Thursday, December 26, 2019

My Teaching Style Uses The Facilitator Method Of Teaching

As an early childhood professional, I take pride in educating and caring for young children. My preferred teaching style includes taking on a hands-on, active approach to teaching and learning. Every day brings new opportunities for me to learn with and about young learners and their families. My teaching style is impacted by information gained from young children’s home life and communities. My students are engaged and motivated to learn in a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment that enables them to freely explore their environments. My teaching style uses the facilitator method of teaching. My students are encouraged to use their critical thinking skills, dig deeper, and use previous understanding to make connections to new knowledge. Gill (2013) notes â€Å"this style trains students to ask questions through exploration; it is ideal for teaching science and similar subjects† (education-cu-portland.edu). As an educator, I intentionally plan and implement strategie s to get to know my students and their families. When new students enter my classroom I ask open-ended questions and have parents fill-out surveys that enable me get to know all learners and their families on a deeper level. My previous experiences working with young children and their families enables me to be a successful leader as I strive to accomplish my ultimate goal of being the founder of an early childhood education and care program. Working at a military child development center and a women andShow MoreRelatedThe Benefits Of Being A Facilitator946 Words   |  4 PagesThe Benefits of Being a Facilitator in the Classroom Samuel Perkins Eastern Florida State College Abstract This Article explores my personal preference to teaching style and learning. If given the opportunity to teach a class where I choose my own lectures, activities, and assignments I would choose the Facilitator style of teaching. To me this gives the students a more hands on style of learning and it also teaches responsibility. This paper also gives types of assignments that I prefer overRead MoreMy Teaching Style And Classroom Discipline Methods921 Words   |  4 Pagesfind out what my teaching style and classroom discipline methods were. The scores in my results of my teaching style inventory were all very close and are as follows: Expert 3, Formal authority 3.75, Personal Model 3.5, Facilitator 4.5, and Delegator 3.375. In an ideal world, I would like to think that I teach using all of these â€Å"personalities† at different times. However, while my scores are all fairly close, there is one that stands out from the others; facilitator. To be a facilitator means to beRead MoreTeaching And Classroom Management Styles976 Words   |  4 Pagessurveys, I surprised to see how even-keeled my teaching and classroom management styles were. Before student teaching, I had a general idea of what my ideal teaching style and classroom management techniques would look like. However, I have realized that a combination of several teaching styles may be beneficial for students because each student has particular needs for the classroom. According to the teaching style inventory, I can be described as a facilitator first and foremost, followed by a formalRead MoreI Am My Thinking About Education By Gary Fenstermacher And Jonas Soltis1573 Words   |  7 PagesApproaches to Teaching (Thinking About Education) by Gary Fenstermacher and Jonas Soltis. It was early in the semester, only a few weeks in, and the overload of theory boggled my mind from the start. I set the book aside and approached the interview with a mindset to get a good outline of who these people are and how they teach. In the setting of their home, in the company of their young child and our mutual friend, I found two caring individuals with similar thoughts on their teaching experiencesRead MoreTeaching Methods And Styles Of Teaching848 Words   |  4 Pagesteacher has his or her own teaching or leadership styles. There are various factors that determine one’s teaching method including the school mission, students’ likes and dislikes, number of students in a class, teacher’s educational philosophy, subjects they teach, and the purpose of instructions intended to be given to students (John 24). So, every teacher should choose a favorable method to teach students. This paper wishes to compare and contrast the styles of two of my teachers from high schoolRead MoreI Left The Biotech Industry1595 Words   |  7 PagesWhere is my bliss I kept wondering? My wife was pregnant with my son, and I was stuck in a job that I did not like. Fortuitously, my lab director assigned me to train a group of visiting biologists from England for a week on the use of the company s new immunoassay diagnostic testing kit. At first, I was flattered and wanted to impress my boss but as the days went by I began to realize that I was enjoying the training sessions and was looking forward to coming to work every day. My trainingRead MoreMy Teaching Toolbox.. Educ 6513: Teaching Adult Learners.1101 Words   |  5 Pages My Teaching Toolbox. EDUC 6513: Teaching Adult Learners Mohamed Faizalla Yorkville University February 19, 2017 â€Æ' My Teaching Toolbox My understanding of skillful teaching has been formed through my practical teaching experience, and further developed as a master of education student who has the advantage of learning and discussing the most recent literature about education and methodology. I found that I completely agree with, Brookfield’s explanation and understanding of skillfulRead MoreDefinition Of Philosophy Of