C.U. Library Now U.N. Depository [International Labour Organization (ILO) Depository] [Basefsky] in The Cornell Daily Sun, February 22, 2002

The following article can be found at
https://wayback.archive-it.org/2566/20140830225002/http://cornellsun.com/blog/2002/02/26/cu-library-now-un-depository/

C.U. Library Now U.N. Depository

FEBRUARY 26, 2002 7:00 PM0 COMMENTS

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The Martin P. Catherwood Library in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) has been designated as an official depository library by the International Labor Organization (ILO), making it the only library in the country, besides the Library of Congress, to serve this function.

The ILO is a specialized United Nations agency, which studies a wide variety of labor issues and creates international labor standards by working with representatives from governments, employee groups and employer groups.

Normally, each country only has one depository library for ILO documents, so “we had to make a case for why we should be a second depository,” said senior reference librarian Stuart Basefsky.

Basefsky had established a relationship with the ILO and has been arguing to make the Catherwood Library a second depository since 1996.

“It is a result of Stuart’s relationship and persistence that we have be able to make this relationship more formal,” said Gordon Law, director of the Catherwood Library.

The library was finally selected because of its quality collection of workplace and labor related issues in the United States, its large international clientele and its ability to provide a broad range of resources via the internet.

The Catherwood Library has been ordering ILO documents since the ILR school was established. However, now “nobody will have to order them. They will come automatically.” Law said. “This assures us that we won’t miss any documents,” he added.

The library will receive all ILO documents for free now, which will save the library between $5,000 and $10,000 per year, according to Basefsky. This will allow the library to use those funds to purchase other resources.

Furthermore, Basefsky believes that the new relationship established by the library and the ILO will also make it easier for researchers in ILR to get research grant approvals. “This gives us a natural partnership,” Basefsky said.

The ILO documents will also benefit various departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Science and the College of Arts and Sciences which are interested in labor relationships.

“Anyone who has used our resources almost can’t avoid using ILO material,” Basefsky said.

The Catherwood Library will archive, catalog and make all the documents it receives available to the public.

Right now, the Cornell Law Library serves as a mirror site for the ILO website, providing an exact copy of all website content. This website already includes the documents that the Catherwood Library will be receiving. However, obtaining paper copies is very important according to Basefsky, since printed material is still the best way to preserve material for future use without the need to worry about any changes in electronic storage formats.

Archived article by Luke Hejnar

Sound Advice for a Raise - You can get more pay, but you have to ask - politely [Stuart Basefsky] in Daytona Beach News-Journal, December 5, 2005, page 12A.

Sound Advice for a Raise - You can get more pay, but you have to ask - politely

Daytona Beach News-Journal, The (FL) (Published as Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)) - December 5, 2005

·         Author/Byline: DONNA CALLEA - BUSINESS WRITER

·         Edition: Final

·         Section: Section A

·         Page: 12A

DAYTONA BEACH -Attention average worker.

If you've been doing an average job for your employer, and your employer is about average when it comes to compensation, you can expect an average pay raise of about 3.6 percent in 2006. That's what several recent market studies conclude.

But what's that, you say?

You're not average? You're well above average - not to mention highly reliable, with skills, talents, stamina and/or other qualities that make you deserving of more?

Well then, you'd better ask if you want to receive, advises Stuart Basefsky of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University in New York.

"People still do ask for raises," he said in a telephone interview. And they should - assuming they've honestly and fairly evaluated their worth to their employers, investigated the going rate for workers such as themselves, and concluded they're underpaid. In today's working world, nothing is automatic - including receiving just rewards for jobs well done, he pointed out. And employees no longer pledge themselves to companies for decades on end, if they think they can do better elsewhere.

"It used to be that people were loyal to their firms, and firms were loyal to their workers. There used to be quid pro quo," Basefskysaid. But with downsizing and other cost-cutting measures, "workers have lost confidence and trust in companies." They may feel as if they're just a commodity. And "if you're a commodity you might as well act like a commodity," he said. Especially in times such as now, when unemployment is very low.

