Contractors seek exemption from new sick-time law

A group of construction trade associations is asking a federal court judge to rule that the Bay State's newly passed sick-time law does not apply to them because it is pre-empted by the federal Labor Management Relations Act.

"When a state law comes out and establishes a working condition — and in this case also a wage — our argument is that those are exclusive to the bargaining parties under federal labor law," said James Grosso, an attorney for the trade associations, which include general, electrical and mechanical contractors. "They can't come in and dictate to employers and employees what they're going to have in their collective bargaining agreements."

The new sick-time law, which becomes effective July 1, requires employers with more than 10 workers to allow them to accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year.

The trade associations, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions, say the new law allows the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office to bring suits against companies in state court, while federal law requires those same disputes to be hashed out in federal court.

Meanwhile, Raise Up Massachusetts, the group that pushed for the sick- time law, said there had been many debates on how the new referendum would work, and the trade associations never came to the bargaining table.

"This was an issue that was debated for months, and it passed overwhelmingly by the voters of Massachusetts," said Steve Crawford, Raise Up's spokesman. "The people who are bringing this legal action were virtually silent throughout the process."

The AG's office, which had not yet been served with a copy of the petition, could not comment.

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The Ticker

Amazon.com selling $1M Japanese fighting robot

A robot that takes its cues from its operator's facial expressions to shoot at enemies is now for sale on Amazon, suggesting that you can buy just about anything on the e-commerce giant's website.

The Kuratas robot starter's kit is being offered on Amazon Japan for a little more than $1 million.

Standing nearly 13 feet tall and weighing 5 tons, Kuratas looks like something out of a Hollywood action movie.

While it may have the feel of a tank, the gasoline-fueled robot moves at a top speed of 6 mph.

The rider climbs on board the robot, presses a button and slips into the cockpit from which the robot is controlled. Kuratas can also be operated via a smartphone hooked to a 3G network.

The Kuratas doesn't come with weaponry, and some assembly is required, according to the website.

Oxfam: Richest 1 percent to hold half the world's wealth by 2016

Wealth accumulated by the richest 1 percent will exceed that of the other 99 percent in 2016, the Oxfam charity said yesterday, ahead of the annual meeting of the world's most powerful at Davos, Switzerland.

"The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering, and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said.

The richest 1 percent's share of global wealth increased from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British charity said in a report, adding that it will be more that 50 percent in 2016.

The average wealth per adult in this group is 
$2.7 million, Oxfam said.

Of the remaining 52 percent, almost all — 46 per-cent — is owned by the rest of the richest fifth of the world's population, leaving the other 80 percent to share just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of $3,851 per adult, the report says.

Today

 National Association of Home Builders releases housing market index for January.

TOMORROW

 Commerce Department releases housing starts for December.

THE SHUFFLE

Hub-based law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo is expanding its white collar defense practice with the addition of Mark E. Robinson a nationally recognized expert in government investigations and enforcement, cybersecurity defense and a former deputy chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in government and law, Robinson will serve as co-chairman of Mintz Levin's white collar defense practice.

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Business Protocol: Don’t wed business with personal events

Today, when many of us traverse in and out of companies and continents, the need to establish connections from business-related events and social settings is indispensable, but at personal events such as a wedding it can be hazardous.

Tact and discretion are absolutely key here. You are attending this wedding for a purpose. Engage your target with something pertaining specifically to the event — the reason you are both here. Make the conversation, your curiosity and excitement all about that event you are experiencing together. Look for points of connectivity with the other person through the prism of the event.

• Never ask for a business card — only at social events with a business undercurrent, such as charity auctions or softball tournaments, may cards be exchanged freely without concern of impropriety.

• Tell your target you have enjoyed meeting them and would like to stay in touch.

• Do not be one of those hangers on. Walk away!

• Ask your host — after the event — to connect you with the person of interest. Your host will no doubt delight knowing they were able to help forge a connection.

When you do follow up, mention the wedding; reference the connector. Remember, it's not about the business, it's about the connection.

Keep initial contact brief and reflective back to the event you both attended, with personal notes about where you met, where you shared the fact that you both always cry at weddings, where you enjoyed the beautiful music, admired the imported flowers, or laughed at the hysterical toasts. The wedding is your common denominator. Only then, explore business interests.