Education Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesbeyond content expertise and pedagogical knowledge† (Cooper and He, p. 89). With this information, I plan on focusing on my students needs and hopefully bring effective learning strategies to my classroom. What are the roles of a teacher? A teacher must be a facilitator, have content expertise, and develop moral obligation in the classroom. To be an authority or facilitator, one needs to be able to handle behavior and disciplinary issues as well as be able to handle allowing student learning, andRead MoreBecoming A Teacher With The Kirkwood Intermediate Students Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful. This involves being effective in the way that we teach, knowledgeable in our areas of expertise and facilitators on our student’s educational journeys. As Fraser (2011) states â€Å"we are in the privileged position of contributing to the life chances of the young people we teach and have more knowledge than ever before as to what makes quality teaching† (p. 57). Quality teaching is established by a teacher’s ability to design and instruct lessons that take into considerations a multitude ofRead MoreRoles, Responsibilities and Relationship in Lifelong Learning10 65 Words   |  5 Pages. Understanding own role and responsibilities in lifelong learning. In my experience, the teacher is the key figure in making the learning process a success for the learner. We are a guide to the subject, responsible for creating a structured experience for the learner to navigate allowing for individual learning styles and methods to flourish. 1.1 Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to own role and responsibilities. Examples of legislation

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Community Corrections - 810 Words

Community Corrections CJS/230 July 24th, 2011 Community Corrections In this paper, we will be discussing how community corrections affect society. In addition, we will examine my hypothesis about community corrections and their overall effectiveness in the correctional system. Furthermore, we will describe prison systems in foreign countries, as well as how other nations view and practice imprisonment. Moreover, we will discuss what might happen with the United States prison systems if we adopted another country’s prison system. Finally, I will give my thoughts and recommendations on the type of community corrections to implement in my community. What are community corrections? A community correction (most commonly known as†¦show more content†¦My hypothesis about the overall effectiveness of community corrections is that it is lacking in its attempts to keep probationers off drugs and alcohol. Urinalysis tests are not fool proof, and can be easily passed with the help of detox drinks. I propose that hair follicle testing be incorporated into community corrections as a means of forcing probationers and parolees to abide by the rules and regulations while on probation or parole. The prison systems in foreign countries can be quite disturbing to say the least. Take Mexico for example, the prison and jail cells in certain areas of Mexico have no running water and prisoners will go to go to the bathroom in either a bucket or hole in the middle of the cell. The United States is the only country that will impose a life without the possibility of parole on juvenile offenders. For example, in Europe the maximum sentence for a juvenile is typically less than twenty-five years for any crime. In Germany, the maximum sentence is ten years for any youth under the age of eighteen. There is no telling what might happen if the United States adopted another country’s prison system. The way the prison system in the United States is set up now, allows for a decent life for prisoners while incarcerated. I believe that if you take that away from inmates, there would be an outpour of protests demanding better treatment for the inmates, by the inmates. The type ofShow MoreRelatedWhat is Community Corrections? Essay example1105 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Essentially, community corrections ascribe to the sanctions that are usually imposed on both adults and juveniles convicted by the court of law to reduce frequencies of recidivism. Unlike other forms of sentencing, community corrections can be implemented in a community setting or any other residential setting, apart from the jails (Gendreau Goggin, 1996). Within the past few decades, researchers have been struggling to advance community corrections through the use of effective interventionRead MoreCommunity Corrections1082 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity corrections is a range of alternative punishments for nonviolent offenders. There are two basic community corrections models in the United States. In the first model, integrated community corrections programs combine sentencing guidelines and judicial discretion (front-end) with a variety of alternative sanctions and parole and probation options. In the second model, some states have instituted programs in which correctional offi cials may direct already sentenced offenders into alternativeRead MoreCommunity Corrections1288 Words   |  6 Pagessupposed to look out for suspicious issues and incidents and report them to the police before anything happens (cityofboise.org, 2012). This helps in deterring potential crimes and offenders from committing their crimes. It ranges from block watch, community watch, home watch and citizen alert. Neighborhood crime prevention programs arose because of emphasis in the involvement of citizens in enhancing prevention of crime. It is one of the oldest programs of