Tentative agreement reached in Canadian port strike | Yellow readies bankruptcy filing, per sources | Linde to begin work on Clean Hydrogen Project in Texas
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada and British Columbia Maritime Employers Association reached a tentative labor deal with the help of the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Details of the agreement were not disclosed, but both parties are recommending ratification of the deal to members and its approval could end the two-week strike affecting commerce across North America.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Yellow halted business operations and is planning on laying off 30,000 workers and filing for bankruptcy, say sources. The 99-year-old less-than-truckload carrier, which had amassed debt following a string of mergers, was struggling to negotiate a new contract with the Teamsters union and had said in a lawsuit that it could be out of operational funds my mid-July.
Linde is preparing to begin work on the Clean Hydrogen Project, a $1.8 billion initiative in Beaumont, Texas, that will generate hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen and integrate with Linde's existing infrastructure in the region. "Beaumont has a wealth of a talent that we're trying to tap into because there's just so much industry already here," said Plant Manager Jacob Keeling.
Wage expansion fell slightly in the second quarter to 1% from 1.2% in the first quarter, according to the Labor Department. Federal policymakers look at shrinking pay increases as one indicator that inflation is decelerating.
A Walmart warehouse in Brooksville, Fla., has shifted to automation to handle most products and is a prototype of the company's larger plans to fully or partially automate its more than 100 warehouses across the US. "What this technology does for us is increases capacity, increases the accuracy of our loads, increases the speed of the supply chain and lowers cost," said David Guggina, executive vice president of supply chain.
Strategic sourcing and inventory management can speed the work of regaining margins, right-sizing inventories and future-proofing supply chains, write Wil Knibloe III and Stephen Wiley of Crowe. They outline how to proceed with such efforts and share advanced strategies.
Last year's 10-year high of product recalls, with 419 million units recalled representing a 700.6% increase from the prior year, demonstrates the need for companies to implement policies and practices that increase visibility into the supply chain, writes Angela Fernandez, vice president of retail grocery and foodservice at GS1 US. "Data serves as the foundation for achieving traceability, utilizing the industry standard Global Trade Item Number [to] uniquely identify products as well as capture and share product information," Fernandez writes.
Some 45% of business-to-business marketers say the biggest drawback of Threads is that it's mobile-only, while 39% cite both a lack of hashtags and no direct messaging, according to B2B Reviews. However, 15% of those surveyed had established a presence on Threads within 14 days of its launch, 47% intend to do so and 77% are using a casual and friendly brand voice.
Melanie Deziel says marketers need to build trust, just like everyone else and explains her theory in her book "Prove It: Exactly How Modern Marketers Earn Trust." Deziel says just as researchers must prove scientific claims, marketers should use the same process in marketing content.
We've heard a lot about culture and know it involves an atmosphere that helps employees feel supported and valued. The trick is knowing what steps to take to create an environment that draws workers back each day and where they feel a sense of loyalty, writes Diana Coker.
