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☆ US-British Forces Strike Houthi Targets in Yemen, Houthi Outlet Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Mohammed GhobariADEN, Yemen (Reuters) -Yemen's port city of Hodeidah and other western coastal areas were hit on Monday by at least 17 airstrikes attributed to a U.S.-British coalition defending ships in the Red Sea, according to Al Masirah, the main Houthi-run television news outlet. The strikes follow the first civilian fatalities and vessel loss since the Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking commercial shipping in November. They also coincide with the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting for Muslims. The Houthis killed three crew of the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday in an attack off the port of Aden. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Adam Makary in Cairo; writing by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sephen Coates)

Persons: Mohammed Ghobari ADEN, Al Masirah, Houthis, Ras Issa, Mohammed Ghobari, Adam Makary, Lisa Baertlein, Kevin Liffey, Sephen Coates Organizations: British, U.S ., Hamas Locations: Yemen, Hodeidah, U.S, Red, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Ras, Barbados, Aden, Africa's, Suez, Cairo, Los Angeles

This year, 59% retailers offer so-called "returnless" or "keep it" policies for unwanted products whose returns costs exceed their value, according to returns services firm goTRG, which surveyed 500 executives at 21 major retailers, including Walmart (WMT.N) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O). That information is "not something that retailers want out there" due to worries the policies could be abused by shoppers, he said. The firm helps retailers manage returns, which typically rise after pre-Christmas sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday and continue beyond Christmas. The typical return costs retailers about $30. "You just can't afford to ignore it," she said of returns costs.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Sender Shamiss, Shamiss, Amena Ali, Ali, Gabrielle Richards, Pamela Peters, Peters, Lisa Baertlein, Arriana McLymore, Siddharth Cavale, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, ANGELES, Black, Walmart, Super Bowl, Reuters, eBay, Appriss Retail, National Retail Federation, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: Macy’s, Roosevelt, Garden City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

It ships the goods to FedEx returns centers, where they are sorted by merchant. Consolidating returns can lower transportation costs as much as 20%, said Amena Ali, CEO of returns services provider Optoro. Meanwhile, rival UPS is buying Happy Returns to beef up its e-commerce returns business that has grown 25% since 2020. Roughly 5,200 UPS Store locations will join Happy Returns' established drop-off points, making the service available at more than 12,000 U.S. locations, UPS said. FedEx accepts no label, no box returns at 10,000 U.S. locations including FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, and Walgreens (WBA.O).

Persons: Bing Guan, Ryan Kelly, FedEx's, Kelly, Amena Ali, Lisa Baertlein, Will Dunham Organizations: FedEx, Los Angeles International Airport, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Walmart, Reuters, Optoro, UPS, FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, Walgreens, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Xi tells US firms China ready to be partner and friend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Xi received a standing ovation as he entered the room, and two more before and after he took the stage to speak. "Whatever stage of development it may reach, China will never pursue hegemony or expansion, and will never impose its will on others. China does not seek spheres of influence, and will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone," Xi said. China and the U.S. reached an agreement to curb fentanyl production in earlier talks between Xi and Biden. Analysts have said Xi's speech alone is unlikely to dramatically alter U.S. business sentiment about China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Joe Biden, Biden, Tim Cook, Laurence Fink, Broadcom's, Hock Tan, Ray Dalio, Albert Bourla, Gina Raimondo, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Gary Dvorchak, Dvorchak, Michael Martina, Valerie Insinna, Stephen Nellis, Lisa Baertlein, Niket, Ethan Wang, Liz Lee, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Committee, China Relations, China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Apple, BlackRock, Pfizer, SAN FRANCISCO, U.S, Beijing, Congress, Bridgewater Associates, Commerce, U.S . House, Representatives, Muslim, U.S ., Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, China . U.S, Iowa

LOS ANGELES, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Investigators have determined arson caused the weekend fire that heavily damaged an elevated stretch of a downtown Los Angeles freeway, forcing its indefinite closure and setting the stage for prolonged traffic turmoil, state officials said on Monday. [1/7]Crew members work in the area, where a fire erupted over the weekend, shutting down a heavily trafficked corridor in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 13, 2023. Newsom identified the leaseholder for state-owned property beneath the freeway that burned as Apex Development Inc, based in Calabasas, California, north of Los Angeles. Newsom on Sunday proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County in order to expedite repairs to the freeway. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen Coates and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Daniel Berlant, Berlant, Karen Bass, Laura Rubio, Rubio, Cornejo, Jorge Garcia, Bass, Steve Gorman, Daniel Trotta, Rich McKay, Lisa Baertlein, Jonathan Oatis, Stephen Coates, Miral Organizations: ANGELES, downtown, Transportation Department, REUTERS, Engineers, Apex Development Inc, Apex, Sunday, Los Angeles Times, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, California, Santa Monica, downtown L.A, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Calabasas , California, Los Angeles County, Carlsbad , California, Atlanta

