News stories tagged with "jobs"

(03/01/12) Some of the $103 million in grants the North Country Regional Economic Development Council won, will come out of the state's Environmental Protection fund. And the spokesman for the conservation group the Adirondack council says that makes sense. more

(02/16/12) North Country Public Radio has been checking in with schools around our region that are struggling with major budget shortfalls. Many districts have seen sharp declines in state aid over the last two years.

They also face rising costs for pensions and healthcare. And now they're also trying to live within the new two percent cap on property tax increases.

Around 200 people from various St. Lawrence County school districts gathered in Canton Central's high school auditorium last night to talk about how to bring about change in the way New York distributes state aid. The Watertown Daily Times reports some suggested filing a class-action lawsuit against the current formula.

Two busloads of students and adults are planning a bus trip to Albany to lobby lawmakers later this month.

Brian Mann was in Ticonderoga for a public meeting last night, where locals rolled up their sleeves and tried to sketch out a future for their public schools. more

(02/09/12) Artists and arts supporters from around the region will be in Albany next Tuesday to visit with lawmakers and speak up for the arts. Todd Moe talks with St. Lawrence County Arts Council director Hilary Oak about "Arts Advocacy Day", and why the arts are an essential part of the economy.

(01/25/12) Did you make a New Year's resolution to lose weight or get more exercise? Some local small businesses are doing their part to help their employees stay healthy at the workplace. Wellness programs are not new. They've been staples at large companies for years, but are less likely to be used at small businesses. That's changing.

Amid soaring health spending, there is growing interest in workplace disease prevention and wellness programs to improve health and lower costs. Eager to control rising health care costs, small firms in St. Lawrence County are turning to a health experts for help. Todd Moe has more.

(01/06/12) Bombardier transportation has temporarily laid off about 100 workers from its assembly plant in Plattsburgh.

The company let go about 60 production workers and 40 temporary workers on Tuesday. About 210 people are still working at the plant. more

(12/26/11) Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo handed out nearly $800-million through his newly created regional economic councils. WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail about what comes next. more

(12/26/11) A top official in Hamilton County is praising the Regional Economic Development Council process. Earlier this month, the state awarded the North Country more than $100-million to help boost the economy. Todd Moe has more.

(12/09/11) In a ceremony yesterday morning in Albany, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that seven counties in northern New York will receive more than a hundred million dollars in state grants over the next year.

The announcement drew cheers from the audience and sparked a celebration from Plattsburgh to Watertown. Business and political leaders say this money, and this vote of confidence from state officials, could help to spark an economic transformation. Brian Mann was in Albany and has our story. more

(11/29/11) This week, as part of a partnership with WBEZ public radio in Chicago, Brian Mann is traveling in Ontario, talking about the very different impact of the recession north of the border. It turns out, workers living just a few miles away, in Canada, have experienced the economic downturn very differently than workers here.

While American cities along the Great Lakes like Buffalo and Rochester struggle and lose population, Toronto and Montreal are growing. They've even added jobs through the recession. Workers who do lose their jobs in Canada have a much more comprehensive social safety net and that may be helping to stabilize and boost the country's overall economy. Brian Mann speaks with Martha Foley from Toronto.

(11/28/11) This week we'll be looking in-depth at the very different ways that the recession has hit Canada. Over the last three years, communities and workers north of the border have fared much better than their counterparts here in the North Country.

Unemployment on the Canadian side of the lakes is far lower -- around 8% in Ontario and 7.7% in Quebec. In fact, through the Great Recession, Ontario and Quebec have actually grown jobs. And workers in those provinces who lose their positions can expect to be out of work for only half as long before they find a new job, when compared with workers in the US.

In a partnership with WBEZ public radio in Chicago, Brian Mann is traveling in Canada, talking with experts and workers. He spoke with Martha Foley.