Posts tagged Supply chain

    Biggest rail union joins others in endorsing Union Pacific merger but some still have reservations

    September 23, 2025 // The SMART-TD union that represents conductors and other rail workers said Union Pacific put CEO Jim Vena’s promise not to lay off any of its workers as a result of the merger in writing and promised to protect their jobs throughout their careers. But the head of one of the next biggest unions said he doesn’t think this deal does nearly enough to protect rail jobs, so he’s not ready to support the merger that would create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. The union’s endorsement comes just days after President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he deal sounds good to him, but groups like the American Chemistry Council and the Rail Customer Coalition have said they worry that allowing two of the six largest railroads to merge will only hurt competition and lead to even higher shipping rates.

    Op-ed: This Labor Day marks 10 years of chaos for franchisees, contractors

    September 1, 2025 // Franchises and contractors live in fear of the next anti-small-business administration, which is all but certain to shift the joint employer standard once again. But Congress can act now. The Save Local Business Act would codify the sensible standard in federal law.

    Op-ed: I had to leave California to save my business. Now there’s hope

    August 12, 2025 // Running my truck as a small business allowed me to take long hauls across the country — sometimes bringing my children along — while keeping the flexibility and control that mattered most for my family’s well‑being. And I took pride in serving as a role model: showing that women can thrive behind the wheel, own their business and contribute to America’s supply chain. Thanks to leaders like Rep. Kiley, Washington is finally recognizing that independent contractors deserve the same respect and freedom as traditional employees. I hope the Senate moves quickly to pass this bill and send it to the president’s desk.

    Workers to strike at Tyson beef plant in Amarillo

    June 30, 2025 // Teamsters representing 3,100 slaughter and processing workers authorize strike for better wages and benefits at the nation’s largest beef processing plant.

    Why unions won’t be participating in the U.S. manufacturing boom

    May 27, 2025 // "Unionization policy in the United States is based on an adversarial relationship between management and labor," James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told Newsweek. "This means that the unions are not looked at as an asset to improve production; they are looked at as an extra cost and extra liability—which is why we see often, but not exclusively, U.S. states with less union concentration are the ones who are adding more employment.

    Commentary Kim Kavin: Worse than California’s AB5

    May 6, 2025 // They tried, and failed, to do just that back in 2019-20 with legislation that mirrored California’s disastrous freelance-busting ABC Test law. Independent contractors from all across New Jersey cried foul. Our elected officials ultimately decided this policy was a bad idea for the Garden State. Trenton bureaucrats are now moving to impose this ABC Test interpretation on us all anyway, through rule-making, in their final months of having power before this fall’s election.

    Second US port strike averted as union, employers reach deal

    January 9, 2025 // The talks had been extended until Jan. 15 to hammer a deal on automation. Shipping industry executives, customers and analysts had been concerned that the parties would be unable to overcome their impasse, leading to a second ILA strike just days before President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. A three-day ILA strike in October had triggered a surge in shipping prices and cargo backlogs at the 36 affected ports. Longshoremen returned to work after employers agreed to a 62% wage increase over the next six years.

    US Steel Boss: Biden’s Block of Sale Shameful, Corrupt

    January 5, 2025 // Pres. Trump Sees China as #1 Threat, See More Here Home | Newsfront Tags: bien | steel | sale | corruption US Steel Boss: Biden's Block of Sale Shameful, Corrupt By Michael Katz | Friday, 03 January 2025 07:51 PM EST facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonlinkedin sharing button Comment|Print| A A David Burritt, the president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said Friday that President Joe Biden’s decision to block the company’s sale to a Japanese rival was “shameful” and “corrupt.” Biden’s long-awaited decision on the deal came in a presidential order posted Friday on the White House website, declaring Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for the U.S. steelmaker “prohibited.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Biden was acting on a recommendation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States that the acquisition “would place one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control and create a risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.” “President Biden’s action today is shameful and corrupt,” Burritt said in a news release. “He gave a political payback to a union boss out of touch with his members while harming our company’s future, our workers, and our national security.”

    From Amazon warehouse to port strikes, shippers and the DOT are preparing for an unpredictable 2025

    January 2, 2025 // In recent years, the logistics industry has become familiar with "black swan" events, the biggest being Covid, which brought the global supply chain to a halt. The lessons learned during the pandemic led to new digital solutions for companies to track trade and solve for the lack of communication and data sharing that contributed to massive congestion at ports. Those solutions will continue to play a major role in dealing with trade disruptions.