Independent Owner-Operators Under Assault
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter Unions have made major progress in getting their allies in federal and state governments to tighten the legal definition of truck owner-operators with the ultimate aim of eliminating their status…
STB to Hold Hearing About Rail Competitive Switching
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter A hearing by the Surface Transportation Board to explore the issues raised by a proposal to allow more railroad competitive switching will be held March 25-26 at STB headquarters in…
Is Robust Intermodal Growth The Sign of More to Come?
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter The Intermodal Association of North America pointed to solid domestic intermodal growth in 2013 as evidence that the industry has cemented its role in the North American supply chain. Building…
That Was Fast: NLRB Re-Issues Ambush Elections Proposal
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter On Feb. 5 the National Labor Relations Board announced it was re-issuing its “Quickie” or “Ambush” organizing election rules designed to give unions an extra advantage by shortening the time allowed for employers to…
Chemical Activity Barometer Points to Improving Economy
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter The American Chemistry Council’s said its first 2014 Chemical Activity Barometer reading strengthened slightly, indicating continued growth and an improving economy throughout the year. In January the CAB ticked up to…
New FDA Food Safety Rule Excludes Packaged Food
Volume 2, Issue 3 February 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter The Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 31 proposed new regulations that when adopted will require shippers, carriers and receivers – including warehouses – to take certain steps to prevent…
Christmas Retail Sales Meet Pre-Holiday Expectations
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter December retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.4% seasonally adjusted month-to-month, and 4.6% unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation. Total holiday retail sales, which include…
Advice on How to Stay Union-Free in 2014
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter Now is the time for you to re-examine your strategy for remaining union-free. Rulings from National Labor Relations Board have reinforced the old truism that if you wait to forge…
OSHA Injury Report Due Feb. 1 Even If You Had No Injuries
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter February 1 is the annual OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping deadline for employers, unless they have only 10 or fewer employees or are in low-hazard industries such as retail, service,…
NLRB Withdraws Notice Poster Rule, For Time Being
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter The National Labor Relations Board decided not to pursue any further attempts to revive the notice posting rule it initially proposed in 2011. The rule would have required private sector…
Retail War’s Secret Weapon Is Omnichannel Warehousing
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter The omnichannel logistics models that make a seamless consumer experience possible are now built on a foundation of six new types of facilities, according to a new report by Jones…
OSHA Citation Vacated For Lack of Scientific Support
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter A federal judge sent a message when rejecting an OSHA administrative law judge ruling that a logistics employee’s injury was work-related. “We are surprised that an ALJ would echo such…
Customer Satisfaction With In-Store Sales Up Since 2008
Volume 2, Issue 2 January 31, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter In a survey that was conducted before news broke of Target Stores’ hacking meltdown, Motorola Solutions found that overall in-store customer satisfaction has grown 23% in the last six years.…
Rosy Economic Predictions for 2014, With Caveats
Volume 2, Issue 1 January 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter Many of the economic numbers surfacing during the weeks straddling New Year’s Day have led to optimistic predictions. But you may want to keep a weather eye out for possible…
Unemployment Law Hikes Penalties for Employers
Volume 2, Issue 1 January 15, 2014 View/Print Entire Newsletter Employers who routinely brush aside the unemployment claims they don’t intend to contest may want to rethink that strategy in light of legislation that could subject them to added costs…
