| Alitalia prepares to review business plan as tough times linger
Alitalia, in which the Italian government still owns just under 50%, confirmed last week that it is reviewing and revising its business plan to counter rising fuel costs and adjust its targets. Business Plan 2005-2008 forecasts that AZ Fly, the airline entitity, will achieve a breakeven result this year and an EBITDAR margin of about 14% for 2007 and 2008. However, Alitalia warned in May while reporting a widening of its first-quarter operating loss to €129 million and a 3.1% decline in revenues that it would be "opportune to wait for the end of the second quarter as well as hope for an improvement in trade union relations" before making a full-year forecast (ATWOnline, May 17). It is expected to report first-half results on Sept. 12. Meanwhile, unions have announced a 24-hr.
Employees Are Urged To Prepare For No-pension Retirements
Sean Schuback, a 15-year veteran of Verizon, arrived at work one morning last December to unsettling news: A company e-mail sent the night before announced that the telecommunications giant was freezing its pension plan. In an instant, Schuback, 33, who joined the company as a phone operator right out of high school, saw the $469,286 pension payout he was told he could receive by working another 15 years sliced to $245,494, where it would stay no matter how many more years he put in. "When I started, I thought, 'This is just a job for a while,' but the benefits were so good I stayed," said the Eastchester, N.Y., resident, who worked his way up to a managerial position. Now, his plan to retire early at 48 and work part time is dashed. What happened to Schuback's pension is part of a long-running trend, as otherwise healthy companies — not only Verizon Communications Inc., but also International Business Machines Corp.
Police Board releases annual report
That information is included in the Police Service's 2005 Annual report, which was released Tuesday. The document provides an overview of the many opportunities and challenges encountered by the Police Service last year. The year marked several significant accomplishments for the Thunder Bay Police Service. They include the introduction of digital radios with an encrypted radio system, the activation of the community response team, the launch of a new business plan that will serve as a blue print for the service in upcoming years, as well as eight additional officers fully funded by the province. Chief of police Bob Herman says this years report is very encouraging for the community and the service. All of the advancements throughout the year may have had a direct impact on the actual crime rate.
Terry Anderson column: Fleisner energizes $5 million Business ...
Barbara Fleisner knows that it's time to stop "ooohing" and "aaahing" about what a neat idea is the Business Assistance Center. It's time to start filling empty floor space. As the new vice president of economic development for the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, one of Fleisner's major roles is bring fresh energy into the 1-year-old, $5-million Business Assistance Center on the campus of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. "The concept is great, we have the right organization, the right people in this partnership, and now it's a matter of working through a business plan for the overall organization and a marketing strategy to recruit new tenants. That has not been devised, yet." Fleisner oversees an annual budget of $600,000 and a staff of seven people.
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