deterring crime in the United States. It wasRead MoreCommunity Correction Paper1216 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Correction Paper May 27, 2012 CJS/230 – Introduction to Corrections Community corrections programs are to oversee offenders outside of jail or prison, and are administered by agencies or courts with the legal authority to enforce sanctions. Such community corrections programs are probation and parole. There are also sub-programs that are parts of community corrections; such programs are drug-involved offenders, sex offender programs, and electronic monitoring technologies. Read MoreCommunity Corrections Is Vital For The Safety Of The Community1733 Words   |  7 Pages Community corrections are vital in ensuring and assuring the safety of the community by rehabilitating the low-risk offenders allowing cycle of re-offending to be broken and the rate of imprisonment to be lowered. Community corrections involve managing an offender’s life in the community through constant supervision and reporting to their corrections officer and, also court ordered unpaid community service and rehabilitation programs to divert their attention to re-offend, rather than throwingRead MoreInstitutional and Community Based Corrections798 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ Institutional and Community Based Corrections Institutional Based Corrections Among the forces that have affected corrections in recent years, accreditation and privatization have been among the most influential. The future of corrections will be affected by everything from the national economy and current public opinion to drug-related crime and the aging of prison populations. The trends that will continue to impact corrections are intermediate sentencing alternatives, restorative justiceRead MoreThe Debate Of Punishment And Community Corrections858 Words   |  4 PagesThesis: The debate of the effectiveness of imprisonment and community corrections today still raises questions as to which sanction is more effective in the United States criminal justice system. This paper will provide a background of both imprisonment and community corrections, the positives and negatives of the two topics, and which is proven to be more effective. From the research conducted, the conclusion has come that community corrections is proven to be more effective than imprisonment majorityRead MoreOverview of Community Corrections in USA1191 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Corrections Community Corrections are the non-prison penalties that are enforced on convicted, sentenced or arrested adults (i.e. 18 or above) for making crimes. Community corrections are basically planned for the crimes that are petty as compared to the serious offences that are murder, kidnapping or so on. The crimes that are supposed to receive less severe punishment are given in charge of community corrections. These programs focus on non-violent offenders and punish them with probationRead MoreCommunity Based Corrections Essay example1108 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity based corrections is a program which supervises people who have been convicted or are facing conviction. It is a non-incarcerate system of correction. These offenders have been convicted or are facing conviction. Some offenders have entered these programs before being in jail and some serve a part of their sentence in jail before entering the program. The goals of the community based corrections would be one of providing guidance, program opportunities and support to the offender’sRead MoreJails, Prisons and Community Based Corrections1210 Words   |  5 PagesJails, Prisons and Community based Corrections Anthony Canez CJA/204 June 27, 2013 Robin Downey Jails, Prisons and Community based Corrections In this essay I will attempt to explain and discuss probation and how it compares to other forms of sentencing, the types of prison, the origins of rehabilitation in prisons, parole and how it differs from mandatory release and finally options of community corrections. Ending the essay will be a critique on the current rehabilitation options. The history

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Tartuffee monologue from the play by Moliere Essay Example For Students

Tartuffee monologue from the play by Moliere Essay A monologue from the play by Moliere NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Dramatic Works of Moliere, Vol. II. Ed. Charles Heron Wall. London: George Bell Sons, 1898. CLEANTE: No, I am not a revered doctor, brother; no, all the knowledge of this world has not found its abode in me. I have merely the science of discerning truth from falsehood. And as I know nothing in the world so noble and so beautiful as the holy fervour of genuine piety, so there is nothing, I think, so odious as the whitewashed outside of a specious zeal; as those downright imposters, those bigots whose sacrilegious and deceitful grimaces impose on others with impunity, and who trifle as they like with all that mankind holds sacred; those men who, wholly given to mercenary ends, trade upon godliness, and would purchase honour and reputation at the cost of hypocritical looks and affected groans; who, seized with strange ardour, make use of the next world to secure their fortune in this; who, with great affectation and many prayers, daily preach solitude and retirement while they themselves live at Court; who know how to reconcile their zeal with their vices; who are passionate, revengeful, faithless, full of deceit, and who, to work the destruction of a fellow-man, insolently cover their fierce resentment with the cause of Heaven. They are so