as the auto industry bailout, financial reform and the recent official repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that means gay men and lesbians can now serve openly in the military, a mention that drew fervent cheers from the crowd.

Then, as he has repeatedly since proposing it about two weeks ago, Obama touted the America Jobs Act as key to bolstering the economy by helping small businesses, boosting public education, improving infrastructure and other components.

He reiterated his support for tax reform that would pay for the bill, in part, by having wealthier Americans and profitable large corporations pay more in taxes. He added that he felt it is the government's responsibility to act immediately, and not wait for voters' decisions in November 2012 to act.

"It's time for us to meet our responsibility for each other right now," the president said. "(Citizens) don't have the luxury of us squabbling for another 14 months."

The speech came about six hours after Obama landed in Washington state late Sunday morning. He soon thereafter headed to a fundraiser at the Medina, Washington, home of Jon Shirley, a former president and chief operating officer of Microsoft. In brief remarks there, he told the attendees that the upcoming campaign will be tough, especially in a climate in which many are disillusioned with government.

The president's job approval numbers remain low, just as the 2012 campaign is starting to heat up.

A USA Today/Gallup poll released last Wednesday -- based on a survey of 1,004 adults, and with a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points -- found that 53% of the respondents blamed Obama a great deal or moderate amount for the continued economic sluggishness. The previous week, a CNN/ORC International poll showed Obama had a disapproval rating of 55%, the highest of his presidency, mirroring other national polling from Gallup and NBC/Wall Street Journal.

His current West Coast swing serves multiple purposes, from raising money for what promises to be a bruising campaign, to continuing the drumbeat for Congress to approve his jobs bill.

After his California visit, Obama will end his tour Tuesday in the swing state of Colorado with a speech at Denver's Abraham Lincoln High School.

CNN's Lesa Jansen and Jessica Yellin contributed to this report.

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Expert Alert - Did you know that over half a million workplace injuries are reported in Canada every year?

CIHR experts discuss health and safety in the workplace

OTTAWA, Sept. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - This significant number reflects a diversity of Canadians working in various occupations across the country. With the average person spending approximately one third of their day at work, it is important to take note on how to stay safe and healthy while on the job.

CIHR experts are available to discuss the impacts of work-related injuries and ways to promote a safer work environment for all Canadian workers.

Experts:

Maintaining mental and physical health in the workplace
Dr. Nancy Edwards, Scientific Director, CIHR-Institute of Population and Public Health (Ottawa, Ontario)

Ensuring the health and safety of Canada's marine and coastal workers
Dr. Stephen Edward Bornstein, CIHR-funded researcher (St. John's, Newfoundland)

When home is a dangerous workplace: preventing and treating injuries in rural Canada
Dr. James Dosman, CIHR-funded researcher (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

Workplace conditions in long-term health care facilities
Dr. Pat Armstrong, CIHR-funded researcher (Toronto, Ontario)

Unique challenges for immigrants injured in the workplace
Dr. Peter Smith, CIHR-funded researcher (Toronto, Ontario) 

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

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Hikers return to U.S., describe ordeal in Iranian prison

Freed hikers: Captive because of AmericaNEW: Bauer and Fattal blast Iran's "brutality" after returning to the United States NEW: Their espionage trial was a "total sham," Bauer saysNEW: Shourd says the screams of prisoners "will always be with me"The two hikers arrived in the U.S. after their release Wednesday

New York (CNN) -- Safely back on American soil, freed Americans Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer on Sunday recounted their two years in "a world of lies and false hope" behind the walls of an Iranian prison.

Wearing green shirts and big smiles, Bauer and Fattal landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport four days after their release by Iranian authorities. In a news conference following their arrival, they described long days held in isolation, the hours punctuated by the screams of other inmates, and their "total sham" of a trial.

"Releasing us is a good gesture, and no positive step should go unnoticed," Fattal told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We applaud the Iranian authorities for finally making the right decision regarding our case. But we want to be clear that they do not deserve undue credit for ending what they had no right and no justification to start in the first place."

Fattal, Bauer and Bauer's now-fiancee, Sarah Shourd, were arrested after straying across the unmarked border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran in July 2009. Shourd was released in 2010, but Bauer and Fattal were freed only Wednesday, after 781 days in captivity and a trial for espionage that Bauer said was based on "ridiculous lies."

"Sarah, Josh and I have experienced a taste of the Iranian regime's brutality. We have been held in almost total isolation from the world and everything we love, stripped of our rights and freedom," Bauer said.

He urged Iran to release all political prisoners immediately, telling reporters, "There are people in Iran who have been imprisoned for years for simply attending a protest, for writing a pro-democracy blog or for worshiping an unpopular faith."

But he also criticized the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. facilities, such as the military's prison camp for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"In prison, every time we complained about our conditions, the guards would immediately remind us of comparable conditions at Guantanamo Bay," he said. While the hikers don't believe American policies "justify what has been done to us," he said, "We do believe that these actions on the part of the U.S. provide an excuse for other governments, including the government of Iran, to act in kind."

They said they were held in near-complete isolation in Tehran's Evin prison, allowed a total of only 15 minutes of telephone calls with their families throughout their ordeal. Fattal said the two had to wage repeated hunger strikes in order to even receive letters from their families. Iranian authorities told them their families had stopped writing, that they would receive due process of law and that the Swiss ambassador -- who represents U.S. interests in Iran -- was not interested in seeing them.

Worse, Fattal said, "Many times -- too many times -- we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten, and there was nothing we could do to help them."

Shourd said Bauer was beaten and Fattal was forced down a flight of stairs during their captivity. She was released on medical grounds in September 2010, and told CNN the screams that echoed within Tehran's notorious Evin Prison "will always be with me."

"I don't know what was being done to them," she said. "But not being able to help another human being, being completely impotent and unable to do anything to ease their suffering, is something I'll never forget."

Iranian authorities released Fattal and Bauer on Wednesday. They first were flown to Oman, where they enjoyed several days of freedom after their lengthy captivity.

Fattal's mother, Laura Fattal, told CNN their families "were hooting and hollering and waving our scarves" when they landed.

"We couldn't wait for them to get to us ... I couldn't have asked for anything better," she said.

And Bauer's mother, Cindy Hickey, said the families haven't heard "a whole lot of details" from their sons since their release.

"We have taken the time to just sit and talk and regather," Hickey told CNN. "We've been very busy traveling," she said.

Hickey said they were held as "political pawns."

Bauer and Fattal blamed three decades of hostility between the United States and Iran for making their plight worse than that of other Westerners who had strayed into Iranian territory.

"It was clear to us from the very beginning that we were hostages," Fattal said. "This is the most accurate term because, despite certain knowledge of our innocence, Iran has always tied our case to its political disputes with the U.S."

But, Shourd said in hindsight, "I don't believe that Iran got anything good out of this.

"I don't believe it was good for the country, and it certainly wasn't good for the Iranian people, whom I admire and support in their struggle for democracy and freedom," she said.

Fattal and Bauer thanked the numerous people in America and abroad who helped secure their freedom, including their Iranian attorney, Masoud Shafiee. Shafiee "was never allowed to represent us properly, but he never gave up," Fattal said.

Shourd said no one has ever taken credit for paying her bail or those of Fattal and Bauer. She and Bauer became officially engaged on Friday, although he proposed to her during their time in prison.

"When Sarah was about to walk out of Evin prison last year, we vowed to each other that none of us would be entirely free until all of us were free," Bauer said. "That moment has now thankfully come."

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Todd Baxter and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

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Cell phone troubles hit AT&T customers in Los Angeles area

A glitch led to a loss of wireless phone service, but data and text services still workSubscribers started reporting outage problems around 3 p.m. Saturday

(CNN) -- AT&T said Sunday it was making progress in fixing a glitch that led to to hours of disruption for many wireless customers in Southern California.

"We are pretty much all back online except for a handful of towers that will be up and running shortly," said Meredith Red, a company spokeswoman.

Subscribers started reporting outage problems Saturday afternoon, Red said.