Underscore what's in it for them. Determine their receptivity level and proceed accordingly. If not, you'll always have Paris!

If you merely exchange contact information, subtly and quickly, by smartphone, you risk losing the opportunity to engage and connect on all the above points of confluence.

Judith Bowman is president and founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette" and "How to Stand Apart @ Work … Transforming "Fine" to Fabulous!" Email her at Judith@protocolconsultants.com.

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Inspector Gadget: New Droid fills void in smartphone market

Motorola Droid Turbo (Verizon Wireless, $199.99 with contract)

Available with a grippy black or smooth cherry red backing, this is the latest addition to Motorola's Droid family of smartphones.

The good: With a 21-megapixel camera, up to 48 hours of battery life and an incredible HD display, Motorola brought its A-game to the spec war with this phone. Not only does the battery feature super-fast charging, this may be my favorite screen on any smartphone to date.

The bad: Not the easiest phone for a one-handed user, this phone seems a bit heavy and can heat up with heavy use.

The bottom line: The Motorola Droid Turbo is a powerful and hefty device that Android lovers should seriously consider.

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Boston games could show off high-tech

The possibility of the Olympics coming to Boston in 2024 is an unprecedented opportunity for the local science and technology scene to usher in a new era of innovation.

Already, the city — selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the nation's official entrant to host in 2024 — is uniquely positioned to pioneer these top five innovations that could enhance the experience of spectators and athletes:

• Devices that let users speak a new language without learning it. (For "Star Trek" fans, think "universal translator.") A beta version of that technology already exists: the Skype Translator, designed by Microsoft. Microsoft's New England Research and Development Center in Cambridge could lead the way in adapting that technology to the needs of Olympic tourists.

• Augmented-reality viewing. Imagine being able to wear wireless glasses that provide comprehensive information about the athlete you're watching from the stands, from their vital signs in real-time to their biography. Alternatively, augmented reality could come in the form of new super-mobile apps, guiding visitors around an unfamiliar city and serving as a digital tourist assistant. The MIT Media Lab is the perfect clearinghouse to design a new way to watch the games and visit Boston.

•   Holographic viewing for at-home spectators. Microsoft is working on holographic technology that could bring a 3-D version of what you're watching to your living room or even project immersive views beyond the television and onto an empty wall.

•   New athlete wearables. Boston is a health IT hub and host to extraordinary app makers like Runkeeper. We're in the perfect position to design new hardware and software that detects and delivers the most accurate and interesting real-time information about athletes. Not only will that be a fun development for spectators, but also a potential method to detect and prevent doping.

• Automated transportation. Whether it's Boston's Zipcar or the many innovators at MIT who have explored autonomous vehicles, the Hub should be the city that brings self-driving cars to consumers. That technology is likely to go mainstream before 2024, but all the better if visitors to Boston get first crack at being ferried from venue to venue — even those outside the city — without having to drive themselves.

App developers, entrepreneurs and other innovators should share their own ideas, too. And there are many opportunities, such as Boston 2024's first Citizens Advisory Group meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center at 6 p.m.

"With Boston's high-tech sector and wealth of local talent, Boston 2024 will showcase our innovation economy and groundbreaking technologies as we build off of what previous Olympic Games have done," said Boston 2024 executive vice-president Erin Murphy Rafferty, noting that both the Sochi and London games featured user-friendly fan apps.

With the International Olympic Committee pushing for a greater emphasis on innovation and sustainability, Boston's unique technological prowess may just be what puts its application above the rest.

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China shares plunge on margin trade curbs for 3 brokerages

TOKYO — Chinese shares plunged more than 8 percent Monday after the country's securities regulator imposed margin trading curbs on several major brokerages, a sign that authorities are trying to rein in the market's big gains. Other Asian stock markets were mostly higher.

