McWane, Inc. Essay Example for Free

McWane, Inc. Essay McWane, Inc. is a privately held company based in Birmingham, Ala., which owns plants across the country and Canada and who is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cast iron sewer and water pipe (McWane Mess). From 1995-2003, McWane plants, in the U.S., had 4,600 worker injuries (CBC News). The company was also cited for more than 400 safety violations and 450 environmental violations during that same period (Barstow, Foundry). Tyler Pipe, one of McWane’s plants, was described by one its workers. He said it was â€Å"a dim, dirty, hellishly hot place where men are regularly disfigured by amputations and burns, where turnover is so high that convicts are recruited from local prisons, where some workers urinate in their pants because their bosses refuse to let them step away from the manufacturing line for even a few moments† (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). A federal investigation began in January 2003, which was the same month The New York Times published a series of articles that described McWane as one of the nations most persistent violators of workplace safety and environmental laws (Barstow, Foundry). CAUSES Root organizational causes and regulatory weakness factors contributed to the McWane scandal. The structure at McWane contributed to the scandal because it was one of the root organizational causes. McWane Inc. is a privately held organization where the family and a few close individuals run it. The family is described as secluded and very private (Barstow and Bergman, Family’s). Executives and family members repeatedly decline interview requests and rarely talk to the media (Barstow and Bergman, Family’s). In 2007, of McWane’s twenty-five divisions, only two included McWane in the name (Wisniewski). Even though McWane’s divisions were places where the desperate seek work (Barstow and Bergman, Texas), society did not hold the right people accountable. Many individuals do not know McWane is connected because the plant names rarely reflect their owner. Without interviews, the fact that it is a private company, and that it keeps its name off new divisions, McWane lacks transparency to help keep it accountable. The seclusion and privacy of the family makes it seem as though they stay out of the public eye for a reason. McWane’s organizational culture was also a root cause that contributed to the scandal. One phrase was posted throughout the plants and was posted in large orange print: REDUCE MAN HOURS PER TON (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). This phrase created a culture that drove all aspects of the McWane companies. McWane was not the best place to work. In fact, there were times when turnover was 100 percent at one plant (The McWane Mess). High turnover is one measure of the culture at McWane and it shows how employees fit into that culture. The high turnover was disturbing and not normal for the industry. Acipco, a direct industry competitor, had a yearly turnover of around half a percent (Barstow and Bergman, Family’s). The organizational culture that focused on one key phrase continued into work shifts. There were two 12-hour shifts instead of the normal three shifts of eight hours. At the end of a shift, supervisors often called for four more hours of work. Therefore, employees worked 16-hour days, sometimes seven days a week (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). Leadership was also a root organizational cause. McWane never developed a system to hold supervisors accountable for safety; however, their system for holding supervisors accountable for production downtime (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). Federal rules require conveyor belts be shut off for maintenance. They also require that all belts have safety guards. The rules are important because they help prevent workers from being caught and crushed. In one instance, inspectors discovered that a belt violated both of those rules (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). This negligence contributed to one of the nine deaths that occurred at McWane divisions from 1995-2003 (Barstow and Bergman, Deaths). Leaders in the company gave orders that were in clear violation of laws. Another example of leadership was what to do with 200 old tires. It would have cost about $750 to have them brought to a waste dump. However, documents show that a plant manager ordered the tires be burned, even though he had been notified burning tires violated air-quality laws (Barstow and Bergman, Texas). The managers like the one above were partially victim to those higher up. The leadership style at McWane was clearly a top down approach. One plant manager stated, â€Å"I was like a robot. All that mattered was getting machines moving again after an accident† (The McWane Mess). One risk manager says that a top down approach creates a disconnection between plant managers and executives. He also explains that this disconnection increases in privately held companies due to a lack of accountability (The McWane Mess). OSHA’s