Of course, no one is irreplaceable. "Employers say everyone can be replaced, and they can," Basefsky acknowledged. "But the cost of turnover can be a problem." Depending on the sector and the timing, it may be difficult and expensive for companies to fill vacancies.

Still, asking for a salary increase isn't an easy thing for most people to do.

"It can be intimidating," acknowledged Wayne Green, a 39-year-old construction masonry worker from DeLand, who successfully negotiated a raise about three weeks ago.

The rising price of gas and increasingly high cost of his commute to work prompted his request. But the important thing was, his employer "knew I was a good worker," said Green. "I had a good work history, and that boosted my confidence."

He asked for a dollar more an hour, and got 50 cents. "It was a compromise," he said.

Gerda Winger, 79, a part-time hostess at Mr. Dunderbak's in Volusia Mall, still vividly recalls the first time she asked a boss for a raise.

She was in her early 20s, working as a fashion model in Sweden, and it wasn't all glamour.

"I told the owner I'd like a raise. And he said: 'What for?' I said: 'You're working me to death. If you don't give me a raise, you can kiss my heinie,' " Winger recalled with a chuckle. And he did. Give her a raise, that is.

That approach, however, is not generally recommended by human resources experts. "You want to be respectful," Basefsky said. "You don't want to ever threaten (to walk)." Sometimes an employer may truly not be able to afford to pay more money, but can offer other perks such as more flexible hours or better working conditions.

The bottom line, though, is employees are "remiss if they don't ask for rewards for their loyalty and increasingly good performance," he said.

Getting a Raise

Here are tips from experts on asking for a raise.

*Be respectful and make a request rather than a demand.

*Back up your request with facts about your performance.

*Do your own market research (available at many employment sites on the Internet), and point out what the going rate is for people in your position in your industry in your geographical area.

*If you're in a supervisory position, emphasize the success of those who report to you.

*Emphasize any additional training, education, certification, awards or praise you've received.

*Saying you need more money because of your personal situation isn't an effective argument and typically doesn't cut any ice.

SOURCE: News-Journal research

·         Dateline: DAYTONA BEACH

·         Record: 409476877

·         Copyright: Copyright, 2005, The News-Journal Corporation

New Database Brings Congress to Cornell [Stuart Basefsky] in The Cornell Daily Sun, Friday, October 21, 1994, page 3.

When Stuart Basefsky moved from Duke University to Cornell University, he brought access to the Washington Alert Service created by Congressional Quarterly (CQ) with him.

A GIFT FOR BOYNTON [Origin of Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI)] in The Ithaca Journal, Wednesday, April 20, 1994, pages 3A and 4A

Stuart Basefsky and his family (Claire Germain, wife, and Nicolas Germain, son) became the catalyst for the formation of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) with their donation to Boynton Middle School which is documented in the article below.

Dublin Foundation (EUROFOUND) Briefing, 6 April 2005 by Stuart Basefsky [The role of Stuart Basefsky in formulating MOU's with EUROFOUND, the ILO, and University College Dublin (UCB)]

The following provides a briefing on the relationship between the ILR School and the Dublin Foundation (EUROFOUND) from Spring 2003 to March 2005. In addition, it provides the background information that brought about the MOU and its status as of 6 April 2005. Stuart Basefsky's role is clearly indicated in developing not only the MOU with EUROFOUND but also the MOU's with the ILO and the University College Dublin (see Internship Program in document below).
[Note: Stuart Basefsky initiated the contact between Prof. Roland Erne and Prof. Clete Daniel].

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) between the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 10 June 2004

The following MOU between the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (known as the Dublin Foundation and later as EUROFOUND) and the ILR School was signed by Dean Edward J. Lawler (Dean of the ILR School) and Willy Buschak (Acting Director of the Dublin Foundation). The agreement was finalized on 10 June 2004.

ESCP-EAP (European School of Management in Paris): Report of Visit to Cornell, 7-9 October 2002

The following is a report of the visit of Beatrice Collin and Jean-Francois Delplancke to Cornell University in October 2002. This event ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between ESCP and the ILR School including a joint degree program. Stuart Basefsky was instrumental in bringing this endeavor to reality.