Category: workers

Due To Falling Oil Revenues, Oil Companies Lay Off Workers

Forbes Magazine states that on Thursday morning came news that oil services company Apache Corp. will lay off about 250 people, or 5% of its workforce.

Later in the day came worse news: oil services giant Schlumberger said it was in the process of slashing 9,000 workers worldwide.

These are only the latest hits to an oil industry already staggering under $50 oil. So far there’s been at least 24,000 cuts announced in North America alone by the likes of Shell, Pemex, Halliburton, and Suncor, and they will likely only get worse.

Here’s a list of layoffs by oil (or oil-related) companies compiled by Forbes so far:

Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex): 10,000 workers (in Mexico).

Halliburton: 1,000+ workers (Eastern hemisphere).

Suncor: 1,000 workers (Canadian oil sands).

Ensign Energy Services: 700 workers (in California).

U.S. Steel: 700 workers. (Cleveland and Houston).

BP : “hundreds” of workers.

Schlumberger SLB: 9,000 workers.

Tenaris : 300 workers (Mississippi).

Hercules Offshore : 300 workers.

Shell: 300 workers (Canadian oilsands).

Apache Corp.: 250 workers.

OFS Energy: 150 workers.

EOG Resources EOG: 150 workers (Canada).

Enbridge : 100 workers.

The Harsh Conditions Of Mexican Farm Workers

How does produce from Mexico go from the fields to Americans’ plates?

A new Los Angeles Times report details the work conditions of many Mexican farm laborers.

MSNBC’s Melissa Harris Perry talks about it with Richard Marosi of the LA Times.

MSNBC video.

Huff Post: Some Immigrants May Be Eligible For Social Security Under Executive Order, But Not For Welfare Or Food Stamps

immigrants

According to the Huffington Post, the White House states that many immigrants in the United States illegally who apply for work permits under President Barack Obama’s new executive actions would be eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits upon reaching retirement age.

Under Obama’s actions, immigrants who are spared deportation could obtain work permits and a Social Security number. As a result, they would pay into the Social Security system through payroll taxes.

No such “lawfully present” immigrant, however, would be immediately entitled to the benefits because like all Social Security and Medicare recipients they would have to work 10 years to become eligible for retirement payments and health care.

To remain qualified, either Congress or future administrations would have to extend Obama’s actions so that those immigrants would still be considered lawfully present in the country.

None of the immigrants who would be spared deportation under Obama’s executive actions would be able to receive federal assistance such as welfare or food stamps, or other income-based aid.

They also would not be eligible to purchase health insurance in federal exchanges set up by the new health care law and they would not be able to apply for tax credits that would lower the cost of their health insurance.

The issue of benefits for immigrants who are illegally in the United States is a particularly sensitive one for the Obama administration. As a result, the White House has made it clear that none of the nearly 5 million immigrants affected by Obama’s actions would be eligible for federal assistance.

The Obama administration first denied younger immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children access to health care exchanges and tax credits in 2012, especially disappointing immigrant advocates.