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What does GM owe workers?

Michelle R. Matisons Transportation Technology & Automotive

General Motors (GM) workers began a historic strike three weeks ago. The labor action has already cost the U.S.’ largest automaker $1 billion. This lost money — including "idle trucks and packed warehouses" for numerous related businesses — continues, threatening broad economic instability. The UAW presented GM with a proposal package on Oct. 5 that outlined a minimum of 35 hourly proposals and three salaried proposals. On Oct. 6, GM rejected the package, according to the UAW website, and the union has called for a detailed response from GM, which it has not yet received.

US payrolls add 136,000 new jobs; unemployment rate drops to 3.5%

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In September, U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 136,000 new hires versus 130,000 in August, as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%, a 50-year low, compared with 3.7% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 5.8 million unemployed workers in September, down 275,000 from August. Despite the record low rate of unemployment in September, average hourly earnings for all workers on private nonfarm payrolls dropped a penny after climbing 11 cents in August, according to the BLS.

It’s true at work: No good deed goes unpunished

D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Life is full of sayings that can apply to work. Some of them might include: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," "turn the other cheek," "walk the high road," and "kill them with kindness." But, unfortunately, this employment lawyer has learned that when it comes to work, one adage always seems to ring true: "No good deed goes unpunished." It often seems that the more breaks an employer gives an employee, the more often the employee asks for a loan or pay advance, files a charge of discrimination, or starts a campaign to get a union into the workplace.

What’s driving diesel: 3 trends in engine development

Bianca Gibson Manufacturing

As the world turns, so does engine technology. The industry has experienced a great deal of change since Tier 4 Final standards for off-road equipment were introduced. Continuous efforts have been made to increase power, efficiency and reliability of diesel engines, all while keeping total cost of ownership down. How have manufacturers stacked up to meeting these tremendous challenges? A recent webinar, "What’s Next in Engine Development?" hosted representatives from Perkins, Genie Industries, John Deere and Kohler to discuss the demands fueling trends in diesel engine development.

What does the Fed’s interest rate cut mean for businesses, workers?

Seth Sandronsky Civil & Government

Economic growth is slowing down. The growth in the nation’s gross domestic product declined to 2.1% for the second quarter of 2019 compared with 3.1% for the first quarter. In part due to this slowdown, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee cut the federal funds rate by a quarter point from 2% to 1.75% on Sept. 18 to bolster economic growth, the labor market and price stability, in keeping with the mission of the central bank. What does the Fed’s move mean for business and workers?

Loyalty is a 2-way street

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

I often hear business owners and corporation executives bemoan the lack of loyalty among their underlings. They complain about staff turnover and how staff will move to another company at the drop of a hat, their employees’ willingness to publicly disparage the company they work for, and their eagerness to discourage others from joining the company by openly sharing the "dirty laundry." If you can find another person to hire in this person's place, then that’s a smart, no-brainer business solution. Right? But take another look: loyalty is a two-way street.

View from Europe: HVAC and Brexit

Andrew Gaved Manufacturing

As U.S. readers are no doubt aware, the U.K. is still in the throes of trying to leave the European Union, a process we now universally describe in a single word: Brexit. It is not my place here to go into the political machinations that have been going on for the last three years as the country has attempted to negotiate a legal exit from the EU. My purpose, instead, is to report on the challenges that the HVAC industry faces because of the threat of Brexit. What the industry fears is the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

New study reveals Europe’s fastest-growing freight airport hubs

Matt Falcus Distribution & Warehousing

A new study by freight supplier CP Cases has revealed the current status of Europe’s cargo hubs and the airports that have been growing fastest in the sector. Obvious and well-known freight hubs naturally feature in the list when ranked by total tonnage. Because of the huge amount of belly cargo carried through passenger aircraft at these hubs, few of the dedicated cargo airports can compete with their capacity. However, a number of smaller airports rank highly in different categories, which is quite unexpected and could indicate the future places to watch as their cargo business develops.

GM strike begins in 9 states

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

As U.S. auto manufacturers outsource jobs to Mexico and China, wages and benefits are stagnating and plant closures reflect globalization’s effects stateside. Beginning Sept. 16, almost 50,000 active members of the UAW formed picket lines in nine states against General Motors. This is the first GM strike in 12 years. Workers have been without a collective bargaining agreement since 2015, even after GM declared bankruptcy in 2009 with a $50 billion government bailout saving the company. GM recovered, and now workers, who stood by the company through hard times, want compensation.

US economy adds 130,000 new hires as unemployment rate holds at 3.7%

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In August, U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 130,000 total new hires versus 164,000 in July as the unemployment rate held at 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 6 million unemployed workers in August compared with 6.1 million in July. In August, there were scant or no changes to the jobless rates for men, women, blacks, Hispanics, whites, adults and teens from July. The employment-to-population ratio rate edged up to 60.9% versus 60.7% in July, the BLS reported.