much the more dangerous in that they, in their bitter wrath, use against us those weapons which men revere; and their anger, which everybody lauds, assassinates us with a consecrated weapon. There are too many such mean hypocrites in the world; but from them the truly pious are easy to distinguish. Our age offers us abundant and glorious examples, my brother. Look at Ariston, look at Periande, Oronte, Alcidamus, Polydore, and Clitandre. No one will refuse them this title. They are no pretenders to virtue. You never see in them this unbearable ostentation, and their piety is human and tractable. They never censure the doings of others; they think there is too much pride in such censure; and leaving lofty words to others, they only reprove our actions by their own virtue. They do not trust to the appearance of evil, and are more inclined to judge kindly of others. We find no cabals, no intrigues among them; all their anxiety is to live a holy life. They never persecute the sinner, but they hate the sin. They do not care to display for the interest of Heaven a more ardent zeal than Heaven itself displays. These are people after my own heart; it is thus we should live; this is the pattern for us to follow. Tartuffe is not of this stamp, I know. You speak with the best intention of his goodness, but I fear you are dazzled by false appearances.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Laws Affecting Mercedes and Starbucks Essay Example

Laws Affecting Mercedes and Starbucks Essay Starbucks Coffee Company: Brief Summary Starbucks Coffee Company is a coffee house chain that has locations all over the world. It was opened in Seattle, Washington in 1971, by two teachers and a writer. Starbucks now has over 11,000 locations in the United States and more than 6,800 locations in 49 other countries. In addition to selling coffee, Starbucks sells pastries, sandwiches, coffee drinking accessories, and various media. Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle, owns five different subsidiaries, and has partnership agreements with both Apple and MSNBC (Starbucks Coffee). Starbucks Health Code Compliance The FDA Food Code is a federal law that regulates jurisdictions responsible for inspecting Starbucks (FDA). Because each state has slightly different rules, compliance with the health code differs for each Starbucks location. Each store is required to follow the rules for its respective county department of health and state board of health. Starbucks is regularly inspected by the county health code inspector and must pass that health test, which is later published publicly. Each new store has to apply for a permit from the state health board yearly (Jefferson County). In order to comply with the health code, Starbucks must monitor many different aspects of its operations. Starbucks stores have many different machines that require electricity in a small space. This may cause a store to lose many points because the state requirements are very stringent. Managers must make sure each employee has clean clothes under their apron and has sanitized their hands before preparing food. Starbucks locations must pass an inspection four times a year in the state of Alabama. We will write a custom essay sample on Laws Affecting Mercedes and Starbucks specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Laws Affecting Mercedes and Starbucks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Laws Affecting Mercedes and Starbucks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer An inspection is graded on a 100 point scale, and anything above an 85 is considered a passing grade. If they make a score lower than 85, they must be retested within 60 days. If they do not pass the following test, they will have their permit suspended and have to go to trial for possible revocation. Health code inspectors have the authority to shut down an establishment whenever they see fit. Therefore, compliance is critical (Jefferson County). Contract Laws The Uniform Commercial Code and the Statute of Frauds are federal laws which regulate specific contracts. However, each state has its own contract laws, which vary slightly. Starbucks contracts with coffee farmers, suppliers of ingredients, manufacturers of other Starbucks goods, and many more business entities. In addition, Starbucks contracts with different music artists. In October of 2009, singer/song-writer Carly Simon filed a lawsuit against Starbucks claiming that the company substantially eliminated sales of her new album when it shut down its music production label. She accused the company of tortuous interference with contract, and demanded $5 to $10 million dollars for her losses. Simon said she could have used a different record company to promote her album, but she chose the Starbucks label because it would distribute her work at its store locations. Starbucks claims that it fulfilled the contract’s obligations and promoted the album for the agreed-upon amount of time. Simon claims that the overall assumption when she signed her contract was that the Starbucks label would not cease operations. She claimed a substantial loss of sales because of her album’s absence from the shelves of Starbucks. The coffee company argues, however, that she can only sue its subsidiary company that owned the label, not the coffee roasting side of the business. The case has not yet been resolved. (Farley). Tip Sharing Laws The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibits tip sharing with employers (Jones). In 2004, a former Starbucks employee filed a lawsuit against the company stating that it was unfair for Starbucks to let supervisors partake in tips. This class