Disappointed, but not surprised: Rail workers disapprove of Congress intervention
Good morning! It’s Taco Tuesday… & you know what we’re about. 🌮
“Take risks. Failure is a stepping stone to success.” - Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post
Since the 1926 Railway Labor Act passage, the United States Chamber of Commerce claims that Congress has stepped in to block a potential rail strike a whopping 18 times. This may be why the unionized rail workers, while increasingly frustrated, were expecting this to occur.
Check out today’s featured article from AP News to read about the overwhelming attitude toward Congress and the Biden Administration’s intervention in the railroad and union labor discussions to avoid a strike. Find out why rail workers are disappointed… but certainly not surprised. ☕️
Featured Article:
Rail workers say deal won’t resolve quality-of-life concerns | AP News
“When BNSF railroad conductor Justin Schaaf needed to take time off from work this summer, he had to make a choice: go to the dentist to get a cavity in his molar filled or attend a party for his son’s 7th birthday.”
Manufacturing & Trade Issues ⚙️
U.S. manufacturing orders in China fall 40%
In what Joe Monaghan, CEO of Worldwide Logistics Group, is describing as an “unrelenting collapse”, American-issued manufacturing orders have plummeted 40%. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Chinese factories are shutting down shop a few weeks earlier than usual as container volume continues to drop, now to 21% between August and November.
The ocean transport business climate seems bleak, as Asia-based global shipping firm HLS issues literal warnings to its clients regarding delays. The increasingly heated market competition will likely further complicate things.
Electric Vehicles & Mining 🔋
Imperial County, CA could hold the key to a clean-energy fortune
Imperial County, California is one of the most depressing places in the country, but it houses an underground reservoir that could supply a massive amount of lithium to a country hell-bent on clean energy. With the unemployment rate hitting over 16 percent in the county (when California’s average is just about 4%) it’s likely that such a lithium-filled breakthrough could greatly benefit its residents.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
Season 4 No GIF By The Office via GIPHY
🇰🇷 South Koreans organized a labor march to support striking truckers. Protestors that mostly represented the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions came out in droves over the weekend in South Korea’s capital city of Seoul. The marchers criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol and the government for their attempts to force thousands of striking truckers back to work. Approximately 2,500 drivers of cement trucks went on strike over a dispute over the price of freight.
🍎 One in 10 people globally get sick after eating contaminated food every year. The cold food chain faces many serious challenges in ensuring food safety and unfortunately, it won’t ever be perfect. Problems such as civil unrest, food shortages, and inflation-induced recessions all play a role in global food supply safety. The scale of technology is increasing, and companies should keep up as best as possible for the well-being of the world.
🇪🇺 The cap at $60 per barrel of Russian crude is set. But some are asking… is it too much? Will it be enough? The European Union’s long-anticipated ban on the import of crude oil produced in Russia that is then transported by sea is here. Bulgaria is the only country exempt from the rule due to contracts signed prior to its issue in June 2022. The price cap for all of Russia's crude is what The Group of Seven hopes will drain Russia’s war machine.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
📋 The November jobs report is painting a more accurate picture of the US economy. The Department of Labor’s monthly numbers showcased 263,000 additional non-farm payrolls, but it isn’t all butterflies and roses. A household survey shows that employment dropped by 138,000 and has been flatlining since March 2022. Essentially, no jobs have been added since.
🛩️ Up, up, and away: air taxis could be the next big thing. Commercial airlines across the country are investing in start-ups focusing on developing electric air taxis. Airlines are betting on this new technology being the key to getting consumers to and from the airports in record times. Americans can expect these air taxis to hit the market sometime in the 2030s.
💸 Delta pilot unions to evaluate proposed 31% in pay hikes over four years. The tentative accord has been proposed to the Air Line Pilots Association, which will need to be formally approved by union leadership before going directly to the pilots for a vote. The airline has stated that it acknowledges its pilots’ efforts and attributes them to Delta’s massive success in the wake of the pandemic years - which almost crippled airlines entirely.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🔋 GM and LG are injecting $275 million into their shared battery plant. The joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution in Tennessee is known as Ultium Cells LLC. Production of the 2.8 million-square-foot facility is set to begin in late 2023. Once the plant is up-and-running, it’s expected to increase the companies’ capacity by 35 gigawatt-hours to 50 gigawatt-hours.
🤝 Sellers are beginning to regain power from buyers. Buyers flourished with the power over the course of 2021, wielding it over suppliers and managing inventories more efficiently. However, according to The Hackett Group’s Working Capital Survey, buyers are facing “The Great Working Capital Reset”. Buyers care more now about supply assurance and less about how it gets to them.
♻️ The supply chain will need to rely on suppliers to achieve net zero. The supply chain currently makes up approximately 70% of a business's carbon footprint. With organizations putting a new unilateral focus on minimizing or eliminating their carbon footprint over the next ten to twenty years, they will have to be extra selective when it comes to their suppliers.
Trucker’s Lounge 🧢
Amazon semi-truck carrying 8,000 pounds of packages goes up in flames | Fox Business
In this article, Fox Business contributors Sarah Rumpf, Jeff Zymeri, and Matteo Cina write about the unfortunate Amazon truck explosion that occurred on the northbound I-15, sending 8,000 packages up in flames.
HDT Announces 2022 Top Green Fleets | Trucking info
Trucking Info Heavy Duty Trucking Staff shares the greenest fleets in the country.
Tech 💻
Molex Prizes Agility | Logistics Viewpoints
Logistics Viewpoints contributor Steve Banker writes about global electronics and connectivity solutions company Molex LLC and what it offers the industry.
Industry Forecast 📊
Watch: Emerging Threats to Procurement and the Supply Chain | Supply Chain Brain
Supply Chain Brain contributor Robert J. Bowman writes about the interview with Chris Kulp, managing director, and leader of the Procurement and Sourcing Group of Alvarez & Marsal. They discuss the challenges of procurement within the supply chain.
No clear end to supply chain disruption, and this demands serious effort | The Loadstar
The Loadstar’s Americas correspondent Ian Putzger writes about what kind of efforts supply chain companies should show over the coming years, as challenges do not seem to be letting up.
Customer Relations 🤝
Supply chain problems 'have changed supplier relations' | Supply Chain Digital
Supply Chain Digital contributor Sean Ashcroft writes about the CEO of Supply Chain at Genpact, Michael Ciatto’s interview regarding business transformation and operational excellence.
Business Strategy 💡
Confidence doesn’t help win the lottery | Seth’s blog
In this article, Seth writes about the importance of taking extra steps when trying to achieve goals - and that “believing it will happen” is only one step.
Contributor Janet Suleski, the Director Analyst at Gartner Supply Chain, writes about shifting the supply chain from focusing on resiliency into antifragility practices.
A. Duie Pyle heralds West Virginia expansion | Logistics Management
Logistics Management’s Group News Editor Jeff Berman writes about the West Chester, Penn.-based freight transportation and supply chain services provider A. Duie Pyle and their decision to expand.
Air Market ✈️
Aviation Policy News: Airport groups, the evolving U.S. airline market, and more | Reason Foundation
Reason’s Director of Transportation Policy Robert Poole writes about the latest in air traffic control modernization and aviation emissions.
Driver Issues 🚛
Logistics, trucking firms address toll hike proposal | Daily Gazette
The Daily Gazette’s contributor Tyler A. McNeil writes about the proposed New York State Thruway Authority’s Board of Directors toll hike.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for November 28, 2024, from iLevel Logistics Inc.