Markets

U.S. open in 17 hrs, 23 mins
10,464.40
30.69
 
0.29%
2,176.05
6.87
 
0.32%
1,110.63
4.98
 
0.45%
100.844
0.25
 
0.25%
5,194.13
-170.68
 
3.18%
9,383.24
-58.40
 
0.62%
22,210.41
-401.39
 
1.78%
-0.012
 
0.79%
-0.75
 
0.86%
1,192.80
5.80
 
0.49%
76.23
-1.73
 
2.22%
Get Quote for:

3M Workers Hold Boss Hostage

AP
posted: 246 DAYS 4 HOURS AGO
comments: 171
filed under:
Text SizeAAA
PITHIVIERS, France (March 25) - Striking French 3M workers were still holding their boss hostage Wednesday at a plant south of Paris and a regional labor official was to mediate talks between the two sides.
Skip over this content
Skip over this content
Skip over this content
The workers want better severance packages for those being laid off and better conditions for those keeping their jobs.
About 20 workers took the director of 3M's French operations, Luc Rousselet, hostage Tuesday at the factory in Pithiviers. Company spokeswoman Catherine Hamon said Rousselet had not been threatened with violence.
In France, it is not unheard-of for striking workers to hold company executives as a way of winning concessions from management. The hostages are almost never injured.
Skip over this content
Talks among workers and management were suspended overnight, but were to resume later Wednesday.
The French division of 3M - a diversified U.S. manufacturer known for Post-It notes and Scotch tape - recently announced layoffs among its 2,700 workers at 13 French sites. Among those targeted are 110 of the Pithiviers factory's 235 workers.
The Maplewood, Minnesota-based 3M is also planning job cuts at facilities in the United States and other developed nations.
"We will go to the end to get what we deserve," said Jean-Francois Caparros of the Force Ouvriere labor union.
The 3M workers have been on strike since Friday. Hamon said Rousselet was blocked from leaving the factory Tuesday after arriving from 3M France headquarters near Paris.
Skip over this content
Skip over this content

Fun Facts on Big-Name Stocks

Besides, Post-it Notes, which of these consumer products does diversified manufacturer 3M make?

  • Scotch tape
  • Band-aids
  • Curex nail polish remover

Aluminum producer Alcoa no longer makes which of these?

  • Aluminum siding
  • Reynolds Wrap

Which of these is correct abbreviation for American Express?

  • AmEx
  • AMX
  • Amex

Which of these was introduced by AT&T?

  • Call waiting
  • 911
  • *69

Which of these institutions didn't Bank of America acquire during the current financial crisis?

  • Merrill Lynch
  • Countrywide Financial
  • Wachovia

Which of these Boeing planes can carry more cargo than any plane in the world?

  • Boeing Dreamliner
  • Boeing Dreamlifter
  • Boeing 767

How much weight can the Caterpillar 797B -- the world's largest truck -- withstand?

  • 3.6 tons
  • 36 tons
  • 380 tons

Where is Chevron based?

  • Houston
  • San Ramon, Calif.
  • Dallas

Who currently serves as Citigroup's CEO?

  • John Thain
  • Vikram Pandit
  • Charles Prince

In 1938, a du Pont scientist stumbled upon an invention that forever changed the way that Americans cook. What was it?

  • Teflon
  • Foreman Grill
  • Tupperware

On Oct. 28, 2008, oil behemoth Exxon Mobil briefly lost its title as the world's biggest company in terms of market capilization to...?

  • Wal-Mart
  • Volkswagen
  • Chevron

What is unique about General Electric's relationship with the Dow?

  • It is the most expensive stock on the Dow
  • It is the biggest company on the index
  • It is the only original component still listed

Who is General Motors' biggest competitor?

  • Ford
  • Chrysler
  • Toyota

What is Hewlett-Packard's ticker symbol?

  • HPQ
  • HP
  • HPC

What was the name of Intel's first microprocessor?

  • Core2
  • 4004
  • Centurion

Which of these first high-level programming languages was developed by IBM?

