China tariffs: to have, or to toss?
Good morning! Happy Saturday. The U.S. government wants your opinion.
The Biden Administration’s U.S. Trade Representative is looking for the American public’s input on how Trump-era Section 301 tariffs have impacted the supply chain and technological innovation among its ranks. While tariffs on imports from China are under review, they will remain in place until that review by the U.S. Trade Representative is concluded. President Joe Biden has remained relatively silent on whether the tariffs will remain in place while 41 senators from both the Republican and Democratic Parties have pressured the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to expand the exclusion process of these tariffs.
Check out today’s featured article from Supply Chain Dive to read about how you can voice your opinion on the matter and what supporters and critics are saying about the tariffs on imports from China. ☕️
Featured Article:
Biden admin seeks public input on China tariff review | Supply Chain Dive
“The Biden administration is asking for the public to weigh in on more than $300 billion worth of tariffs on imports from China as it reviews their effectiveness.”
Owner Operators & Driver Issues 🚛
Trucking stakeholders prepare to comment on federally-proposed independent contractor legislation
The Biden Administration has opened up the Federal Register to invite trucking stakeholders to comment on a newly proposed rule for 45 days. The proposed rule could potentially reclassify independent contractors as employees - a move that has already highly impacted trucking in the state of California.
The new rule would also rescind the Trump-era policy, the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule, which was favorable for independent contractors. An amendment would create a six-pronged test with factors that evaluate whether a worker should be classified as an employee.
In regards to trucking, industry groups such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) have expressed a level of concern and are evaluating the 184-page proposal before officially weighing in.
Midterm Elections 🇺🇸
The Memo: Here are the three states that will decide control of the Senate | The Hill
The Hill contributor Niall Stanage writes about the three states that are crucial in deciding which leading party will control the Senate: Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada.
House Democrats retrench as GOP money floods the map | Politico
Politico contributors Ally Mutnick and Sarah Ferris write about Democrats refocusing their money for ads in districts that are in danger of flipping red.
Warehousing & Safety 🦺
30 Amazon warehouse workers stage “Prime Walkout” in Joliet, Illinois
In a letter posted to the CEO of Amazon, Andy Jassy, about 30 employees have stated they are exercising their “right to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aid and protection”. Citing national labor and occupational safety laws, these employees at the large distribution center in Joliet, Illinois staged a walkout on Tuesday amid Amazon’s Prime Day. The action is advocating for a wage of $25 per hour and a “safer, healthier workplace”.
Amazon Prime fulfillment promises speedy delivery and any disruption can jeopardize that. Warehouse Workers for Justice gathered about 700 signatures from the DC’s workforce that voiced support for the walkout’s demands, although many were intimidated to participate in the walkout.
An Amazon spokesperson downplayed the turnout. However, in an emailed statement, Amazon reminded the public that the company was reinvesting $1 billion in front-line worker wage hikes over the next twelve months.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
🎄 Looking for more hours to work during the holidays? While the peak season holiday rushes begin to descend upon America, some of the largest retailers are looking to hire seasonal help. Amazon, the household name we all love and hold dear, is on the hunt for 150,000 employees for seasonal jobs this year to assist in managing the onslaught. The starting pay for warehouse and delivery workers is rising above $19 per hour, which is an increase from its previous $18 per hour payout.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
⏳ Getting “data-driven” isn’t always the answer to your supply chain’s problems. Better availability of data does give companies a better pathway to decision-making strategies, the real problem lies with how an organization is structured to pull the trigger. The larger the organization, the more red tape it needs to pass through. With more data available, sometimes that means the water can get a bit murkier.
🌳 Trees have all the power. Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere with photosynthesis, and therefore… could be a major factor in rebalancing the global chemistry. Link Logistics, a logistics real estate company out of New York, is pledging $4.75 million in donations to the American Forest Foundation and Nature Conservancy. Such a generous pledge will go toward forest conservation projects that should provide carbon removal offsets and protect more than 200,000 acres of forest.
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.