The glitches led to a loss of wireless phone service in the Los Angeles area.

Data and text services were still working, the spokeswoman said. She did not have an estimate on when voice services would be restored or the number of customers affected by the outage.

Technicians are working to fix the problem, the company said in a recorded message to customers early Sunday.

"We are throwing everything we have at it," Red said.

CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.

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Controversy erupts over bake sale plans

Bake sale prices depend on raceUC Berkeley Campus Republicans plan to charge for baked goods according to raceLewis: Sale makes a statement about pending California legislationWise: Sale is a "sarcastic and rather smarmy slap at people of color"

(CNN) -- Campus Republicans at the University of California Berkeley have cooked up a storm of controversy with their plans for a bake sale.

But it's not your everyday collegiate fundraiser they've got in mind. They've developed a sliding scale where the price of the cookie or brownie depends on your gender and the color of your skin.

During the sale, scheduled for Tuesday, baked goods will be sold to white men for $2.00, Asian men for $1.50, Latino men for $1.00, black men for $0.75 and Native American men for $0.25. All women will get $0.25 off those prices.

"The pricing structure is there to bring attention, to cause people to get a little upset," Campus Republican President Shawn Lewis, who planned the event, told CNN-affiliate KGO. "But it's really there to cause people to think more critically about what this kind of policy would do in university admissions."

Lewis says it's a way to make a statement about pending legislation that would let the California universities consider race or national origin during the admission process.

But the young Republicans have been on the receiving end of a fierce backlash. Reaction has been so negative they've been forced to cancel their customary lunchtime tabling duties, according to KGO.

Lewis told CNN's Don Lemon that they expected a certain amount of opposition but not the level of outrage they experienced.

"We didn't expect the volume, the amount of response that we got," Lewis said. "In the first few hours, hundreds of posts on our Facebook page. And the tone of some of the responses -- we expected people to be upset. We didn't expect personal threats to be made. They were implicit and explicit threats made to the organizers of the event, from burning down the table to throwing our baked goods at us and other kinds of physical threats."

Tim Wise, author of the book "White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son," calls the bake sale a "sarcastic and rather smarmy slap at people of color."

"There are a lot of ways to make a point about your disagreement with affirmative action," Wise told Lemon Saturday night.

"I get the joke," he continued. "How very original. It's been done for 15 years. The point that I think needs to be made ... is that by the time anyone steps on a college campus ... there has already been 12- to 13-years of institutionalized affirmative action for white folks, that is to say, racially embedded inequality, which has benefited those of us who are white. And it's only at the point of college admissions that these folks seem to get concerned with color consciousness."

Lewis insists, however, that Campus Republicans will go ahead with their bake sale and are committed to their controversial pricing structure.

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'Hognappers' take hundreds of porkers in Minnesota, Iowa

Thieves had to be familiar with the livestock system, law enforcement saysAuthorities urging producers to beef up securityThieves are tough to catch given size of operations, isolation of farms

(CNN) -- These little piggies went to market, but the people who raised them aren't getting the dividends.

Over the past few weeks, porkers have been pilfered at farms in Minnesota and Iowa, authorities said -- and the rustlers know a little bit about the business.

"It isn't your common thief who could do something like this," said Investigator Marc Chadderdon of the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office in south-central Minnesota. "These are not randomly picked facilities."

Thieves recently made off with 150 hogs worth $30,000 at a Lafayette, Minnesota, facility owned by Ryan Bode's family. This time last year, Bode said, hogs were going for between $120 and $130. Their market price has risen to about $200, a real incentive to bring home the bacon.

"I think it is a very well-organized ring, if you can call it that," Bode, 37, told CNN Saturday.

Several factors work in the thieves' favor, Bode and Chadderdon said.

The hogs weigh between 250 and 275 pounds and are market-ready. Thieves strike isolated areas, and vehicles used to haul the hogs may be shielded by tall corn still in the fields. "You probably won't notice anybody going up into the site," Bode said.

Operations these days are largely automated -- the feeding, heating and cooling -- reducing the amount of people needed on site. And in these days of large operations, hog barns contain thousands of animals, making it difficult to keep track of the numbers.

Such was the case with the thefts earlier this month at the Bode facility in Nicollet County.

The family has a total of eight sites, producing a staggering 60,000 pigs annually.

The pig rustlers hit the Lafayette operation, which has 4,000 head. It wasn't until the workers emptied a barn and did an inventory that they noticed 35 to 40 hogs were missing in each of four rooms.

The hogs almost certainly went to a slaughterhouse and arrived at supermarkets as sausage, pork chops or other products, officials said.

Chadderdon cites another factor that made it easier for the thieves to dump the product: The pigs had no identifying marks.

"We don't tattoo or earmark these pigs because it is labor-intensive and we have never had a reason to," Bode said.

Another 560 hogs were stolen from a farm in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, Chadderdon said. And, according to media reports, thieves struck in multiple locations in Mitchell County, Iowa.

CNN was unable Saturday to contact appropriate authorities in those counties.

Chadderdon and Bode contend the thieves are familiar with the hog-raising business and are finding a way to sell the pigs, perhaps at slaughterhouses, pork-producing operations or hog-buying stations. People involved in the transactions generally know each other.

"It has to be someone familiar with the livestock raising system," Chadderdon said.

In order for pigs to be accepted at a slaughterhouse or packing plant, the seller must have paperwork, Bode said. "Somebody has to have an in somewhere."

Chadderdon said he is working with other law enforcement agencies and is going over tips.

In the meantime, he is advising pork producers to increase security through more motion-sensing detectors, alarms, cameras and other technology.

"I want farmers to count their animals and check their facilities," Chadderdon said. "If you have 4,000 pigs in a barn, you could count them and miss a couple hundred of them."

Bode said his family is beefing up security.

"You can't have somebody there 24 hours a day," he said. "That is not feasible."

Although profits are up, hog farmers are contending with higher corn prices.

Bode said he is angry because of the hard work and money it takes to get the pigs to market. A trailer full of stolen pigs can get to a slaughterhouse in just a few hours.

"Greed is pretty powerful," he said.

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Ron Claiborne Takes Your Calls About Movies, Breakfast and More

[Ed. Note: Yesterday the 'Weekend GMA' anchors fielded phone calls from viewers after the show.]

First, it was a lot of fun which I didn’t expect. Also, strangely it was very tiring. You TALK a lot when you’re taking calls for almost 3 hours! People asked all kinds of things — some predictable, but most wildly unpredictable. Here’s a sampling of the questions (and answers).

What’s the hardest story you ever had to cover? I said the McCain campaign because the assignment lasted 14 months.

Your favorite movie? “Casablanca” and “Bridge on the River Kwai.” I picked two even though I was told — twice — to keep it to one. Least favorite movie? I said anything with Ben Affleck in it, but I should have added except “The Town,” in which he was very good.

How do you not get emotionally affected telling stories about terrible things that happen to people? I said we are affected but have a professional responsibility not to react in that way.

What time do you get up? My first of four alarms goes off at 3:25 am on weekends — never a pleasant moment no matter how much sleep I’ve gotten.

What do you do in your time off? There was a long answer that I’ll spare you, but the short version is golf.

What’s your favorite childhood memory? I said winning a harmonica in a raffle when I was about 5 and the first time I successfully rode a bike. It was exhilarating. I remember it like it was yesterday and it was many yesterdays ago.

Is the weekend window ever coming back? No (that’s per our senior producer Matt)

Someone even asked my advice on starting a business manufacturing clothing? I said I didn’t know then suggested coming up with a business plan and call the Small Business Administration.

In my phone calls, I tried to make it more of a conversation than just answering their questions. I’d ask the caller the same questions they asked me. What’s THEIR favorite movie? What do they like to eat for breakfast? The woman who asked about favorite childhood memories even told me hers. She was in her seventies and told me she was about 10 and found some Indian arrowheads on her family’s property in rural Virginia. She still has them on her mantle and remembers vividly the excitement of finding them. It was actually very emotional call.