  • FORTRAN
  • COBOL
  • BASIC

Johnson & Johnson products can be found in homes across the globe. Which of these J&J products hit the market first?

  • Dental floss
  • Baby powder
  • Listerine mouthwash

JPMorgan Chase owns the naming rights to what baseball club's field?

  • Florida Marlins
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Colorado Rockies

What company did Kraft replace as a Dow component?

  • General Mills
  • Eastman Kodak
  • AIG

How many restaurants does McDonald's have worldwide?

  • More than 30,000
  • More than 60,000
  • More than 100,000

Pharmaceutical giant Merck's long roots trace back to what country?

  • Denmark
  • Germany
  • Austria

Microsoft went public in March 1986 -- what competitor did NOT also go public that same month?

  • Oracle
  • Sun Microsystems
  • Apple

Which of these medicines is not made by Pfizer?

  • Benadryl
  • Vytorin
  • Lipitor

Fact or fiction: The

Skip over this content
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-03-25 06:28:20
Bookmark:

Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 171
171 comments

ANelson159 11:17:27 PM Mar 25 2009

ARA - What are you doing on a blog if you REALLY want an analytical or intellectual discourse. It's all politics and haters all the time

Hccharles3 10:18:21 PM Mar 25 2009

Sacre Bleu! Monseiur. Jenesequa,Francais, Come tale vous, oui oui! Ya know?

Hccharles3 10:14:52 PM Mar 25 2009

3m stands for Mad Miserly Maniacs with Millions.

PMHMerc 07:36:14 PM Mar 25 2009

mannu279 06:58:37 PM Mar 25 2009 Report This! GO AHEAD, TREAT THE LITTLE MAN LIKE DIRT!......................................................................................You already did that yourselves by electing the current president. Sorry, your taxes are going up too. and although he will get all of his socialitst programs, you will get nothing except a union you may not want!

Aracollections 07:27:05 PM Mar 25 2009

OK, gotta go. If I have offended anyone, I apologize. I just wanted to be provoked into "thinking" more than "feeling".

Aracollections 07:24:55 PM Mar 25 2009

Another oops, "any more sophisticated than reality television."

Aracollections 07:24:00 PM Mar 25 2009

Funny that I expected blogging not to be any more sophisticated the Reality Television. DON't HATE ME BECAUSE I ENJOY ANALYTICAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE

Aracollections 07:18:21 PM Mar 25 2009

What good comes of envy? Would we not be better served by asking more questions than we make presumptions. What price are we willing to pay for job security? What sacrifices will we make today for our children tomorrow? How are each of us held accountable and still free to pursue our individual dreams?Villifying people without any legitimate transgression upon others disparages us all.

Aracollections 07:06:26 PM Mar 25 2009

Are you really suggesting that MOST workers care about a companies profitability more than their own pay Chiara2? Because when I showed my 28 employees the monthly profit and loss statements, they did NOTHING to control portion size, or reduce energy costs, are take better care of company proerty. I meeting after meeting as a teacher I saw EVERYONE toss aside the budget without so much as a glance. At UPS I listened to people bash upper management daily with NO IDEA how profitable or not the company was that month or year.

Aracollections 07:02:51 PM Mar 25 2009

OK. Please allow me to expand on my thoughts. I was a teacher for 8 years and enjoyed the benefit of union security. During this time, student supervision on the yard and in the cafeteria was nil. While I offered to volunteer my recess and luch to provide adequate supervision NOT 1 other teacher in 120 was willing to do so, stating invariably "that's not my job" to which I responded "if the welfare of these students is not your job, then what the hell is?" So how could I be so stupid as to become an employer? I wanted to be the kind of generous employer my own father was.What I didn't realize was the animosity I would garner for having worked for and saved enough money to buy it.

1 - 10 of 171
171 comments

Add your own Comments

Interest Rates

TypeCurrentAPR
30 Yr Fixed Mtg5.16%5.39%
5/1 ARM4.32%4.24%
$30K HELOC5.82%0.00%
36 Month New Car Loan7.20%0.00%
1 Yr CD1.59%1.60%

Headlines From AOL Money & Finance Partners