action lawsuit was filed in California and represented over 100,000 employees, including persons who were no longer employed. The California Labor code prohibits employers or agents from receiving any tips for employees if they do not participate in activities resulting in a tip. A San Diego county superior court judge ruled in the plaintiffs favor and awarded them $106 million in restitution. Starbucks appealed the suit on the premise that supervisors perform the same jobs as baristas. They argued supervisors cannot hire, fire, or discipline, which gives them no responsibilities as managers. In 2009, the California Supreme Court reversed the decision, agreeing that supervisors perform the same job as baristas. As a result, the plaintiffs appealed the decision (Jones). Accidental Tea Burns Like most business entities, Starbucks must be aware of negligence laws. Negligence laws vary from state to state. Recently, Starbucks defended itself against a negligence lawsuit over severe burns. The company won the lawsuit in early November of this 2010. A 76 year old woman from New York alleged that Starbucks was responsible for burns that resulted from tea spilling on her leg when she tried to remove the lid. She claims the drink spilled because she had trouble removing the lid since it was placed in a double cup. She also claimed that Starbucks should have warned her that the cup could spill. This is nearly identical to a 1994 case where a woman burned herself with a cup of coffee at McDonalds. The woman in the Starbucks case, however, was unsuccessful with her claim. The 2nd U. S. Court of Appeals did not take long to dismiss the case because the hazards of hot drinks are nothing new and the entire beverage industry uses the double cupping method to allow ease of holding a hot drink (Starbucks). Fair Trade Starbucks is a massive supporter of fair trade when it comes to their products and merchandise. Currently in the U. S, we have many free trade laws which conflict with a fair trade policy. Free trade is a market principle where prices are not artificially tampered with by governments, and both parties in a transaction receive fair profits. Government intervention would include taxes, tariff, price floors and quotas. The U. S. has legislated free trade acts with both North America and Central America (Cornell). Starbucks claims that we hurt farmers in these foreign countries by supporting free trade legislation because we cut down on local farmers’ sales and profits by making the farmer’s product as cheap as possible. Therefore, Starbucks only has fair trade transaction to promote this market practice and to not add to what they think is the problem. They also are outspoken in supporting new fair trade legislation. The problem Starbucks has though is the U. S. cannot act completely in supporting Fair trade because some countries where fair trade exist the U. S. has an embargo upon and Starbucks usually does not have jurisdiction to override foreign countries international trade policies. Still Starbucks claims all of there coffee is bought in a fair trade market (Starbucks). STARBUCKS CONCLUSION Mercedes-Benz: Brief Summary Mercedes-Benz is an international manufacturer of luxury automobiles. The company can trace its origin to the first gasoline powered car by Karl Benz in 1886. Since then, the company has had many mergers and is now owned as a division of Daimler AG. Today Mercedes-Benz has manufacturing plants in 20 countries including one in Vance, Alabama. Mercedes-Benz is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany and manufactures automobiles, buses, and trucks (Mercedes). Vehicle Safety Requirements The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has power under Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, to issue Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations that Mercedes-Benz is required to adhere to. The safety standards are regulations of the minimum safety requirements for motor vehicles. The regulations are enforced so that the motor vehicle operator is protected against crashes caused by Mercedes-Benz negligence and faulty construction or design of the motor. These are just the regulations Mercedes-Benz has to adhere to in the U. S. (Federal Motor Safety). The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a federal lemon law, offers a remedy for car buyers that purchase vehicles which continually fail to comply with quality and performance standards. Lemon laws differ slightly for each state and do not include used or leased cars. Consumer rights provided by the laws may surpass warranties in the purchase contracts because federal law requires that the consumer be made aware of all terms of the warranty, and they must also be aware of their options in the event that something goes wrong. On top of that, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act assures consumers a speedy resolution to any disputes involving the warranty of the automobile (â€Å"Businessperson†). A notable case involving Mercedes began when a 40-year-old man bought an E320 for $56,000 from a Mercedes-Benz dealership in 2005. He claimed the car would not start, and he had to replace the battery numerous times. Finally, a mechanic told him there was nothing more that could be done to save the functionality of his car. He demanded a refund from the dealership, but it offered him a replacement instead. Mercedes-Benz eventually agreed to refund but did not do so within 30 days. The lawsuit was filed seeking double damages and attorneys fees (Lattman). Mercedes-Benz claims that it acted appropriately, stating that the plaintiff acted in bad faith and did not provide his