He said the UAW's new contracts were so good they had even led to nonunion auto workers getting raises. Honda (7267.T) told Reuters it was evaluating the recent UAW deals with the Detroit Three automakers and would remain competitive. "If (Toyota workers) come calling, which they have, we're going to educate them and be there for them," Smith told Reuters. Toyota's move earlier this week to raise wages is in line with the strategy the Japanese automaker and other nonunion automakers have used to keep UAW organizers at bay. Nonunion automakers have kept hourly wages close to the UAW rates at the Detroit Three.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, It'll, Tim Smith, Smith, Elon Musk, Toyota's, Joseph White, David Shepardson, Lisa Baertlein, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis, Jamie Freed Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Toyota, UAW, nonunion, Honda, Reuters, Detroit Three, General Motors, Ford, Louisville Assembly, GM, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, Tesla, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, United States, Georgetown , Kentucky, Louisville, Tesla's Fremont , California, Fremont, Detroit, Washington, Los Angeles

The UAW's talks, replete with weekly addresses by union President Shawn Fain, were among the most unabashed. The agreements may be a selling point for non-union shops to push for unionization, said San Francisco State University labor and employment professor John Logan. Nissan (7201.T) and other competitors may feel compelled to boost wages to retain their workforce. UPS AND ITS RIVALSThe UPS deal in August raised pay and eliminated a two-tier wage system for drivers at the Atlanta-based company. That bolstered organizing efforts among Amazon workers and put pressure on UPS rivals to close a growing gap in pay.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Harley Shaiken, Stellantis, John Logan, Mack, Marcos Feldman, Feldman, Joe Biden, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Bianca Flowers, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, Ford Motor, Chrysler, General Motors, University of California, Berkley ., San Francisco State University, UAW, Starbucks, Economic, UPS, Caterpillar, Workers, Deere & Co, Employers, U.S . Department of Labor, Amazon, National Labor Relations Board, Atlanta -, FedEx, Reuters, Cornell University, Industries, Thomson Locations: Detroit, Berkley, Berkley . Union, New York, Atlanta

☆ UPS cuts annual revenue forecast on weak delivery demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen on a United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle at a facility in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. It expects full-year revenue between $91.3 billion and $92.3 billion, compared with a prior forecast of about $93 billion. The company also cut its annual adjusted operating margin to between 10.8% and 11.3% compared to prior forecast of about 11.8%. The entire industry is fighting for market share as demand from e-commerce delivery weakens. UPS has been cutting jobs and leaning on technology to help offset falling e-commerce demand, weak export and industrial production and the cost hit from its new labor contract.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, TD Cowen, Helane Becker, Carol Tomé, Priyamvada C, Lisa Baertlein, Arun Koyyur Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, Teamsters, Revenue, UPS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York City, U.S

☆ Arizona says closely monitoring use of self-driving vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A self-driving GM Bolt EV is seen during a media event where Cruise, GM's autonomous car unit, showed off its self-driving cars in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Arizona is closely monitoring the testing and use of self-driving vehicles in the state, its transportation department said on Wednesday, a day after California barred General Motors' (GM.N) Cruise from operating its driverless cars. The Arizona Department of Transportation said it was aware of the announcement from California and was closely monitoring the situation. "Public safety is our highest priority, and we are in regular communication with and closely monitoring Cruise and other companies testing and operating self-driving vehicles in Arizona," it said in a statement. Companies such as Cruise, Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Waymo and Uber are testing their self-driving car technology in these states and cities.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Hugo Soto, Martínez, Cruise, Waymo, Akash Sriram, Juby Babu, Hyunjoo Jin, Lisa Baertlein, Shailesh Kuber, Anil D'Silva Organizations: GM Bolt, REUTERS, General Motors, The Arizona Department of Transportation, California's Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Arizona, California, Los Angeles, Texas , Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Florida, Nevada, Dallas, Nashville, Bengaluru, Hyunjoo, San Francisco

☆ FedEx says U.S. Express service disrupted, blames FAA IT outage overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Oct 25 (Reuters) - FedEx Corp (FDX.N) on Wednesday said its U.S. Express deliveries could be delayed due to an overnight Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) information technology system outage. FedEx's signature Express service uses planes to provide overnight deliveries. The company said shipments delayed due to the outage are not eligible for a refund or credit. "Potential delays are possible for package deliveries across the U.S. with a delivery commitment of October 25, 2023," FedEx said in a service alert. In an email to Reuters, FedEx said the IT outage at its Memphis, Tennessee, air hub was an "FAA issue."

