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Non-Tech : Tulipomania Blowoff Contest: Why and When will it end? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sir Auric Goldfinger who wrote (2979)	7/26/2000 10:45:27 PM
From: Mad2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3543

AMZN misses revenue estimates (a few days after departure of COO.....)there's a vote for where its headed. mad2

To: Sir Auric Goldfinger who wrote (2979)	7/28/2000 5:33:28 PM
From: RockyBalboa	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3543

Whores? Uh, we call the analysts whores.... but read this Merril Lunch story: Friday July 28, 4:50 pm Eastern Time Female brokers protest outside Merrill's headquarters By Brian Kelleher NEW YORK, July 28 (Reuters) - Margaret Duncan, a stock broker at Merrill Lynch and Co. Inc. (NYSE:MER - news) for eight years, was handling $80 million in client money for the nation's largest brokerage house when she received a personal apology from Vice Chairman John ``Launny'' Steffens. Steffens, who then headed Merrill's broker troops, in the early 1990s apologised to Duncan after her male supervisor called her ex-husband saying she was sleeping around to get more clients, according to Duncan. The problem was Merrill never fired the culprit, even allowing him to keep his seat next to her, Duncan said. Steffens on Friday declined to comment on the incident. Years after she left the firm, Duncan and 24 other female brokers with similar gripes on Friday protested outside Merrill's headquarters in the World Financial Centre. The brokers staged the rally because Merrill is dragging its feet in making good on a 1998 settlement with some 900 employees who charged the firm with gender discrimination and harassment, they said. Merrill, however, contends it is in full compliance with the settlement agreement, which stipulates the firm will consider each complaint on a case-by-case basis. Merrill has offered settlements to 80 percent of the women who have filed suit, said spokeswoman Susan Thomson. ``Clearly we're disappointed, given the perspective that we're acting in good faith with the agreement,'' Thomson said, describing Merrill's reaction to the protest. As part of the settlement, women must first file a claim, for which Merrill may compensate them. If the women find the compensation unsatisfactory, they may subject their claim to nonbinding mediation and, finally, arbitration. The protesters, many wearing T-shirts adorned with an ``X'' through the name ``Merrill Lynch,'' claim the company is refusing to take claims to the mediation stage. They say the protest is the first step in a campaign to let people know about the situation. ``We want the public to call (company CEO) David Komansky, Launny Steffens and (vice chairman) Stephen Hammerman to say 'get these claims settled','' said Mary Shellnut, a former broker who was handing out flyers containing the phone numbers of the three executives. Merrill said the reason the mediations have not begun is because it is waiting for responses to most of the offers it sent out. Despite the group's allegations that things have not changed at the firm, Merrill has made sweeping changes in its treatment of women, Thomson said. Initiatives include the active recruitment of female employees and diversity sessions for current workers. Of the 900 women who filed suit, 300 are still at the firm, Thomson said. In addition, women make up 15 percent of Merrill's 15,000-strong broker force, one of the highest percentages on Wall Street, she added. The protesters said they also set up camp to protest outside of a career symposium for minorities and women that Merrill was attending at a nearby hotel, adding that they will step up their publicity efforts if Merrill does not act soon. ``We are not going to get quiet, we've been quiet for two years,'' Shellnut said. biz.yahoo.com