And one caller from Sylacauga, Alabama, asked what I like for breakfast other than ice cream. I told her I ate grits, bacon and eggs virtually every day growing up — a Southern breakfast because my mother is from Talladega, Alabama. She asked what her maiden name was. I told her it’s Strickland. She said, “We know a lot of Stricklands in Talladega.” It turns out, she said, that her mother was a friend of my late Uncle Bob of Talladega.

Finally, I heard again and again that the callers enjoyed how well Bianna, Dan and I get along (who knew!?!?) and several cited it as a prelude to complaining about political bickering in Washington… which is why, in this e-mail, I am announcing my candidacy for the presidential nomination of BOTH PARTIES! Oh yes we can!

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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Sits Down with ABC's David Muir for an Exclusive Interview

ABC News Blogs > Headlines > Press Release

Interview to Air Monday, September 26 on “World News with Diane Sawyer”On Monday, September 26 ”ABC World News” weekend anchor David Muir will join Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner in Louisville, Kentucky as he meets with business leaders and local companies there. With the economy and high unemployment standing as the top  issues being discussed at kitchen tables across the country, Muir will take the tough questions about the President’s plans to get the economy moving again to the White House’s top economic advisor. The exclusive interview will air Monday, September 26 on “World News with Diane Sawyer.” Additional material from the interview will be featured on ABCNews.com, ABC News Radio, and ABC NewsOne.Michael Corn is the executive producer of “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.”  The evening newscast airs nationally at 6:30 PM/ET on the ABC Television Network.

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Making "Every Woman, Every Child" Count

This has been a historic week for maternal health.

In response to the world’s alarming pregnancy and childbirth-related death rates, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spearheaded the Every Woman, Every Child Initiative last year that, to date, has saved the lives of more than 500,000 women and children across the globe.  The United Nations-led initiative is making it possible for more children around the world to celebrate their first birthdays.

“On that day, we said we would carry out commitments to improve women’s and children’s health. We said we would develop a framework to ensure accountability. We said we would work together to bring in new partners.  I am happy to say today, one year later, we are delivering on all three fronts,” the Secretary General stated during an event at the United Nations.

“The secrets of Every Woman, Every Child success is the commitment nations have made and the follow-through they have played in saving the lives of women and children,” said the President of the 66th General Assembly, Mr. Nasr Abdul Aziz Al-Nasser, at the High-Level meeting.

More than 100 new partners, including governments, civil society and multilateral organizations, joined the cause in just the last year, bringing the total to more than 200 since the effort was launched.  The health of women and children is at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals  and Every Woman, Every Child aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015.

Merck & Co. Inc. also announced that it will spend a half-billion dollars over the next decade to reduce deaths from pregnancy and childbirth through vaccinations to prevent, treat, and diagnose the top three causes of death in pregnant women.

“We believe that a woman should not have to risk her life in order to give life,” the CEO of Merck, Mr. Kenneth Frazier, said at the event.

TAKE ACTION: Help women and children around the world by signing up to join the Million Moms Challenge! For the first 100,000 sign ups, Johnson & Johnson will donate a dollar to organizations supporting moms and children in the developing world.

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The Note's Must-Reads for Monday, September 26, 2011

The Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Digital News Associates Jayce Henderson, Jacqueline Fernandez and Desk Assistant Amanda VanAllen

PRESIDENT OBAMA:
The Hill’s Sam Youngman: “On West Coast Trip, Obama raises cash energizes liberal base” President Obama traveled West on Sunday in search of campaign funds and an energized base. With the third-quarter filing deadline looming this week, the president was attending seven fundraisers Sunday in Seattle and San Jose, Calif., blasting Republicans at every step. LINK

Los Angeles Times’ Seema Mehta: “In Indiana, ripples of discontent with Obama” Since her husband lost his job at the RV factory, Lorena Rodriguez has been holding tag sales on the dry lawn outside their modest ranch house on the edge of town. LINK

USA Today’s David Jackson: “Obama: GOP policy would ‘cripple’ U.S. economy” President Obama kicked off a three-day Western swing today by telling donors in the Seattle area that Republican candidates advocate “an approach to government that would fundamentally cripple America in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.” LINK

GOP:
ABC News’ Rick Klein: “Chris Christie Buzz More Symptom Than Remedy for GOP” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was so committed to not running for president that he joked earlier this year that the only thing he could do to prove he’s serious would be to kill himself. LINK

ABC News’ John Hendren: “Mitt Romney, Rick Perry Called ‘Very Weak Frontrunners’” As the Republican presidential lineup takes shape, party elites are increasingly voicing a common theme: disappointment. “These are very weak frontrunners,” Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard said today on Fox News. LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Joseph B. White and Neil King Jr. “GOP Looks for a Winner in Midwest Swing States” Republican Party officials and activists in Midwestern states say a GOP candidate can reverse President Barack Obama’s 2008 victories in the region. But they’re still trying to determine who has the best shot. Mitt Romney, a Michigan native and son of a former Michigan governor, has a home-field advantage and a feel for Midwestern political culture that some party officials say they prefer.  LINK

Politico’s Molly Ball: “Perry revives Nevada caucuses” Rick Perry’s candidacy may be on the rocks after his shaky debate and straw-poll defeat in Florida. But in Nevada, the state that hopes to hold the third GOP primary contest of 2012, he’s already accomplished a major feat. Perry may have singlehandedly saved the Nevada caucuses LINK

SENATE / DEFICIT:
The New York Times’ Jackie Calmes and Jennifer Steinhauer: “As Sides Dig In, Panel on Deficit Has an Uphill Fight” As if expectations were not low enough for the special Congressional committee charged with writing a deficit-reduction deal, they seem to be falling by the day as the two parties harden their positions on spending and taxes. LINK

The Washington Post’s Rosalind Helderman and Paul Kane: “Shutdown looms: Spotlight now on Senate after Boehner wrangled House GOP votes” With time running out, Congress returns Monday to try to pass a short-term funding measure to avert a government shutdown and avoid yet another market-rattling showdown over the federal budget. LINK

REGIONAL:
The Washington Times’ Jim McElhatton: “California Democratic Party among Solyndra’s creditors” Out of the hundreds of out-of-work employees, vendors, investors and other creditors in the bankruptcy of government-backed solar-panel maker Solyndra LLC, one name stands out: the California Democratic Party. LINK

BOOKMARKS:
The Note: LINK
The Must-Reads Online: LINK
Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK
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Chicago Gang Managed as Business: With Constitution, CEO, Funeral Fund

The Latin Kings street gang in Chicago was run like a business, complete with a CEO, constitution, and its own justice system, according to court filings and undercover FBI recordings.

Federal prosecutors say Fernando King was the “Supreme Inca” of the Latin Kings, sometimes referred to as the gang’s CEO and chief operating officer.

King pleaded guilty to racketeering charges and prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence him to the maximum of 40 years in a federal lockup. Sentencing was postponed Thursday and is now scheduled for next month.

In July 2008, a federal jury convicted him on one count each of drug conspiracy and attempted cocaine distribution, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago’s ABC station WLS-TV reports that Fernando King and the Latin Kings control areas of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

The gang’s constitution was actually required reading for thousands of gang members, according to WLS.  The document explained the group’s hierarchy and rules such as forbidding heroin use.

The group’s constitution details what was expected of disciples, including a willingness to kill or be killed for the good of the gang. The gang even set up a funeral fund to pay the final expenses of slain members.

Federal prosecutors say as many as 10,000 gang members reported to him over a decade.

With the help of  government informants, the FBI recorded King instructing members with rules of conduct and his vision for the organization.

The FBI recordings capture King worrying that bar brawls and drunkenness were ruining the effectiveness of his street gang.

“People look at the Latin Kings as bad people, man. And we only respond, we only respond to negativity. We’re approached in a negative way, we respond in a negative way,” says King on the tapes.

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Wanda Sykes Opts for Double Breast Removal

Stand-up comic and actress Wanda Sykes told Ellen DeGeneres that she asked doctors to remove both of her breasts when they discovered she had a ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS – a growth that can sometimes lead to invasive breast cancer.