regulatory and oversight weakness contributed to the McWane scandal. At the time, the laws in place were not severe enough detour McWane from committing them. At the time of the scandal, the crime, of willfully violating safety rules that cause the death of a worker, was a misdemeanor. That crime was a less serious than harassing a wild burro on federal lands, which was punishable by up to one year in prison (Barstow and Bergman, Deaths). The fines McWane had to pay for violations were lower than the cost of having the machines down due to implementing and following safety regulations. A McWane executive confessed that Tyler Pipe had willfully ignored workplace safety laws, a crime that caused the death of a worker. The company only paid a $250,000 fine (The McWane Mess). OSHA let off McWane through payments and it did not do more to ensure the safety of workers in McWane plants. Weak labor union oversight also played a role in contributing to the scandal. The labor unions that represented McWane workers were usually small and overwhelmed with cases. The unions had no bargaining power because they were small, so they could not effectively protect their workers from low wages, hours per shift, or dangerous environments. A United Steelworkers union official attempted to tour Tyler Pipe with a safety and health specialist but had been rejected twice (The McWane Mess). CONSEQUENCES McWane scandal had widespread consequences. Those consequences affected the company as well as the environment and manager at the plants. The scandal produced financial woes and a tainted reputation for McWane. McWane was ordered to pay $19 million in fines and restitution in 2006 (Barstow, Foundry). In addition, McWane was ordered to pay $8 million in fines for dozens of workplace safety and environmental crimes in 2009 (Barstow, Iron Pipe). The fines that McWane had to pay were substantially more than any other fines it had previously received. The McWane scandal also greatly affected the environment. As stated before, McWane had over 450 environmental violations (Barstow, Foundry). One of those incidents, the burnt tires, caused toxins to be released directly into the air. Another incident that McWane was charged with was illegally dumping oil into the Atlantic Ocean. McWane had dumped so much oil that it created an 8.5-mile-long slick (Barstow and Bergman, Family’s). Lastly, the McWane scandal affected the lives of those managers who were charged criminally. Four McWane plant managers were convicted or pled guilty to committing environmental crimes (United States v. Atlantic). These people took risks that ended in tarnished reputations, criminal records, jail time, and hefty fines. PREVENTION Prevention is key so that scandals, like McWane, do not happen again. One preventative step is that the government has set stronger penalties for companies who repeatedly violate safety and environmental laws. The government has also set out better guidelines to prosecute repeat offenders (Barstow, Guilty Verdicts). Another preventative measure is that OSHA is looking to increase its criminal enforcement arm. In four years, OSHA only sent 21 percent of eligible cases to the Department of Justice, and the DOJ acted on 4 percent (McGarity et al). If OSHA can increase its force, it can ensure the safety of more workers. The increased force would be a deterrent for companies, because the chances of it being charged would increase. One last way to prevent other scandal is to have the White House and Congress step up (McGarity et al). If these two groups could work together and provide OSHA with a larger budget, OSHA could then improve everything that they do. It all comes down to the fact that OSHA is there for the people, but with a small budget, they cannot do the best job possible. Works Cited Barstow, David, and Lowell Bergman. At a Texas Foundry, an Indifference to Life. The New York Times 8 Jan. 2003. Print. Barstow, David, and Lowell Bergman. Deaths on the Job, Slaps on the Wrist. The New York Times 10 Jan. 2003. Print. Barstow, David, and Lowell Bergman. Familys Profits, Wrung From Blood and Sweat. The New York Times 9 Jan. 2003. Print. Barstow, David. Foundry Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes. The New York Times 23 Mar. 2005. Print. Barstow, David. â€Å"Guilty Verdicts in New Jersey Worker-Safety Trial.† The New York Times 27 April 2006. Print. Barstow, David. Iron Pipe Maker Is Fined $8 Million for Violations. The New York Times 25 Apr. 2009. Print. CBC News: The Fifth Estate A Toxic Company The Canadian Connection. CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 8 Jan. 2003. Web. McGarity, Thomas, Rena Steinzor, Sidney Shapiro, and Matthew Shudtz. Workers at Risk: Regulatory Dysfunction at OSHA. The Center for Progressive Reform. Feb. 2010. Web. The McWane Mess. ISHN Magazine. BNP Media, 11 Feb. 2010. Web. United States v. Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company Et Al. Fact Sheet. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 9 June 2011. Web. Wisniewski, Barbara J. The McWane Story. McWane, 2012. Print.