Persons: Bing Guan, Lisa Baertlein, David Shepardson, Alexander Smith Organizations: FedEx, REUTERS, FedEx Corp, U.S ., Federal Aviation Administration, Reuters, FAA, United Parcel Service, Washington DC, Thomson Locations: Carson , California, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, Louisville , Kentucky, Los Angeles, Washington

[1/2] The Kroger supermarket chain's headquarters is shown in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., June 28, 2018. Bonta said the decision has not been made, but added: "Right now there's not a lot of reason not to sue." In September, the companies announced a plan to sell more than 400 grocery stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers in an effort to get regulatory approval for the deal. A Kroger spokesperson said only non-unionized retailers, like Walmart and Amazon, will benefit if the merger is blocked. Research from the University of Southern California in 2021 found one in three neighborhoods in 30 populous U.S. cities had inadequate access to needed pharmacy services.

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, Rob Bonta, Bonta, Lina Khan, Diane Bartz, Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, Rights, Albertsons, S Wholesale Grocers, Walmart, U.S, Water Watch, Federal Trade, FTC, University of Southern, Thomson Locations: Cincinnati , Ohio, U.S, California, America, Food, Washington, University of Southern California

☆ Vietnamese EV maker VinFast's third-quarter revenue more than doubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VinFast electric vehicles are parked before delivery to their first customers at a store in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Lisa Baertlein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - Vietnamese electric-vehicle (EV) maker VinFast on Thursday reported a 159% rise in third-quarter revenue as it ramped up car deliveries and sought to boost sales by partnering with dealers in the United States. VinFast, which is backed by Vietnam's largest conglomerate Vingroup (VIC.HM), is gearing up to strengthen its foothold overseas. However, the EV maker has struggled after it earlier this year voluntarily recalled the first batch of 999 cars delivered to the United States. Revenue was 8.25 trillion Vietnamese dong ($338 million), while net loss widened to 15 trillion Vietnamese dong.

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, VinFast, Phuong Nguyen, Chavi Mehta, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Vietnam's, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, India, Hanoi, Bengaluru

[1/2] A worker clears debris so delivery vehicles can exit a FedEx Ground distribution center in this aerial photograph taken over Carson, California, U.S., September 16, 2022. "They have to fight for every package right now, it's great for shippers," said LJM Consultants partner Kenneth Moyer, a former UPS pricing negotiator who now works with delivery customers. The world's biggest parcel delivery firm added it is using price negotiations to encourage attractive high-margin or high-volume customers, while discouraging high-cost deliveries. Third quarter ground delivery rates are forecast to fall 0.55% per package versus a the year earlier period, according to the TD Cowen/AFS Ground Pacrel Freight Index. But experts are skeptical, particularly as UPS offers to cover early termination fees for customers that switched to FedEx.

Persons: Bing Guan, That's, Kenneth Moyer, Deyman Doolittle, Wall, Moyer, Mark Taylor, Taylor, Satish Jindel, ShipMatrix, Micheal McDonagh, Yokeley, Lisa Baertlein, Ben Klayman, Aurora Ellis Organizations: FedEx, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, UPS, U.S . Postal Service, LJM, Cowen, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Teamster, Department, USPS, Amazon, AFS Logistics, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters, Thomson Locations: Carson , California, U.S, Macy's, Los Angeles

☆ VinFast aims to sell up to 50,000 EVs in 2023 — but it has only hit 23% of its target so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Lisa Baertlein | ReutersVietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast's ambitious plan to deliver as many as 50,000 vehicles this year is "unrealistic," according to one analyst. VinFast said it expects to deliver 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles in 2023 despite a weak global economy. In April, Green SM launched a pure EV taxi service in Vietnam with VinFast models. "VinFast's ambitious EV plan seems unrealistic. For example, VinFast's VF9 model is priced from $83,000 whereas the Tesla Model X is priced from $68,590 after federal tax credit and gas savings.