According to a Reuters report on Friday, Sykes told DeGeneres doctors made the discovery while performing lab work after her breast reduction procedure.

“Do you want to wait and not be as fortunate when it comes back and it’s too late?” Sykes said.

The interview will air on Monday’s ”Ellen” show.

Sykes is not the first celebrity to have a bilateral mastectomy in the face of a breast cancer threat. In 2008, actress Christina Applegate underwent a similar procedure after doctors found breast cancer and she tested positive for the breast cancer gene BRCA.

Sykes told DeGeneres a family history of breast cancer was also part of her motivation to undergo the procedure. However, removal of both breasts is not the normal course of treatment for DCIS – a condition some doctors term “stage zero” breast cancer.

“DCIS is not considered cancer but rather a precancerous or noninvasive condition,” explained Dr. Susan Love, a breast cancer specialist and president of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. “As such it does not have the potential to kill you.”

Love said that, according to the few studies that have been conducted, DCIS has a 30 to 50 percent chance of developing into an invasive cancer if left untreated – which means that in at least half of women, it will never develop into full-blown cancer. It may even disappear.

Still, Love said that the best approach regarding treatment is an individual decision – particularly since there is currently no way to determine which DCIS will progress into cancer  and which will not.

“Any individual needs to weigh all this and decide for herself what treatment is the best for her,” Love said. “Obviously Wanda Sykes made a considered opinion.”

Love also noted that even a bilateral mastectomy does not completely eliminate the chances of developing breast cancer, as some breast tissue may still be left behind.

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Facebook: New Timeline Feature Makes It Easier to Find Who 'Defriended' You

ABC News’ Josh Cohan reports:

If Facebook’s recent changes have left you angry and perplexed, brace yourself for some more unsettling news.

When Facebook fully rolls out its latest overhaul in the coming weeks, anonymous “defriending” – or the simple act of removing someone from your Facebook friends list without their knowledge – will become a thing of the past. Sort of.

On Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new feature called timeline, which aims to provide users with a visual display of their lives, as documented on the social media site.

“[A]ll your stories, all your apps, a new way to express who you are,” Zuckerberg said at the company’s annual developers conference in San Francisco.

But the timeline will also let you see older versions of your friends list and a button that not-so-subtly indicates whether you’re still “friends,”  BuzzFeed reported Friday.

“There is a way where you can go in to a certain point in time and basically, if you look at your friends tab, maybe from three years ago, and you see the ‘Add Friend’ button from someone in that list, that will basically tell you that they have defriended you since you became their friend,” said Meghan Peters, community manager at Mashable.

But rest assured: those old college acquaintances, distant relatives, and annoying serial posters whom you’ve since given the social axe, can’t easily find out that you’ve decided to cut ties.

“It’s not going to automatically notify you and it’s not publicly being pushed into any streams anywhere,” Peters said.

Users will have to know where to look for the information.

“I think that people will definitely be upset by it. I mean, it always hurts to know that someone isn’t your friend anymore,” Peters said.

“Some people might understand, ‘Well, hey, I haven’t talked to that person in four years anyway. Maybe we shouldn’t be friends on Facebook.”

Along with timeline, Zuckerberg announced Thursday the integration of a number of streaming music services like Rdio, Slacker and Spotify, into Facebook’s interface.

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Federal Public Service Unions Call for Partnership with Canadians

MONCTON, NB, Sept. 19, 2011 /CNW/ - Leaders of 18 unions representing hundreds of thousands of Canada's public sector employees are calling on the federal government to reverse plans to cut valuable public services and jobs which Canadians depend on from coast to coast to coast.

The bargaining agent members of the National Joint Council held a summit in Moncton, New Brunswick to discuss ways in which they can promote and defend public services in the face of unnecessary and damaging austerity measures being implemented by the Harper Conservatives.

"We came together today to demonstrate that our members will stand together with Canadians across the country to work to strengthen the public services on which we all depend," said John Gordon, National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "Public services reflect the fundamental Canadian values of fairness and equality of opportunity, and must be protected."

The representatives of Canada's public service workers met with Atlantic Canadians who deliver vital public services to the region, as well as community leaders who know of the negative impact that cuts will have on the local economy.

"The government's obsession with austerity in fragile economic times and its suspicion of the public sector will damage the health, safety and well-being of Canadians", said Gary Corbett, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

By signing the Partnership with Canadians declaration, federal public sector unions are committing to continue to put the public interest first in their efforts to strengthen Canada's future.  They are also launching a country-wide petition to call on Tony Clement, the President of the Treasury Board, to put critical services and the viability of the long-term social safety net ahead of short-term concerns for reducing the deficit in a fragile economy.

"The programs and services our members collectively deliver to Canadians improve our nation's standard of living, help Canadians build vibrant communities, and protect the environment," said Claude Poirier, President of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees.

National Joint Council bargaining agents call on the government to hold meaningful consultations with its employees to ensure that the public interest comes first.

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Jamey Rodemeyer Suicide: Lady Gaga Pays Tribute to Bullying Victim

ABC News’ Olivia Katrandjian reports:

Singer Lady Gaga paid tribute to Jamey Rodemeyer, the 14-year-old student who took his own life after years of bullying at the iHeartRadio Festival this weekend in Las Vegas.

Lady Gaga dedicated her song “Hair” to Rodemeyer.

“I wrote this record about how your identity is really all you’ve got when you’re in school … so tonight, Jamey, I know you’re up there looking at us, and you’re not a victim” the singer said before performing the song Saturday, the New York Daily News reported.

Earlier, the pop singer who Jamey idolized, spoke out about the situation via twitter: “The past days I’ve spent reflecting, crying, and yelling. I have so much anger. It is hard to feel love when cruelty takes someones life.”

She added, “Bullying must become illegal. It is a hate crime.”

“I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey,” the singer posted to twitter.

On Saturday morning, hundreds gathered at the St. Peter and Paul church in Williamsville, N.Y. Rodemeyer’s funeral.

“Why him? And why are kids so mean to him? Just because of his sexual orientation. And it’s not fair,” said Cheyenne Phillips, one of Jamey’s friends, according to ABC News affiliate WKBW.

The teen’s parents and friends say he was relentlessly tormented by hate comments with gay references on social networking websites.

“JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY, FAT ANND [sic] UGLY. HE MUST DIE!” one post said, according to local reports.

Another post read, “I wouldn’t care if you died. No one would. So just do it It would make everyone WAY more happier!”

For months, Jamey blogged about being bullied and thoughts of suicide.

Jamey posted on his Facebook page, “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. …What do I have to do so people will listen to me?”

“No one in my school cares about preventing suicide, while you’re the ones calling me [gay slur] and tearing me down,” he wrote.

Click here to read the full story on Jamey Rodemeyer.

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Pan Am Flight Attendants Describe Golden Age of Flying

Long before airline passengers navigated snaking security lines, bagged their own lunches and struggled to lift carry-on luggage overhead, there was Pan Am, considered the most glamorous airline in the world.

In advance of ABC’s new drama, “Pan Am,” debuting Sunday, Sept. 25, flight attendants who worked at the airline during its heyday spoke to ABC about their adventures. Part 1 of the documentary-style Web show featuring the former stewardesses was posted online today, with new updates to come every Friday.

Below, watch a clip from the 6-minute video.

Sheila Riley, who was a Pan Am flight attendant for more than two decades, described her experience as “probably the best 22 years of my life.”

To sum it up in one word, she said, “elegant.”

For Riley, “Being a Pan Am stewardess was a lifestyle, not a career.”

Former flight attendant Karin Fiedler said the experience shaped “everything” about her.

“The way you walk, the way you talk, what you eat, how you speak, how you put on your makeup and how you get out of bed, everything changes,” she said.

Pamela Taylor, a stewardess with Pan Am for 25 years, said flying during the “Pan Am era” (compared to the 21st century) was “the difference between heaven and hell.”

“Only 10 percent of the population flew in those days. Passengers often were very elegant, dressed beautifully,” she said.

