Mayor named to workforce board
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly on Friday joined the Tennessee State Workforce Development Board, which provides leadership and guidance on workforce development strategies funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
The 33-member board appointed by the governor represents a diverse group of business and labor leaders, education and economic development specialists, and government representatives. Kelly will serve as the only city mayor on the state panel.
"As mayor, I'm focused every day on creating new career paths and skill-building opportunities to prepare our local workforce for success in our growing and evolving economy, and I'm honored that Gov. Lee has appointed me to the State Workforce Development Board to support that work," Kelly said in a statement. "Workforce development is the single most important policy issue we work on at the city because it is the most important strategy we have to close the gaps in our community."
Disney increases pay to at least $18 an hour
Unions for service workers at Walt Disney World reached a tentative deal with the company Thursday that would raise the starting minimum wage from $15 to $18 an hour in a pact that could set the basement for starting pay throughout Central Florida's sprawling tourism industry.
Disney World service workers who are in the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union coalition planned to vote next Wednesday on the contract proposal after rejecting an earlier offer that fell short of the $18 hourly minimum wage last month. The agreement covers around 45,000 service workers at the Disney theme park resort outside Orlando. Workers could see their hourly wages rise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the five-year contract if it's approved, union leaders said.
"Securing an $18 minimum hourly rate this year, increasing the overall economic value of Disney's original offer, and ensuring full back pay for every worker are the priorities union members were determined to fight for," said Matt Hollis, head of the coalition of unions. "Today, we won that fight."
Nuclear plant hit with 2nd water leak
Water containing radioactive material has leaked for a second time from a nuclear plant near Minneapolis, and the plant will be shut down. However, there is no danger to the public, the plant's owner said Thursday.
A leak of what was believed to be hundreds of gallons of water containing tritium was discovered this week from a temporary fix at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, where 400,000 gallons of water with tritium leaked in November, Xcel Energy said in a statement Thursday.
The plant, which is about 38 miles northwest of Minneapolis, was scheduled to power down Friday so permanent repairs can begin, the company said.
There was a monthslong delay in announcing the initial leak that raised questions about public safety and transparency, but industry experts said there was never a public health threat.
The new leak, announced a day after Xcel Energy said it was discovered, was found to be coming from a temporary fix to the original leak, the company said in a statement. This time, the leak is anticipated to be in the hundreds of gallons.
Chad nationalizes Exxon Mobil assets
Chad is nationalizing all assets from multinational oil giant Exxon Mobil, including its hydrocarbon and exploration permits, said the government.
"The finance and budget minister must make sure the said decree is implemented from the date of its publishing," said Haliki Choua Mahamat, the government's general secretary on state media.
The nationalization of a private company means all assets are now owned by the government. While this used to happen in the 1960s and 1970s, it hasn't happened recently and doesn't conform to usual legal frameworks in the sector, say energy experts.
Chad began producing oil in 2003, and Exxon has been operating in the country for several decades. It was running the Doba oil project in Chad.
The move could scare away investors from West Africa at a time of growing global energy demand and a decline in foreign investments in the region, said Olufola Wusu, a partner and head of the oil and gas desk at Megathos Law Practice based in Nigeria.