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, VinFast, Vingroup, Green, David Byrne, Tesla, XPeng, Lê Thị Organizations: Reuters, Smart Mobility, Green SM, EV, LightStream Research, P Global Mobility, CNBC, Nasdaq, Our U.S, Tesla Locations: Los Angeles, Vietnam, U.S, North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Our, North Carolina

Signage is seen on a United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle at a facility in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Friday said it sued United Parcel Service (UPS.N) for disability discrimination, alleging the delivery firm refused to hire deaf or hearing-impaired individuals as drivers. Atlanta-based UPS said it is modifying driver training for those who are deaf and hard of hearing and would start accepting exemptions to the DOT commercial driver hearing standard for operators of its ubiquitous brown delivery trucks in January 2024. EEOC said it sued the world's largest parcel delivery firm under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after failing to reach a pre-litigation settlement. "Just because someone is deaf does not mean they cannot drive safely," said Gregory Gochanour, EEOC's regional attorney in Chicago.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, EEOC, Gregory Gochanour, Kannaki, Lisa Baertlein, Shounak Dasgupta, Chris Reese Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, Opportunity Commission, Department of Transportation, UPS, Disabilities, Northern, Northern District of Illinois, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, Atlanta, Chicago, Northern District, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

Operating income in the FedEx unit, which delivers packages for retailers like Walmart (WMT.N), jumped 59% for the quarter ended Aug. 31. Analysts expect customer gains from UPS to be less durable than those from Yellow. "UPS will likely be able to regain much of its lost market share," Edward Jones analyst Matt Arnold said. Without offering a specific forecast, FedEx said it was "well-positioned" for the upcoming holiday season, when volume typically doubles due to e-commerce sales. FedEx tempered its full-year revenue forecast on Wednesday.

Persons: Raj Subramaniam, Edward Jones, Matt Arnold, D.E, Shaw, Lisa Baertlein, Priyamvada, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: FedEx, UPS, Wall, United Parcel Service, Walmart, FedEx Freight, Thomson Locations: Memphis , Tennessee, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ VinFast discloses revenue surge in first report since blockbuster debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VinFast electric vehicles are parked before delivery to their first customers at a store in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 1, 2023. The company posted revenue of 7.95 trillion Vietnamese dong ($327 million) for the second quarter ended June 30. Net loss in the quarter narrowed to 12.54 trillion Vietnamese dong from 13.65 trillion Vietnamese dong a year earlier, driven by increase in delivery volume and cuts in its research and development costs. The company delivered 9,535 vehicles in the quarter, recording a more than fivefold jump from the first quarter. Still, a large portion the company's revenue comes from sales to subsidiaries of its own parent company Vingroup.

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, Chavi Mehta, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Ford, General Motors, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

United Parcel Service's (UPS) newly launched electric delivery truck is seen in Compton, California, U.S., September 13, 2023. Collectively, zero-emission delivery startups have raised around $1 billion so far, according to Pitchbook and data collected by Reuters. H&M, the world's second-largest fashion retailer, said it is scaling up a number of zero-emission delivery initiatives "through a variety of partnerships like the one... with Liefergrun." "Some customers are pushing very, very hard for as many zero-emission deliveries as possible," Hoed said. DHL's Zou said zero-emission delivery startups are not a threat, but added "we are always keen to look at them either for a commercial partnership or working together."

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, Germany's Liefergrun, Niklas Tauch, Tauch, Yin Zou, Tristan Thomas, DutchX, Marcus Hoed, Hoed, DHL's Zou, Sven Etzelsberger, Thomas Goldsby, Goldsby, Rob King, Zedify, King, Nick Carey, Ben Klayman, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, LOS, Reuters, FedEx, Deutsche Post DHL Group, United Parcel Service, Mercedes, Benz, DHL, Deutsche Post DHL, Amazon, Foods, IKEA, University of Tennessee, UPS, Thomson Locations: Compton , California, U.S, New York, Berlin, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Europe, Manhattan, Philadelphia, California

Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen takes part at the panel discussion "Trade: Now what?" Revolution connects more than 20 Flexport services including freight services, supply chain financing, customs paperwork and product storage, fulfillment and replenishment in a single place. Petersen credited Clark with creating the products for Flexport, but said the company lost focus on customers and expenses during his year as CEO. Flexport released several of Clark's hires but said Parisa Sadrzadeh, who helped build Amazon's delivery network, remains at Flexport overseeing small business products. Flexport bought Shopify's logistics business, including e-commerce fulfillment provider Deliverr, earlier this year.