Integrated Management Services :: Dr. John D. Calhoun Engineering Essays

Integrated Management Services If you are unfamiliar with Integrated Management Services then you are truly missing an impressive accomplishment. Integrated Management Services is a minority owned Jackson based organization that was founded and incorporated in 1996. IMS is owned Dr. John D. Calhoun, President, and Mr. Rod L. Hill, Vice-President, both from Jackson, Mississippi and both former graduates of Jackson State University. The mission of IMS is to provide clients the best in engineering expertise and service, with a total commitment to quality, responsiveness and integrity. Integrated Management Services is a company that is more than just engineers. IMS deals with consulting (IMS Consultants), employment training (IMS Tech) as well as engineering (IMS Engineers, PA). I plan to look at IMS Engineers, PA mostly in this paper. The information encompassed in this report comes from the CEO/ President, Dr. Calhoun and the fiscal officer, Derrick Cannon. IMS Engineers deals mostly with infrastructure engineering with the city, county, state, and federal departments. It is a for-profit business that usually lets it work speak for itself. They also market their services through proposals and personal contacts. Resources come from fees received from services and unless these services are done effectively, they will not receive the correct amount. A profit is made if the job can be done more efficiently than budgeted. An example he, Dr. Calhoun, gave me is one where a project is scheduled to use 1000 hours of labor. If the project uses those 1000 hours or less, then a profit has been made. Dr. Calhoun explained the troubles and risks involved with the engineering market. He explained that the market has trouble recruiting talent and properly designing exactly what the client is looking for. He stated to me that, â€Å"A lot of the work done here has never been done before.† The risks involved with taking every job is making sure that you can do the job. This is a risk in every field of business. When asked about any auditing risks he feels the company faces, he says his greatest concern is that the federal funds are properly accounted for and making sure they are accurate. As long as IMS is timely with it’s tax payments and any questionable charges (entertainment, gifts, contributions, etc.

How Far Was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905?

