Webcast examines school wellness

A Webcast from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, April 19, will focus on school districts' development of wellness policies, as provided in the 2004 Childhood Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act.

The goal is to create healthy school environments and healthy choices while combating obesity. The Webcast, by the School of Public Health at SUNY Albany and the State Education Department, will also be broadcast by satellite. To register, go to www.t2b2.org.

Two-year college group to meet

"Retention and the Underprepared Student" is the theme of the annual conference of the Northeastern Association of Two-Year Colleges April 12-13 at the Best Western Binghamton Regency. The association is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

For details, log on to www.2yearcollege.org.

Casino dealers pick a winner

Dealers at Caesars casino in Atlantic City, N.J., beat the odds in March, voting more than 4-to-1 to become part of the United Auto Workers.

According to the Weblog AFL-CIO Now, this marks the first time in the nearly 30-year history of Atlantic City casinos that dealers have voted to form a union.

"This huge victory is the first step in a larger effort by dealers across Atlantic City to form their own union," said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn.

Dealers at several other casinos are also involved in organizing efforts.

AFL-CIO holds off on endorsements

AFL-CIO leaders are taking a wait-and-see approach before endorsing a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

And, the Washington Post reports, they're urging other unions to hold off on backing any candidate until later in the fall.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, outlined the evaluation process at a news conference. Sweeney told reporters, "The breadth and depth of our effort to engage union members and their families in the 2008 presidential endorsement process will be unparalleled."