“There were four things we definitely had to remember,” said Fiedler. “Do not talk about politics. Do not discuss religion. We had to serve the meat on the plate at 5 o’clock and you had to have fresh parsley. And that [was] not only in first class — in economy as well.”

Then there was the romance.

“On every famous man’s arm in the 1960's there was a Pan Am flight attendant,” said Riley.

When men expressed interest, Fiedler said, there was one way to find out if he was truly eligible: just ask about his children.

“They will lie about their wife, they lie about everything, but when it comes to children, something happened inside and that was the end of that romance,” she said.

The stewardesses told ABC they had to be prepared for anything.

“Not only did I have to learn how to cook … fresh roast beef, five different ways — maybe right in the middle I may have to deliver a baby,” Fiedler said.

Being resourceful, the stewardesses said, was a job requirement.

“It’s a bit like children who go to boarding school, basically. You can put them down anywhere and they can cope,” Riley said.

But what the Pan Am stewardesses mention most about their time during the golden age of flying was the opportunity to become a citizen of the world.

For Pan Am flight attendant Holly Borowiak, “Being able to have access to so many ideas and so many varieties of culture, it was an education beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.”

The first episode of ABC’s “Pan Am” will air Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. CST.

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Fonds de solidarité FTQ adopts United Nation's Principles for Responsible Investment

MONTREAL, Sept. 24, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - By adopting the UN's Principles for Responsible Investment  during the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, both Michel Arsenault, Chairman of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ Board and President of the FTQ, and Yvon Bolduc, President and CEO of Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, reaffirmed the Fonds' commitment to socially responsible investing.

"The Fonds' adoption of the Principles for Responsible Investment is part of our continuous improvement efforts. In 2009, we committed to the United Nations Global Compact and in 2010, we published our first Sustainable Development Report according to the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. This latest move confirms and reinforces our commitment to socially responsible investing," stated Michel Arsenault.

"The principles of socially responsible investing have been part of the Fonds' approach for a long time. From day one, there have always been social prerequisites to any financial support from the Fonds. We have always made it clear that our investments are not based solely on financial returns but also on the impact companies have in the community," said Yvon Bolduc.

An initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the Principles for Responsible Investment were developed by the world's largest institutional investors with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the UN Global Compact. The six principles are:

We will incorporate ESG* issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes. We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices. We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest. We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry. We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles. We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.

*ESG: environmental, social and governance.

More information about the PRI is available at www.unpri.org/principles/index.php

About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ and its network help drive our economy. With net assets of $8.2 billion as at May 31, 2011, the Fonds is a development capital investment fund that through its 16 regional funds and 87 local funds channels the savings of Quebecers into investments in all sectors of the economy to help create and maintain jobs and further Québec's economic growth. The Fonds is a partner, either directly or through its network members, in 2,129 companies. With its 583,235 owner-shareholders, it has helped, on its own or with other financial partners, to create, maintain and protect 160,789 jobs. For more information, visit www.fondsftq.com.

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Labour leaders call on MPs to help stop "job-killing" Keystone XL pipeline

Approving Keystone XL is not in the interests of Albertans and Canadians

EDMONTON, Sept. 22, 2011 /CNW/ - Canadian politicians have been acting against the interests of their own citizens in pitching the Keystone XL pipeline, says the leader of Alberta's largest labour organization.

"Members of the Alberta and federal governments have been acting like sales executives for pipeline company TransCanada, travelling to the U.S. to persuade Americans what a great idea the raw bitumen pipeline will be, but they are ignoring what's best for Alberta and Canada," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents 145,000 workers.

"Approving Keystone XL will, indeed, be good for the U.S. by creating hundreds of thousands of jobs south of the border, but one must wonder why our so-called leaders are so keen to export jobs to the U.S. rather than keep them here," he says.

McGowan joined leaders from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada in Ottawa today to tell MPs why Canada should oppose the Keystone XL pipeline and keep refining jobs here. (See background document presented to MPs at http://www.afl.org/index.php/Download-document/430-Backgrounder-Press-Release-2011-50-Keystone-XL.html.)

Study after study shows that Keystone XL will create a jobs boom for the U.S. The Canadian Energy Research Institute predicts 465,000 U.S jobs by 2035; a study for the American Petroleum Institute puts the figure at 270,000 U.S. jobs by 2030; and the Perryman Group says there will be between 250,348 and 553,235 U.S. jobs depending on the price of oil.

"The jobs picture for Canada is much bleaker. Keystone's existing pipeline created only 17 permanent jobs in Canada. Keystone XL will add only about a dozen permanent jobs here. We have a one-time chance to take control of our own resources and build a value-added refining industry here. What we have instead is a mad rush to approve every application to develop the oil sands and ship our raw resources and good jobs down the pipeline," says McGowan.

"Alberta and Canada would benefit much more if the raw bitumen was refined in Alberta. This would have several important benefits: It would create real jobs here, not in the U.S. and they would be well-paying, value-added jobs; it would boost revenue for Canadian governments in taxes on income and profits earned here; it would reduce the environmental risk from shipping raw bitumen over long distances and across sensitive areas; and it would allow Canada and Alberta to set and enforce tough environmental regulations on oil sands operations," he says.

"This, however, would require a real national energy strategy, a vision for developing Canada's energy industry for the benefit of Canadians, rather than allowing corporations to dictate policy that works only for them. It would mean slowing down development of the oil sands to a reasonable pace, to avoid the boom-and-bust rollercoaster of the past. In this way, we could ensure jobs for Canadians for decades to come and avoid the shortages of material and labour that have boosted development costs in the past."

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October 6 election critical to Ontario's future. Parties must offer specifics on key health issues: RNs say

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2011 /CNW/ - Ontario nurses say the political parties running for election next month lack important details in their platforms.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) today released a copy of a letter it presented to party leaders with a list of questions to clarify their positions on key issues.

"We need more information on the issues that will have an impact on the health of Ontarians over the next four years," says Doris Grinspun, executive director of RNAO. Among those issues: guaranteeing full-time employment to new nursing graduates to keep them in Ontario; securing timely access to primary care and home-care services; continuing to increase the minimum wage and develop a full-fledged affordable housing strategy; and taking care of the environment.

Grinspun says it's unfortunate the various political parties don't offer a lot of specifics on these issues in their proposals. "We measured their ideas against the very detailed and specific policy recommendations contained in our report," she says. "We feel people need and deserve more information before they can cast their ballot, and that's why we issued a letter with nine questions to each party leader."

RNAO analyzed the parties' platforms in the following areas: strengthening social determinants of health; building sustainable, green communities; enhancing Medicare, improving access to nursing services, and strengthening public services.

"This election is extremely important and greater debate and detail about where each leader wants to take the province is necessary so voters can make informed decisions," says David McNeil, president of RNAO. A recent Nanos poll showed the top concern among voters continues to be health care, he adds. In fact, 26 per cent of respondents cited it as a number one priority. "Our definition of health includes the factors that determine a person's ability to lead a healthy life, including whether or not they have access to affordable education, a livable wage/salary, enough healthy food on the table to feed their family, a decent roof over their head, a greener and cleaner environment, and a well functioning health-care system."

To view RNAO's list of questions for the party leaders and its comparison chart, please visit: RNAO Provincial Election Resources 2011.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.

For more information about RNAO, visit www.rnao.org. You can also check out our Facebook page at www.rnao.org/facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rnao.

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Thunder Bay Developmental Services workers reach last minute settlement

THUNDER BAY, ON, Sept. 24, 2011 /CNW/ - More than four hundred Developmental Services workers in Thunder Bay reached a last-minute settlement in negotiations with Community Living Thunder Bay (CLTB) and Avenue ll Community Program Services on Friday evening, narrowly averting a 12:01 a.m. strike deadline on Sunday, September 25.

"We have sent a strong message to employers at Developmental Services agencies across the province that a fair deal for workers is necessary and possible," said OPSEU President, Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "I want to commend the dedication and support that members in Thunder Bay gave their bargaining teams. That solidarity was essential to the negotiation of these two tentative contracts."

