Labor & Employment

NEW YORK — Avon Products announced that its board of directors elected Douglas Conant to the board, effective immediately.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is offering the women who work in the factories that supply its products the chance for a better life with lessons in such critical life skills as communication, hygiene, reproductive health, occuputational health and safety and gender sensitivity. The Women in Factories program, a five-year initiative will benefit 60,000 women working in factories in India, Bangladesh, China and Central America.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced it has launched its Women in Factories program, a five-year initiative that will empower 60,000 women working in factories that supply products to Walmart and other retailers in India, Bangladesh, China and Central America.

New York -- The ax has fallen at J.C. Penney Co. The company on Thursday laid off 600 workers from its corporate headquarters Plano, Texas, as its looks to streamline its business model amid a major reinvention of the business. The staff reduction, which equaled 13% to 14% of the headquarters staff, did not include any senior executives, according to The New York Times.

Members of various community groups are not making it easy for Walmart to build in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. According to reports, several groups including the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) which appealed Walmart's approved building permits, are working to appeal the process. Read more.

NEW YORK — Saks has named Michael Burgess as president of its direct business, effective May 7, 2012. Burgess will report to Denise Incandela, EVP and chief marketing officer for Saks Fifth Avenue and current president of Saks direct.

New York -- Saks Inc. announced hat Michael Burgess has been named president, Saks Direct, effective May 7. Burgess will report to Denise Incandela, executive VP and CMO for Saks Fifth Avenue and current President, Saks Direct.

Burgess has served as executive VP of the consumer division of FTD at United Online since 2008 where he led merchandising, marketing, consumer information technology, and several other functions of the growing FTD North America business segment.
 

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. said Tuesday that Google Offers and Banana Republic are joining with Starbucks and Opportunity Finance Network to support the Create Jobs for USA program.

The pair, which are the first businesses to join Starbucks in the initiative, will run special promotions and make donations in support of the program that is designed to raise money to put Americans back to work.

Watsonville, Calif. -- West Marine said Tuesday that its president and CEO Geoff Eisenberg will resign once a new chief is appointed.

Following a leadership transition period, Eisenberg will serve as a special advisor to the West Marine board of directors.

West Marine has already initiated the search for a new CEO. No reason has been given for Eisenberg’s departure.
 

Redmond, Wash. -- REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) promoted Bill Baumann and Brad Brown to senior VP information technology, and e-commerce and direct sales respectively.

In addition, Kathleen Peterson has been named VP of REI Private Brands.