How far was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, responsible for the outbreak of the 1905 Revolution? The Russo- Japanese War, although an important rationale for the outbreak of the 1905 Revolution , was caused by many other problems which made a foundation for the War as well as the Revolution. Due to the War the economy suffered, adding on to the problems that Russia was already facing from a lack of preceding modernization, making this very important as the majority were affected causing them to revolt.Furthermore, Russia lost against Japan in the War portraying the Tsar as weaker compared to how he was already viewed by the population, making this another very important factor as the Russians felt they needed a stronger leader and in distress turned to extremist political parties. In addition another important factor is, the extremist parties in particular, felt that the autocratic rule of the Tsar was causing Russia to suffer, seeing that the people were not being heard resulti ng in them gaining extremist views and rebel.The Russo- Japanese War was a short term factor, which was only partly responsible for the outbreak of the Revolution. The Russian military lost miserably to the Japanese and this was a huge blow to the Russians as due to censorship, they had always conceived the Japanese to be inferior and weaker, making them certain that they would win. The defeat was seen as national humiliation, helping to cause unrest towards the Government and making the Tsar look weak, giving encouragement to the revolutionaries.In addition the overall cost of the War was very high, meaning that the already suffering Russian economy was plummeted further into trouble resulting in the tarnishing of the state finances made by Witte. However, it mainly helped to prolong the Revolution as many of the events of the war took place after the Revolution had begun. Long before the Russo-Japanese War had begun, Russia was still facing Economic turbulences and this is one of the main contributors to the outbreak of the Revolution.A revolt by the Peasants who were discontent due to only small individual plots for each family being distributed and bad harvests meant that there was massive industrial growth, resulting in an economy boom and building expectations of a better life for peasants . An industrial ‘slump’ caused social discontent of economic misfortune as Russian peasants and workers forced the uncertainty of poverty and poor living conditions. This caused major resentment to the Tsar both in industry and agriculture with his social and economic regime.In addition, due to Russia being backwards, even under Witte the Russian economy had failed to reach or exceed the output in production of goods as the other Great Powers although being the largest continuous land Empire. The low production in goods meant that Russia’s trade also suffered. The overall state of the economy meant many problems which were causing much unrest such a s poor living conditions were left unresolved and the resentment towards the Tsar continued to grow. Russia was under autocratic rule and this is also one of the main contributors to the outbreak of the 1905 Revolution.Autocratic rule was disliked by many as many people believed that under the Autocratic rule Russia was suffering and there needed to be a change in the way the country was led in order for the country to progress. This caused many political groups to gain extremist views. The extremist groups such as the Social Revolutionaries became very popular as they wanted to give political power to the peasants, who made up 80% of the total population and solving their problems would mean that the whole of Russia would benefit greatly.This shows that the groups were becoming more organized and strategic in the way they worked as they were targeting the biggest problems, in addition in order to gain publicity and get their message and views across, political groups were responsib le for over 2000 assassinations which included the Interior Minister, Plehve and the Tsars Uncle, Grand Duke Sergei, the Governor of Moscow.Furthermore, the demand for political reform continued growing as just like the Russian economy, Russian politics was also backwards and unlike other European states, Russia had elected bodies being the Zemstva, instead of an elected national parliament. This meant that the Russian population had no say in how the country was run which angered many and in turn meant that they supported extremist political groups in an attempt to force political change. Alexander ii’s reforms were also partly responsible for the outbreak of the War.Although the Emancipation of Serfs Act was passed in 1861,the peasants were still not completely free as they could not leave their villages without permission from the elders. The fact that they also had to pay redemption payments for 49 years added to their animosity towards the Tsar. In addition, landowners h ad to sell their land to the Government, meaning that they were in great debt and like the peasants their resentment towards the Tsar continued to grow. Due to Russia’s economical state many of these problems continued to grow as did the resentment.The weaknesses of Nicholas ii, although not as important as the other factors such as economic and political, also influenced the outbreak of the Revolution. As Russia was under autocratic rule, the majority needed to be under his control. This was very hard for Nicholas as he was very shy and timid, not qualities the Russians admired in their leader. His image was also affected by events such as the Russo-Japanese War as the result meant that Russia’s pride was damaged. Bloody Sunday also affected how he was viewed by his Country as he had been accused on turning against his own people.It was also said that he had no political knowledge, which many people blamed for Russia’s turbulences. Therefore people saw him unfi t to rule. Bloody Sunday was only minutely responsible for the outbreak of the Revolution as it was merely a spark. Although it was only a short term cause it had a damaging effects that angered many. Although the Tsar was not present at the time it still harmed his popularity as he was no longer the ‘Little Father’ who was on their side and would listen to them if they petitioned.He had destroyed the trust causing them to revolt. In conclusion, the Russo- Japanese War, although important as it highlighted and added to many of the issues already present in Russia, was merely a factor that prolonged the Revolution. The most important factors were the Economical and Political, as they showed Russia’s latent issues whereas the War made people more aware. The Russo- Japanese War itself was a problem that helped merely to prolong a revolution that would have occurred even without it.

The Kitchen A Scientist s View Of Genetically Modified...

Nina Fedoroff’s and Nancy Marie Brown’s Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Foods is a rich narrative describing the history, technology, and science of genetically modified foods and their implications for society today. Along the way, Fedoroff and co-author Brown use illustrative examples to dispel myths and misunderstandings about genetically modified foods. Even those initially unfamiliar with genetically modified foods will leave with a broad yet solid grasp of these complex biological concepts. Fedoroff and Brown use clear and concise language; combined with helpful illustrations, even the most difficult topics (particularly those related to genetics) discussed in the book were made accessible to the general public. Ultimately, Fedoroff argues that the real problem is the general lack of understanding amongst the public about what exactly this plant biotechnology is, causing unwarranted fear and mistrust of genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods are beneficial to society as a whole and safe for us to consume, and Fedoroff asserts that it is time we embrace these GMOs through Mendel in the Kitchen. According to the World Health Organization, genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are â€Å"organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination† (WHO). Genetically enhancing organisms is not a new process; humans have selectively bredShow MoreRelatedGenetically Modified Organisms And The Food Supply1642 Words   |  7 Pagesconsumer’s food without the world’s communities approval and it still continues today. Genetically modified organisms have contaminated the food supply. â€Å"A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced in the genes of an unrelated plant or animal† (Seeds of Deception). 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