KEEPING SCORE: The Shanghai Composite Index was down 8.3 percent at 3,096.64, giving investors a wild ride after a year in which China's stock market marched higher despite slowing economic growth. For the past three months, the index is still up 32 percent. Its dive rubbed off on Hong Kong where the Hang Seng was off 2.1 percent at 23,605.00. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.9 percent to 17,014.29 and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.8 percent to 1,902.62. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2 percent to 5,309.10. Shares were also higher in Taiwan, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

CHINA CURBS: The China Securities Regulatory Commission imposed curbs late Friday on margin financing, or borrowing to purchase stocks, following an investigation of the industry. The three affected brokerages, Citic Securities Co., Haitong Securities Co. and Guotai Junan, were forbidden to lend money and shares to new customers for three months after they allegedly were caught extending margin trading contracts in violation of the rules. The Shanghai Composite has surged almost 60 percent in the past year. Investors fear regulators believe prices have risen too much recently and might impose more curbs.

THE QUOTE: Dickie Wong, executive director of research at Kingston Securities in Hong Kong, said regulators want to tamp down some of the riskier financing practices underpinning the mainland Chinese stock market's astonishing surge that began half a year ago. "The recent bull market is mainly driven by margin financing," he said. With the rally "overdone," regulators want to "simply give pause" to the brokerages. Mainland Chinese regulators allowed margin financing and short selling only in recent years and Wong said many mainland investors may still be unaware of the risks involved.

CHINA, ECB: Investors are awaiting China's economic growth data due Tuesday, which is likely to show a further slowdown in the fourth quarter, and are also anticipating possible stimulus moves by the European Central Bank. Markets generally settled down after volatility provoked by the Swiss central bank's shock decision Thursday to untether the Swiss franc from the euro. Japan's central bank is not expected to make any major moves in a policy meeting that wraps up Wednesday.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude was down 19 cents at $48.50 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $2.44 on Friday to settle at $48.69. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was up 1 cent at $50.18 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The euro was little changed at $1.1562 from $1.1561 late Friday. The dollar dropped to 117.14 yen from 117.57 yen.

___

AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed.

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New Hampshire delegation requests openness in pipeline plan

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire's congressional delegation is calling for an open and transparent process before a final decision is made about a proposed natural gas pipeline route in the state.

Texas-based Kinder Morgan wants to construct about 70 miles of pipeline through southern New Hampshire. About 90 percent of the project would be along an existing power line corridor.

In letters to Kinder Morgan and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte and Reps. Frank Guinta and Annie Kuster requested that New Hampshire residents have ample opportunity to express their views.

The letter, dated Wednesday, notes Kinder Morgan filed its latest proposal Dec. 8, which shifts much of the pipeline out of northern Massachusetts into a number of southern New Hampshire towns.

The towns include Winchester; Richmond; Troy; Fitzwilliam; Rindge; New Ipswich; Greenville; Mason; Milford; Brookline; Amherst; Merrimack; Litchfield; Londonderry; Hudson; Windham; Pelham; and Salem.

The delegation requests "that Kinder Morgan provide the public, municipal officials in potentially affected municipalities, and our offices with additional information on the timeline for the current pre-filing phase." It also urges the company "to extend that timeline to ensure that New Hampshire's residents have a full and equal opportunity to understand, assess, and comment on this project before any decisions are made finalizing the project or its route."

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Boston accelerator to help international firms take off

A Boston company whose long-term goal is to be a resource for all international entrepreneurs looking to break into the U.S. market will kick off Feb. 1 with a three-month accelerator for 15 Spanish startups.

For Dat Venture, Spain was the logical country from which to draw its first class. Two of its five founders are Spanish, and its parent company, Efron Group, a multinational consulting company with a Boston office, is headquartered in Madrid.

"Spain also is not exactly welcoming to innovators, even though the unemployment rate for people under 25 is over 50 percent," said co-founder Matt Hurley, a former Techstars associate. "So these young millennials who can't find work there are bootstrapping companies of their own and looking for access here."

Since starting Dat Venture in August, Hurley and his co-founders held a pilot accelerator for two Spanish companies, one of which is returning to Boston next month to open an office here. But the real test, he said, will begin next month with their first full class.

Dat Venture had three main prerequisites for the startups: They had to have traction, be fluent in English and have a great team, Hurley said.

The 15 companies he and his co-founders selected run the gamut of industries, from robotics to machine-learning to clean tech, with a combined revenue of more than $10 million.