Key issues in negotiations were wages and improvements for part-time workers. OPSEU's bargaining team recommends that their members vote in favour of the new tentative agreements.

"At CLTB we are dedicated to the clients we serve," said Kyle Pearson, Bargaining Chair, OPSEU Local 740,"We are all deeply relieved that we are able to continue to provide the quality services and care that our community depends on."

"I am happy that the workers at Avenue II are able to continue to serve our clients without disruption," said Silvana Cacciatore-Roy, President of OPSEU Local 738. "We have waited a very long time for a contract."

Central bargaining talks have broken off at the Developmental Services Provincial Discussion Table (DSPDT). This has resulted in the need to bargain each agreement from scratch at the local level, and has contributed to the fact that 46 additional Developmental Services units across Ontario have filed for conciliation.
Many workers have now been without a contract for as many as 17 months, and five of these units have taken strike votes.

Ontario's Developmental Services are seriously under-funded. Workers are struggling with heavy workloads and difficult shifts, and the majority of employees only have part-time work. Adequate sector funding is vital to maintaining access to quality programs for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

OPSEU Developmental Services workers held an information picket at the Ottawa office of Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services, on the morning of Friday September 23 to bring attention to the sector's funding crisis as the Thunder Bay strike deadline approached.

There are more than 8,000 OPSEU members working in developmental services.
Providing professional care to people with developmental disabilities, their work includes providing life skills and other training, support with basic personal tasks and administering medications. Support is provided in community residences and in clients' homes.

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Ontario Nurses' Association Prepares Community Care Access Centre Employees for a Possible Strike

TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2011 /CNW/ - Approximately 3,000 members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) - Case Managers, Placement Coordinators, Nurse Practitioners and other health professionals from 10 of Ontario's 14 Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) are in the process of taking strike votes in advance of their last week of bargaining.

A strike would leave communities across the province with limited access to health care services that these health professionals - including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses, occupational and physiotherapists and social workers - arrange and coordinate.

Should these services be withdrawn by a strike, there will be an increase in backlogs in hospital emergency rooms, and surgical and medical departments as health care employees are either not available to arrange and coordinate home care services or as clients return to emergency rooms when their case manager cannot assess their care needs. Wait lists for long-term care beds will increase as placement coordinators will not be able to proceed on placement and admissions into vacant nursing home beds.

"ONA members at our CCACs want to continue to serve their patients and clients, but the draconian concessions being demanded by employers are simply unacceptable," says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN.

"Our members work to ensure that the community receives home care services," she says. "They connect our vulnerable with services they need to stay healthy at home, preventing hospitalization. And they help those who can no longer remain at home find places in long-term care. Unfortunately, their employers are treating these valuable health professionals who provide such vital services very disrespectfully, despite the shortage of health care professionals and the stated goals of the government to increase home care services."

Haslam-Stroud notes that while agreement has been reached on a number of provisions, the membership issues of workload and professional responsibility, sick leave, wages and access to personal protective equipment should there be a pandemic are keeping the two sides from reaching an agreement.

"Our members are dedicated to serving their clients in the community who need their help to receive home care or a nursing home bed," says Haslam-Stroud. "They are highly skilled, educated and knowledgeable and the last thing they want is to be forced into a strike that will withdraw and/or delay services to their clients. But the often-shortsighted demands of the employers are preventing labour peace."

CCAC members are holding strike votes prior to the last two days of bargaining on September 26 and 27. Mediation is scheduled for September 28 and 29. The legal strike date is October 3.

ONA is the union representing 57,000 front-line RNs and allied health professionals and more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, industry and clinics.

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Pacific Rubiales Announces End of Blockade in Rubiales and Quifa Fields and Resumption of Operations

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2011 /CNW/ - Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (TSX: PRE; BVC: PREC) announced today that the blockade of certain internal routes at the Rubiales and Quifa Fields has now been resolved.  The Company has commenced the process of restarting operations at the fields and expects to have production back to normal levels within a week.  There has been no material damage as a result of the blockade.

The blockade was initiated as part of protests and political activity taking place outside of Pacific Rubiales' operations, by persons who are not employees of the Company.  Pacific Rubiales maintained the safety of its staff and contractors throughout this blockade, and is thankful that it has been resolved peacefully.

Pacific Rubiales, a Canadian-based company and producer of natural gas and heavy crude oil, owns 100 percent of Meta Petroleum Corp., a Colombian oil operator which operates the Rubiales and Piriri oil fields in the Llanos Basin in association with Ecopetrol, S.A., the Colombian national oil company. The Company is focused on identifying opportunities primarily within the eastern Llanos Basin of Colombia as well as in other areas in Colombia and northern Peru. Pacific Rubiales has working interests in 45 blocks in Colombia, Peru and Guatemala.

The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and La Bolsa de Valores de Colombia under the ticker symbols PRE and PREC, respectively.

Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 5.7 mcf: 1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding estimates and/or assumptions in respect of production, revenue, cash flow and costs, reserve and resource estimates, potential resources and reserves and the company's exploration and development plans and objectives) are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the company based on information currently available to the company. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, production estimates and estimated economic return; the possibility that actual circumstances will differ from the estimates and assumptions; failure to establish estimated resources or reserves; fluctuations in petroleum prices and currency exchange rates; inflation; changes in equity markets; political developments in Colombia, Guatemala or Peru; changes to regulations affecting the company's activities; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data; and the other risks disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the company's annual information form dated March 11, 2011 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

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Vale employees ratify Offer of Settlement

TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - Vale's Manitoba Operations is pleased to announce that USW Local 6166 members have voted 87.8% in favour of accepting the Company's Offer of Settlement for a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.

The ratification vote took place yesterday, September 15.

Vale presented the Offer to the USW negotiating team in the early hours of Monday, September 12. The USW negotiating team unanimously recommended the Offer when they presented it to employees later that day.

"This is a great day for our Manitoba Operations and for Vale in Canada," said John Pollesel, Chief Operating Officer for Vale's North Atlantic region. "We are very pleased to have a new agreement in place that our employees support - this result is good for the entire community of Thompson and bodes well for the sustainability of our operations in Manitoba."

The negotiations process was respectful throughout, and both teams worked hard to achieve this agreement. This is the fourth consecutive labour agreement achieved without a labour disruption at the Manitoba Operations in Thompson since 1999.

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Unions and environment groups join ranks to challenge Hudak's attack on Ontario energy legislation

OTTAWA, Sept. 21, 2011 /CNW/ - Environmental groups, a provincial labour federation and six national unions representing close to 1 million workers in Ontario have released a statement challenging Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak's attack on Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act.

The statement, signed by the Canadian Auto Workers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Climate Action Network, Green Communities Canada, National Union of Public General Employees, Ontario Federation of Labour, Polaris Institute, Public Service Alliance of Canada and the United Steel Workers, is intended to let Mr. Hudak know organized labour and environmental groups are greatly concerned if Mr. Hudak is elected and kills the legislation, that Ontario would be taking a giant step backward.

The joint statement asserts that "Mr. Hudak's recent attacks, which appear to be aimed at killing this legislation, are irresponsible," and that the "Green Energy & Economy Act is one important step forward in building a fair and sustainable future." The groups also emphasize that improvements are needed saying: "if this Act is to serve in making an effective and smooth transition to a green economy future, then a much higher percentage of public and community ownership is required."

The signatories are all members of the Green Economy Network.

Read the statement here: http://greeneconomynet.ca/section/4

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Toronto job growth depends on developing more downtown office space

Toronto Office Coalition warns that the target of 15,000 new financial services jobs cannot be met without attention to development in the city core

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2011 /CNW/ - The City of Toronto is reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be able to accommodate the thousands of new jobs projected to be destined for the city, according to a report prepared for the Toronto Office Coalition (TOC) by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and Real Estate Search Corporation (RESC).

The report notes that half of the jobs in the 416 area are in office buildings and between half and two thirds of these jobs are in the financial services sector. These are high paying jobs which feed the life of the city around it. Current targets set by the Boston Consulting Group for the Toronto Financial Services Alliance call for the creation of 15,000 jobs in the financial services sector to be created by 2015. The TOC report challenges this assumption because there are simply not enough development ready building sites that could house those jobs in downtown Toronto.

