• $14/hour the amount newly hired TSA employees make to do their high-pressure front-line jobs that involve feeling up people’s junk and ensuring that no bombs get on planes
• 37% the percentage of TSA workers that work part-time at Chicago O’Hare Airport; the job would pay the equivalent of $29,000 a year if they worked full-time source

• » Let’s give them raises! You know what’s really sad? These TSA jobs are treated like working at retail (complete with turnover), even at a time when government workers are getting paid more than they’ve ever been. And that’s even considering that they arguably have a more important job than many bureaucrats. Fun fact: If you took the $168 million that the government has planned to, or used for, these full-body scanners and divided it amongst the 56,000 workers on staff as of 2009, it would be the same as giving each worker $2,988 of extra income, or $28 more each week over the next two years. That’s money which we’re sure they’d appreciate, considering they’re attempting to stop bombs and terrorists from getting on planes.

• 46,600 that’s way up from just last year source

• $86M
  the possible size of the total settlement, based on underpaid wages and vacation time
• 232k
  the number of former workers that could benefit from the class-action suit
• $370 the amount that would net each employee, on average, which isn’t that much source

• one
  million number of women that could
  sue Wal-Mart in a class action
  trial over unfair pay
• nine
  years amount of time this case
  has been winding through the
  federal courts source

• » Oh, just an FYI: This court case is weeding its way through the Ninth Circuit Federal Appeals Court. Wal-Mart plans to appeal the case. If you remember our article from yesterday, this doesn’t bode well for the result.

• 200 Google-worker-rooted startups since 2005 source

• Updated: Big money for Conan. Others, not so much. Conan’s reportedly close to a $40 million deal to get out of his contract, but he wants more than the $12 million in severance being offered for his employees (reportedly $600,000 more). Before you think that severance is a ton of money, we just did some math:

How many employees does he have?:

• 200the number of employees Conan has, roughly source

The way that splits up:

• $4.5
  million the amount that would go to executive producer Jeff Ross
• $7.5
  million the amount that would go to everybody else. Jesus.

How this breaks down for Conan’s people:

• split Based on the number given by MTV today, that’s exactly $37,500 a piece per employee. Not too huge at all, guys.
• seniority Our number doesn’t account for salaries of sidekicks like Andy Richter and Max Weinberg, nor seniority.
• taxes It’s also before the 40% or whatever they take out of severance before they give it to you. It’s kind of a raw deal. source

The silver lining:

• In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket. Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible.
• Gavin Polone • Conan O’Brien’s manager, regarding the deal NBC reportedly struck with the comedian last night. Conan’s not only a rich man, but apparently he’s a prince, because he’s taking care of his workers when he doesn’t have to! Good show, old red-headed chap! source

• ZOMG we had fireworks and we all got the new Google phone. It’s beautiful.
• Google employee Leslie Hawthorn • Revealing to the world that she got a “Google phone” – a product that was given out to Google employees yesterday. Google responded to the Twitter message, referring to it as “dogfooding” (as in “eating your own dogfood”) and noting that it was an experimental product not for general consumption. Still has us really curious. source

• 1,250 people work in the New York Times newsroom, including a reporter with a number for her middle name
• 100 fewer workers will be there by the end of the year, mostly through buyouts, or scary layoffs source

• Many of you have been with me for so many years, and I just cry when I think that so many people will be leaving the company. It is my belief that immigrants bring prosperity to any economy.
• American Apparel CEO Dov Charney • In a letter to employees. The letter is one of those things that could come off like some jerk CEO just saying nice things, but instead it comes off really sincere. In the letter, he notes that his grandmother worked as an immigrant in a clothing factory, and his grandparents later paid seed money for him to start his company. He’s also offering priority to laid-off employees in getting new jobs with the company once their immigration status is straight. Charney gets lots of criticism from the press, but this screams “class act.” • source