Persons: Ryan Petersen, Arnd, Sellers, Petersen, Dave Clark, Clark, Flexport, Parisa Sadrzadeh, Shopify, Lisa Baertlein, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Logistics, Walmart, HK, Thomson Locations: Davos, Switzerland, San Francisco, China, Flexport, Los Angeles

☆ UPS estimates new contract with Teamsters to increase costs 3.3%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle reverses into a facility in Queens, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies United Parcel Service Inc FollowSept 11 (Reuters) - Parcel Service (UPS.N) said on Monday its new five-year contract covering some 340,000 Teamsters-represented workers in the United States would increase wage and benefit costs at a 3.3% compound annual growth rate over the life of the agreement. The new contract expires on July 31, 2028, and 46% of wage and benefit costs from that agreement will hit this year, UPS Chief Financial Officer Brian Newman said in a recorded message. Contract-related costs in the second half of 2023 are expected to be about $500 million more than UPS expected, Newman said. Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brian Newman, Newman, Kannaki, Lisa Baertlein, Sriraj Kalluvila, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, Parcel Service, Teamsters, UPS, Thomson Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLOS ANGELES, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Former Amazon executive Dave Clark on Wednesday announced that he will resign as CEO of U.S. logistics startup Flexport about a year after he joined the company. The Wall Street Journal reported that Clark is preparing for a potential run for Texas governor, a topic he did not address in his statement. Clark joined the company as co-CEO in September 2022 after a long career at Amazon.com (AMZN.O). He became sole CEO in March, when founder Ryan Petersen became executive chairman. Clark, best known for building Amazon's sprawling warehouse and delivery network, said he was preparing to launch a Flexport product for small businesses on Thursday.

Persons: Dave Clark, Amazon's, Lindsey Wasson, Clark, Ryan Petersen, Petersen, Flexport, Lisa Baertlein, Bill Berkrot, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Amazon, Wednesday, Street Journal, Texas, Twitter, Shopify Logistics, Thomson Locations: Seattle , Washington , U.S, ANGELES, Flexport, Los Angeles

☆ US West Coast port workers ratify contract agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Containers are shown staked-up at the Port of Long Beach as supply chain problem continue from Long Beach, California, U.S. November 22, 2021. Members of the ILWU voted 75% in favor of approving the West Coast port worker agreement that will expire on July 1, 2028. The union and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group reached a tentative contract deal in June. That ended 13 months of talks and eased worries that related West Coast port disruptions could hit the all-important retail holiday shipping season. West Coast ports lost some business to U.S. rivals on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico as extended talks fueled uncertainty.

Persons: Mike Blake, Willie Adams, Jim McKenna, Pratyush Thakur, Lisa Baertlein, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Sandra Maler Organizations: Port, REUTERS, dockworkers, Washington State, Warehouse Union, West, Los Angeles, Pacific Maritime Association, Thomson Locations: Port of Long Beach, Long Beach , California, U.S, California, Washington, Long, United States, West Coast, East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

☆ UPS offers pilot buyouts to reduce labor costs - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen on a United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle at a facility in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Aug 31 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS.N) has offered early retirement to its pilots as it works to offset softening demand, higher labor costs and business losses, a local television station reported on Thursday. The move marks the first time the U.S. delivery company has made such an offer to pilots since 2010, when 109 opted to take the buyouts. The company hopes that 167 pilots will take the early retirement offer, according to a news report from television station WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky. UPS pilots are represented by a different union.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Lisa Baertlein, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, UPS, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, Louisville , Kentucky, Atlanta, Los Angeles

☆ UPS offers pilot buyout as demand falters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen on a United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle at a facility in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. Atlanta-based UPS said it hopes 167 pilots will accept its voluntary separation offer, which includes cash and healthcare benefits. UPS hasn't reduced pilot employment since 2010, when it says it furloughed 111 pilots. UPS pilots are represented by the Independent Pilots Association, whose spokesperson confirmed the buyout offer had been proffered. Meanwhile, pilots at UPS rival FedEx (FDX.N) have rejected a tentative contract deal reached by their union for pay and job security reasons.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Lisa Baertlein, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, UPS, UPS hasn't, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Independent Pilots Association, FedEx, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, Atlanta, Los Angeles

A Home Depot store is shown in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami, Florida, September 18, 2015. "Mega-retailers are returning to 'just-in-time' inventory strategies, killing the 'just in case' promise of the pandemic's supply chain snarl," said Susquehanna analyst Bascome Majors. During the second quarter, the Big 4 retailers combined reduced inventories by 4%, the largest quarter-over-quarter drawdown since 2015, Majors said in a client note. No longer swimming in unsold merchandise puts them in a better position to bring in new seasonal goods for the all-important peak holiday season. Despite enthusiasm for new seasonal products, retailers remain cautious.

Persons: Joe Skipper, Bascome Majors, Majors, Susquehanna's Majors, Lisa Baertlein, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Susquehanna, Walmart, Big, Thomson Locations: Little Havana, Miami , Florida, U.S, United States, splurging, Los Angeles

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