Although Dat Venture does not take any equity in the startups, it charges $10,000 per CEO or whoever else the companies choose to represent them in the program. That fee covers airfare; office space at WeWork South Station; housing at Krash, a Boston co-living space for entrepreneurs; and a business class of their choice at Harvard Extension School.

Dat Venture will host seminars taught by guest lecturers on topics including what American venture firms look for in a pitch and how to market and sell to the American consumer.

The company also has taken pains to arrange matches between the startups and mentors who have deep knowledge of the teams' fields, something many accelerators do poorly, Hurley said.

"We see ourselves as temporary co-founders for these companies," he said. "We are totally dedicated to making sure they leave better off than they came."

The accelerator will culminate in a demo day, giving the startups the chance to pitch to local venture firms.

"The whole goal is to help them gain enough traction that they'll be able to open permanent offices here," Hurley said. "It will be an economic boost both for Boston and for Spain."

Dat Venture plans to hold three accelerators each year and is currently deciding whether its summer program will accept another group of Spanish startups or a mix of international companies, he said.

"Having a group that all speaks the same language is kind of cool, but I also see the benefit of having companies from many different countries working alongside," Hurley said. "Ultimately, our goal is break out and be a resource for entrepreneurs from around the world."

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Voxel8 sets tone for 3-D printing

A 3-D printed iPhone? It's not possible yet, but thanks to a new startup, custom gadgets spit out by a 3-D printer are on their way.

Voxel8, based in Somerville, recently unveiled its 3-D printer, which can print and layer conductive ink to act as internal wires and circuits, integrating electrical components into design in a way that would be impossible with traditional methods.

"It allows free-form geometries of electronics, where they've been really stuck in 2-D geometries for decades now," said Daniel Oliver, a co-founder of Voxel8. "We believe that electronics need to get more places and be more seamlessly integrated in the products they're already in, and this is a technology that does it."

3-D printing has taken off in recent years, but currently the most practical use for a 3-D printer is to make plastic objects with limited utility.

By integrating the electronics as part of the design, products can be designed more efficiently, Oliver said. Other products, including a smaller, more effective antenna, could only be designed using this method.

"Where this really fits in are those products that can't be made any other way," Oliver said.

Right now, the company is printing working quadcopters and LED lights to demonstrate what the technology can do. He said they plan to develop and create wearable devices using their system.

Future models of their printer, Oliver said, will be able to print single-piece custom hearing aids, a painstaking, delicate process today.

The company was spun out of Harvard University thanks to research by professor Jennifer Lewis. Her work with the conductive ink is what makes Voxel8's system work.

While the thick silver conductive ink acts as internal wires inside a gadget, it cannot replace other important components, including batteries and processors. To address this, Voxel8 has teamed up with Autodesk, a California company that is one of the leaders in design software.

"It enables a whole new category of objects to be created," said Karl Willis, principal research engineer for Autodesk's Project Wire. "It really just seemed like something we could contribute to on the software side."

Project Wire is Autodesk's software for systems like Voxel8, and includes a way for the printer to stop when necessary so the engineer can place a processor in the design. Autodesk has embedded an engineer in Voxel8's office to work on development of Project Wire. Willis said Project Wire and Autodesk's collaboration with Voxel8 is "an investment in the future."

"We don't know what's going to be made," he said. "We think it's going to be an amazing surprise to see the things that people make."

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Boston braille press puts out ‘Frozen’ book, CD

What more fitting book for children to curl up with on these bone-chilling days and nights than "Frozen," Disney's wildly popular icy adventure. But the more than 50,000 blind children in the United States have largely been left out of the fun — until now.

The Boston-based National Braille Press has just released a version in both print and braille, along with a CD featuring thrilling sound effects, word-for-word narration and original movie voices, so that parents and children can venture together to Arendelle, a kingdom trapped in a never-ending winter.

"What we try to do is make the most popular children's books accessible to blind children so that they can share in the excitement," said Kimberley Ballard, a National Braille Press spokeswoman.

What makes "Frozen" particularly appealing, Ballard said, is that it has a strong female character and emphasizes the importance of bravery and imagination as the young Princess Anna, a dreamer, goes on a quest to save Arendelle.

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