Whoopi Welcomed to 'The View'
Whoopi Goldberg claimed her new role as "View" co-host and moderator of the program yesterday and says she is "not Rosie," referring to former co-host Rosie O'Donnell. "I have no expectations to meet, no shoes to fill," says Goldberg. "I come with my own size 11s. Am I going to do what Rosie did and bring the audience and make it exciting? I have no idea. I'm just going to come in and be me and do me." Ex-"View" co-host Star Jones is pleased with the show's decision to select Goldberg. "Whoopi is a smart woman with an opinion ... and an excellent choice. She brings life experience outside of the entertainment business, and diversity with intelligence," according to a statement. Read more.
Class-Action Bias Lawsuit Against Novartis Gets Certified
A gender-discrimination lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals (No. 16 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list) on behalf 19 current and former female employees was granted class-action certification. The lawsuit claims the company discriminated against women in terms of pay, promotions and other benefits. A statistical analysis submitted to New York Judge Gerard E. Lynch of Federal District Court found that the women were paid roughly $75 less a month than men in similar jobs, a figure that the plaintiffs say does not include pay disparities caused by promotions. Sherry Pudloski, a spokesperson for the company, said yesterday that the company is currently in the process of evaluating the ruling and has no comment at this time. Read more.
Clinton the Democratic Favorite, New Poll Shows
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton is doing everything in her power to win her party's nomination. A poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News found that 43 percent of Democratic respondents say they prefer Clinton over all other Democratic candidates running for president, including rival Sen. Barack Obama. A similar poll released in June reported 39 percent would elect Clinton for the Democratic nomination, according to Yahoonews.com.
Is State Support for Stem-Cell Research Fading?
The United States is at a crossroads when it comes to stem-cell research. Some states, including Missouri, which at one time had an overwhelming amount of support behind the research, have become so disillusioned by the technology and its "so-called" benefits, many of them have withdrawn funding-research efforts. Other states like Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois and California have experienced more positive outcomes. But despite gaining voter support, these states are still likely to experience backlash. Sigrid Fry-Revere, who directs bioethics studies at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., says several states are feeling pressure to cut off funding because it's not considered moral by convention. "It's happening all over the country," he says, told The Los Angeles Times.
Which Industries 'Get' Diversity?
While consumer-driven companies and retailers are taking center stage when it comes to diversity efforts, law firms struggle to follow in their footsteps. Speakers at a recent National Urban League conference say consumer packaged-goods companies have an advantage because of their ability to "touch the masses." Experts and panelists confirmed that consumers are the ones responsible for driving diversity. Margot Copeland, executive vice president of Cleveland-based KeyCorp and a speaker at the program, says, "Our customers want to see people who look like them." The harsh reality that law firms are experiencing is recruitment and retention efforts, according to Janet Reid, a partner with Global Lead, a Cincinnati-based management consulting firm specializing in diversity programs. Reid says advancing black women is especially difficult. Read more.
(See also: Why You Need Diversity to Be Competitive: Case Studies From the Top 50)
Baby Boomers Plan to Keep Working
By 2020, the gap between the number of younger and older employees is expected to widen. A string of 55-plus workers are expected to be grinding away at a much higher rate than at any other time in U.S. history. But as the baby boomers charges forward, labor experts will be forced to accommodate this aging work force. In addition, generational differences in the workplace are expected to rise, followed by an unprecedented work-force shortage as people start to retire. Experts anticipate more workers will get sick on the job with a possible rise in strokes and heart attacks as they age. Read more.
For more information on baby boomers, check out DiversityInc's May 2007 issue on how to manage four generations at work.
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