"What this means is that those jobs will go to car-dependent locations outside the 416 region, adding to existing high levels of congestion," said Jeff Orlans, TOC Chairman. "Consider the obstacles to office development - commercial taxes that are uncompetitive, a condo boom eating up prime office development space, creating a severe shortage of sites for commercial development, and the fact that it takes five years from a commitment to lease to moving day."

"Frankly that's two years too long for most businesses," Orlans said. "The playing field favours our neighbours in the 905 region who will clear the permits in half the time."

The CUI report's authors, Glenn Miller and Iain Dobson, note that over the years, the location of employment in Toronto has changed dramatically with companies other than those connected to the financial services sector leaving the core and growing in Brick and Beam areas on either side of the core, but most notably in industrial parks outside of the 416 region. As a result Toronto is rapidly becoming a one industry town, dependent on the health of the financial sector.

"No city should be so dependent on one sector," said Dobson. "Nor should such a singularly important sector be taken for granted. Imagine if Oshawa turned a deaf ear to the needs of General Motors," he added. "It could be devastating."

"Toronto is an extraordinary city," Orlans said. "We know what to do to help it grow and provide well paying jobs that are minutes away from home not hours. What we lack at the moment is the public policy and public awareness that we need to act now."

The report urges city and provincial planners to take a number of steps including:

Drafting planning and incentive policies which meet the competitive needs of tenants so that they are able to grow where transit and other amenities are available. Introducing tax and land use policies that recognize that office jobs are the only form of high density employment. Steps need to be taken to modify public policy to create a competitive environment for office development. Creating conditions on the ground which meet the needs of employers, encouraging them not discouraging them. Amending the current provincial Growth Plan to recognize that significant concentrations of office space exist outside of the designated Growth Centres, and need to be integrated into the strategy for creating Growth Centres. Committing the province to work with local municipalities in the GTA to adjust priorities and fine tune the planned roll-out of rapid transit projects to better connect to approximately 108 million square feet of office space that is currently dependent on automobile access. Creating the necessary provincial legislation to require binding commitments for transit-supportive development along transportation corridors in advance of transit construction.

The Toronto Office Coalition represents the interests of property owners and tenants of office buildings in the City of Toronto, who occupy approximately 55 million square feet of office space (35 per cent of the leasable commercial space in the Greater Toronto Area) and employ some 250,000 people in the Greater Toronto Area, the majority in the downtown core.

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TODAY: CAW President Ken Lewenza to Deliver Election Speech in London and Kitchener

LONDON / KITCHENER, ON, Sept. 19, 2011 /CNW/ - CAW National President Ken Lewenza will deliver a pre-election rallying speech to CAW members in the London area this afternoon and Kitchener-Waterloo this evening, at a meeting to plan and execute the union's Ontario election strategy.

The CAW is encouraging members to defeat the threat of a possible Tim Hudak Conservative government, which the CAW believes would have a hugely detrimental impact on workers, the economy and important public services like health care and education as well as the future of good, sustainable jobs in the province.

To view the CAW's Ontario election materials, please visit: http://www.caw.ca/en/10559.htm

Pre-Election Meeting

Kitchener - September 19 - 6-9 p.m., the Budd Hall, 600 Wabanaki Drive Lewenza will speak at approximately 7:30 p.m. Members of the media are invited to attend.

Similar CAW meetings will take place across the province. The schedule is as follows:

Sudbury - September 20 - 6-9 p.m., Local 598, 2550 Richard Lake Drive

Ottawa - September 22 - 6-9 p.m., CAW Regional Office, 5 Gurdwara Drive

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Media Advisory - Solidarity rally will support workers on strike at McGill

MONTREAL, Sept. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - Workers, students and professors from McGill University, along with representative from Quebec unions will demonstrate solidarity toward the workers on strike at McGill University today at noon.

Non-academic workers at McGill have been on strike since September 1st. The 1,700 employees provide university services such as student affairs, course registration, laboratory support and student residence management. They are seeking parity with other workers at Quebec universities, as well as a fair salary scale and input into the future of their benefits plan.

NDP MP Thomas Mulcair and Amir Khadir, the leader of Québec Solidaire, will be present at the rally to lend their support.

A solidarity rally to support workers on strike at McGill 11 h 45 am on Friday September 16, 2011 On McGill College avenue between Sherbrooke and Maisonneuve To support McGill workers in their struggle for a fair contract Workers, students and professors at McGill University. Special appearances by McGill Famous Alumni Thomas Mulcair and Amir Khadir

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Ming Pao media workers rally for fair first contract

Fight for honorable wages, work conditions at hostile Chinese-Canadian newspaper

OTTAWA, Sept. 21, 2011 /CNW/ - Workers at Ming Pao Newspapers in Toronto will rally today (Wed. Sept. 21) at 2 p.m. in front of the prominent daily paper at 1355 Huntingwood Drive in the heart of the Chinese-Canadian community. The 138 employees of the newspaper began a legal strike today.

"We are fighting for better pay and better treatment," said Simon Sung, the 32-year old graphic artist who was elected as the workplace union leader. "We shouldn't have to accept low pay and minimum labour standards just because we aren't working in the mainstream English media."

The major issues in the negotiations are wages and sales commissions, long hours, minimum vacation, and job security. The workers have been without a first contract since forming their union one year ago.

"Ten years ago, Chinese-Canadian staff went on a successful strike at Ming Pao's competitor, Sing Tao Daily, for the five-day work week and better wages," said Paul Morse, President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 87-M Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guild. 

"That employer was bankrolled by Torstar, a Canadian media giant. This conflict is different. It's a Chinese-Canadian business exploiting Chinese-Canadian workers.

"This employer's hostility to the unionization of its enterprise is palpable," he said. "This has the ingredients of a classic labour struggle."

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Ming Pao Strikers Ask Community Advertisers and Vendors for Support

OTTAWA, Sept. 22, 2011 /CNW/ - Striking employees at the Hong Kong-owned Ming Pao Daily newspaper in Toronto are calling upon community businesses to stop supporting hardline management negotiating tactics.

"We're asking advertisers and newspaper vendors to stand with their community, and that community includes the underpaid Chinese workforce at Ming Pao," said Ming Pao employee and union chair Simon Sung.

The 135 newly unionized employees are seeking a first collective agreement. Most staff earn between the minimum wage and $14 per hour, and are seeking salaries comparable with Ming Pao's main competitor Sing Tao Daily, which was unionized 10 years ago after a bitter seven-week strike.

"The businesses that retail copies of Ming Pao and the businesses that advertise in Ming Pao need to send a message -- that we don't condone Chinese businesses exploiting Chinese workers," said Sung.

Sung said striking employees will picket advertisers or vendors who support the newspaper and will call for a community and consumer boycott of those businesses.

Ming Pao employees in Toronto are represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 87-M Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guild.

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Air Canada and CUPE Reach Tentative Agreement, Business as usual at Air Canada:

Air Canada mainline flights unaffected Air Canada Express service to Toronto Island unaffected Air Canada Express operated by Jazz returns to regular schedule Thursday September 22

MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced that it has reached a tentative collective agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the airline's approximately 6,800 flight attendants.

The agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership. Details of the agreement will not be released pending ratification, and approval by the Air Canada board of directors.

"The conclusion of a tentative agreement is welcome news for our customers and we want to thank them for their ongoing loyalty and support during this round of contract negotiations. It's business as usual and customers can continue to make their travel plans on Air Canada with confidence," said Susan Welscheid, Senior Vice President, Customer Service.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Air Canada's public communications may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are based on assumptions and are subject to important risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon due to, amongst other things, changing external events and general uncertainties of the business. Actual results may differ materially from results indicated in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, industry, market, credit and economic conditions, the ability to reduce operating costs and secure financing, pension issues, energy prices, currency exchange and interest rates, employee and labour relations, competition, war, terrorist acts, epidemic diseases, environmental factors (including weather systems and other natural phenomena and factors arising from man-made sources), insurance issues and costs, changes in demand due to the seasonal nature of the business, supply issues, changes in laws, regulatory developments or proceedings, pending and future litigation and actions by third parties as well as the factors identified throughout Air Canada's public disclosure file available at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent Air Canada's expectations as of date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. However, Air Canada disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

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Air Canada Confirms Receipt of CAW Pension Arbitration Ruling

MONTREAL, Sept. 16, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada said today it has received a decision in the arbitration related to pension arrangements for new hires represented by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union at the airline.  The CAW represents approximately 4,000 Customer Service and Sales Agents employed by Air Canada.

