Ed Stoffel

Lots of folks were upset awhile back when it was revealed that tech writers were recommending products to their readers, only to find out they were being paid to do so. It would be just as despicable if they were being forced to make such recommendations.

Such is the state of labor negotiations today when companies coerce union negotiators to recommend contract proposals. Union members should be able to trust the word of their negotiators that a recommendation is genuine, not coerced.

One set of contract talks broke down this week, and amazingly, the company involved admitted it was because the union negotiators refused their requirement to “recommend the proposal.” This extra arm-twisting is unnecessary. Some union members are considering what to require company representatives to say back to their people.

It’s now come out that file-sharing can hurt your future chances of getting a job requiring a security clearance…

Have you ever downloaded tunes off of LimeWire? Swapped TV show torrents? Then don’t bother trying to work for the NSA. At a recent recruiting session, an Agency staffer told wannabe spooks that “illegal file sharing” was one of the things that would keep them from getting the security clearances needed to work at the NSA.

Don’t be surprised when other employers use this as a gauge of your honesty, too.

 NSA: File-Sharers Unfit to Spy on Americans, Wired News