information fast enough for a timely refund. A Wisconsin state judge concluded Mercedes violated Wisconsin’s â€Å"Lemon Law. † As a result, the judge ordered Mercedes-Benz to pay $482,000 (Lattman). Wisconsin’s set of Lemon Laws are more strict than other states (â€Å"Wisconsin Lemon Law†). The ruling here could have forced Mercedes-Benz to pay twice the purchase price and legal fees for breaking the law. However, in 2008, an appeals court overturned the prior ruling and moved for a retrial so a jury could decide whether the plaintiff acted in bad faith. The jury agreed with Mercedes-Benz the verdict was eventually overturned due to a lack of evidence. A judge later ruled in the plaintiff’s favor, even though the plaintiff still drives the car in question to this day. He now says it is working fine but it is wrong Mercedes-Benz sold him a lemon. Price Fixing Price fixing is an arrangement by participants on allied sides of a market to buy or sell only at a secure price, and then to uphold the market’s present situation so that the price stays at its current level, thus giving the parties the ability to control supply and demand. Parties involved in price fixing are known as a cartel. There are many different goals one can achieve through price fixing. Some possible outcomes include raising prices, lowering prices, or maintaining prices to secure a maximum profit for all companies involved. The crucial characteristic of price fixing is any agreement about price regardless of whether the agreement is expressed or implied (Title 15). In the United States, this action can be prosecuted as a federal offense under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Prosecutions can either be handled by the U. S. Department of Justice or by the FTC. Consumers or organizations can file their own lawsuits for triple damages and also recover attorney’s fees. Colluding on price amongst competitors is also seen as price fixing and is in violation of the Sherman Act. In 2007, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that price fixing by a manufacturer and its retailers is not in violation (Kloset vs. Leegan). In 1999, Mercedes-Benz was accused of price fixing and already had a bad public image due to this previous case (Mercedes). Recently, Mercedes issued a statement saying that the U. S. Department of Justice is investigating allegations that the companys subsidiaries participated in a price-fixing scheme in New York. The 3-year-old lawsuit was filed in New Jersey, by buyers of the cars. The lawsuit claims 27 dealers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and Mercedes-Benz USA conspired since 1992 to artificially maintain prices. The company stated that the allegations were all derived from a single dealer that, due to poor performance, the company had tried to revoke its franchise agreement. (Henry) International Trade Laws As the world becomes a more globalized place, international trade laws are beginning to become more prevalent at all levels of business. However, many laws do not draw from U. S. Code. The World Trade Organization (WTO) regulates international trade (World Trade Organization). One issue of international trade law that Mercedes deals with in the United States is known as â€Å"parallel import. Parallel import occurs when a country imports a product that was originally distributed to that country with a certain price and specifications. In 1981, Mercedes-Benz had planned not to distribute the W126 in the United States because specifications were too costly to meet. The demand for the car caused U. S. consumers to import their own from other countries and pay a large price for the cars to f it the specifications. This increase in demand for these imported cars ended up driving the price of Mercedes-Benz’s other models sky high, which in turn drove demand down immensely. Mercedes estimated that over 22,000 W126 were being parallel imported each year (Mercedes). Labor Laws Mercedes-Benz has to deal with a vast array of labor laws for every country in which it has a plant. In the United States, Title 29 of the U. S. Code is the federal law which establishes labor laws. Labor laws encompass unions, wages, benefits, discrimination, and working conditions. Federal law typically governs basic rights and allows individual states to be more extensive based on their environment. (U. S. Department of Labor). GIVE EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC LAWS IN THIS PARA In Alabama, minimum wage is set at the federal wage of $7. 25 an hour, and hiring and firing is allowed for any reason, as long as it is not based on discrimination. Alabama employees are allowed to join unions, but unions are not as prevalent in Alabama as they are in other States. This is a large reason why Mercedes-Benz decided to create a plant in Vance, Alabama. The company is praised for its compliance to labor laws and did not have to lay off any employee during the recent recession when many car manufacturers had to lay off hundreds of employees (Department of Labor). While Mercedes has a strong track record when it comes to abiding by labor laws, it has faced some problems with its Alabama plant. Employees at the Vance plant are suing on the basis that Mercedes has been violating the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act by not giving some employees their lunch breaks. Over 150 employees are pushing to be repaid with interest for missed overtime due to working during the lunch hour. The employees also allege that Mercedes-Benz has been calling its employees in during their lunch breaks and causing them to miss family time. Mercedes-Benz has not yet responded to the lawsuit.