The arbitration process was established under the collective agreement signed between Air Canada and the CAW and ratified by the union on June 27, 2011. Under the terms of the agreement, the issue of pension arrangements applicable to employees hired after the date of ratification was referred first to mediation and then to arbitration. In his ruling issued today, arbitrator Kevin Burkett determined that a hybrid pension regime consisting of part defined contribution and part defined benefit plan will apply to new hires represented by the CAW.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION 

Air Canada's public communications may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are based on assumptions and are subject to important risks and uncertainties, including those described below. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon due to, amongst other things, changing external events and general uncertainties of the business. Actual results may differ materially from results indicated in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, industry, market, credit and economic conditions, the ability to reduce operating costs and secure financing, pension issues, energy prices, currency exchange and interest rates, employee and labour relations, competition, war, terrorist acts, epidemic diseases, environmental factors (including weather systems and other natural phenomena and factors arising from man-made sources), insurance issues and costs, changes in demand due to the seasonal nature of the business, supply issues, changes in laws, regulatory developments or proceedings, pending and future litigation and actions by third parties as well as the factors identified throughout Air Canada's public disclosure file available at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent Air Canada's expectations as of the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. However, Air Canada disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

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Air Canada Provides Update on CUPE Labour Negotiations

MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada said today talks with CUPE, which represents the airline's 6,800 flight attendants, are continuing prior to the union's strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. EDT September 21, 2011, assisted by federally-appointed mediators.

However, in the event a strike cannot be averted before CUPE's deadline, the airline is proceeding to prepare for the implementation of a partial schedule, if required, for Wednesday September 21 in order to ensure orderly schedule modifications as necessary.  Effective immediately, temporary modifications are being made to some regularly scheduled Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz on September 21 in order to redeploy the limited number of aircraft available to serve the greatest number of passengers on Air Canada's highest demand domestic and transborder routes.

Air Canada Express customers booked for travel Wednesday September 21 who are affected by schedule changes are being notified directly by Air Canada or their travel agent.  Customers who booked directly through Air Canada will receive an email or SMS notification if a change has been made to their itinerary inviting them to use Air Canada's online rebooking tool for Delayed and Cancelled Flights at aircanada.com in order to make alternate arrangements.  Customers with cancelled flights also have the option of requesting a full refund through the online rebooking tool.

"We regret the inconvenience the ongoing labour uncertainty is creating for our customers and we thank them for their patience," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are fully committed to reaching a negotiated agreement with CUPE prior to their strike deadline and our preference is to do so without government intervention through back-to-work legislation.  However, at this stage we have no choice but to start modifying our schedule to better implement a contingency schedule for September 21 if required.   We apologize to those customers affected and will communicate developments on an ongoing basis."

Air Canada mainline flights are not currently affected by the contingency schedule preparations. The airline will provide updates as plans are finalized and developments warrant.

In addition to offering the option of refunds to customers whose flights have been cancelled,  Air Canada has introduced a flexible rebooking policy to enable customers booked for travel over the next six days on a rolling window basis (September 20-25, 21-26, etc.) to change their flight dates free of charge until December 9, 2011, subject to seat availability.

Call centre wait times are longer than usual due to increased call volumes.  Customers are urged to consult aircanada.com that will continue to be updated with the latest available information and to use the airline's self service tools for flight information and rebooking.  Customers may also contact their travel agent for assistance.

For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please consult aircanada.com and follow @AirCanada on Twitter and Facebook.

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Delayed justice spells danger for Alberta workers

Action needed now to make worksites safe as province braces for boom in foreign employees

EDMONTON, Sept. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - The delay of the criminal case against companies involved in the deaths of two oilsands employees is bad news for Alberta workers, says the province's largest labour group.

"Justice delayed is justice denied - and the families of these workers have been waiting for more than four years for the court to hear what happened," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), which represents 145,000 workers. "But this delay also spells danger for people now working in Alberta or who will be working here in the months and years to come," he says.

"The two workers who died in April 2007 at the Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) Horizon project, and another four who were injured, were Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) unfamiliar with Albertan workplace procedures and safety standards. The Alberta government failed to take the necessary measures to ensure our standards were being maintained - and the workers paid the price with their lives," says McGowan. "Alberta is on the cusp of another boom in bringing in foreign workers - we could have more than 100,000 TFWs here soon. We need to learn the lessons from this tragedy now in order to ensure the same fatal mistakes aren't made again. This trial delay makes learning those lessons more difficult," he says.

The number of applications to bring TFWs into Alberta approved by the federal government soared by 37 per cent between 2009 and 2010, rising by 11,655 to a total of 42,885. Add that to the 57,774 TFWs already working here in 2010 and Alberta could soon pass the six-figure mark.

A total of 53 charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act have been laid against CNRL, Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company Ltd. and SSED Canada Ltd.. The companies were to go to trial Oct. 3, but the case has been put over until Oct. 1, 2012.

"The Alberta government had a hand in the accident in 2007. Alarm bells should have gone off for provincial regulators when it became known that CNRL was hiring a Chinese contracting firm. Inspectors should have been at the site before ground was broken and should have made frequent visits to ensure our safety standards were being met - but that didn't happen," he says.

"We cannot ignore or fail to enforce our rules just because these are foreign workers. The government must be more serious about its responsibility to inspect worksites and enforce its rules, or more workers will die or be hurt," says McGowan. "We have to make sure that these foreign construction firms, whether they come from China or other countries, are not importing Third World labour and health and safety practices along with the temporary foreign workers that they use."

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Dressing in Blue and Yellow Just Got Better Looking

IKEA Canada Recognized as One of Canada's Top Employers
For Young People

BURLINGTON, ON, Sept. 19, 2011 /CNW/ - Today, IKEA Canada has been honoured with being named one of Canada's top employers for young people by Mediacorp. This competition recognizes the employers that lead the nation in helping college and university graduates make the transition from school to work. IKEA was recognized for offering appealing perks and benefits for young people, and also for offering the best opportunities for ongoing career development and advancement.

"At IKEA, we pride ourselves on offering down-to-earth, straightforward people the possibility to grow, both as individuals and in their professional roles." Says Kerri Molinaro, President, IKEA Canada. "We place great emphasis on training, mentoring, succession planning and mobility so that we are developing the future leaders of our organization today."

This designation comes at a time when IKEA is focusing on developing innovative programs designed to expand the career horizons of coworkers.

IKEA's Backpacker program is a new initiative that provides a unique opportunity to work for IKEA abroad.  Backpackers are set out to gain a broader view of our business processes by working alongside an experienced mentor in a real life situation with a specific challenge to solve.  This creates an excellent platform to learn by experience.  Today, Canadian co-workers in the Backpacker program are working in Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Poland, Portugal and the U.K.

IKEA co-workers are also encouraged to take responsibility for their development and are offered an educational assistance reimbursement of 75% for academic courses related to their career path at IKEA.

Each year, IKEA Canada publishes a Learning & Development program guide that includes over 45 training opportunities in the form of local in-store training, national training and specialized workshops to develop job competence, management and leadership abilities.

All IKEA locations across Canada partner with one or more educational institutions to offer students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a retail or food service environment.  Many of the co-op students have developed successful IKEA careers as managers within the organization.

About IKEA

IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 280 stores in 26 countries worldwide, which are visited by 626 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 11 stores, which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the IKEA.com websites attracted 712 million visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information visit www.IKEA.ca.

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