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The author discusses what he considers to be the 10 leading cases on education labor relations decided in state and federal courts during the 1990s. Concludes with a prediction that efforts to implement merit-pay schemes tied to student performance will lead to employment conflict. (PKP)

The authors evaluate community health services provided to Australian aborigine children. Topics include levels of diseases, hearing screening, and visual acuity.

Aim: Secondary prophylaxis with 3–4 weekly benzathine penicillin G injections is necessary to prevent disease morbidity and cardiac mortality in patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study aimed to determine secondary prophylaxis adherence rates in the Far North Queensland paediatric population and to identify factors contributing to suboptimal adherence. Methods: A retrospective analysis of data recorded in the online RHD register for Queensland, Australia, was performed for a 10‐year study period. The proportion of benzathine penicillin G injections delivered within intervals of ≤28 days and ≤35 days was measured. A multi‐level mixed model logistic regression assessed the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, suburb, Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia class, number of people per dwelling, Index of Relative Socio‐economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Index of Education and Occupation, year of inclusion on an ARF/RHD register and individual effect. Results: The study included 277 children and analysis of 7374 injections. No children received ≥80% of recommended injections within a 28‐day interval. Four percent received ≥50% of injections within ≤28 days and 46% received ≥50% of injections at an extended interval of ≤35 days. Increasing age was associated with reduced delivery of injections within 35 days. Increasing year of inclusion was associated with improved delivery within 28 days. The random effect of individual patients was significantly associated with adherence. Conclusions: Improved timely delivery of secondary prophylaxis for ARF and RHD is needed as current adherence is very low. Interventions should focus on factors specific to each individual child or family unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Note examines whether the joint employer standard of the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB " or "the Board") encompasses all the entities necessary to satisfy the legislative intent of the Board's governing statute, the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA "). Under current NLRB jurisprudence, many franchisors escape liability for the unfair labor practices of their franchisee entities, leaving workers with little to no recourse when they seek enforcement of their rights under the NLRA. In examining recent struggles by workers seeking better conditions in many franchise workplaces, the history and evolution of the joint employer standard, and formulations of the joint employer standard in other legal contexts, this Note explains that there are current gaps in labor law enforcement that should be filled via a modification of the Board's standard. This Note outlines a reformulated joint employer standard that the NLRB should apply and walks through an example of how the standard would function. This Note then discusses critics' arguments against a new joint employer standard, relying on franchise industry members' facts and economic studies to identify the likely outcomes of a new standard. This Note concludes that the current joint employer standard before the NLRB must be modified to reach many franchisors, thereby moving closer to realizing the NLRA's legislative intent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article forms part of our 'Access' series for 2012, profiling organisations that provide primary healthcare to groups who are disadvantaged or have difficulty accessing mainstream services. The aim of this series is to describe the area of need, highlight the innovative strategies that have been developed by specific organisations to address this need, and make recommendations to help GPs improve access to disadvantaged populations in their own communities.

The Northern Territory is Australia's third largest jurisdiction by land mass but it is the smallest by population. By proportion it accommodates the largest number of Aboriginal people who suffer the greatest burden of disease with high morbidity, mortality, admission rates and lengths of stay. Output based funding by DRG is based on the "typical" Australian population which is not that of the Northern Territory. The NT has had to significantly modify its approach to funding to meet the needs of its population. The current funding method based on detailed analyses of clinical data with small numbers may be inappropriate where simpler methods tailored to the NT population could suffice.