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☆ Rail workers at biggest unions split on contract, strike potential unclear
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Workers at two of the country's biggest rail unions split over a tentative contract their leaders had hashed out with freight rail companies — leaving open the possibility of a debilitating rail strike in the middle of the holiday season. The 28,000-member SMART-TD union, which represents rail conductors, voted no on the contract, after one of their divisions voted it down. A strike could also impact the country’s commuter rail system, with the potential to halt service entirely on some lines serviced by freight rail workers and cause backlogs and traffic snarls on others. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents rail companies in the bargaining process warned about the economic threats of a strike. The Association of American Railroads, the trade group which represents the rail companies, estimates losses of $2 billion a day.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) -- representing about half of all unionized rail employees are set to report results. The standoff between U.S. railroad operators and their union workers disrupted flows of hazardous materials such as chemicals used in fertilizer and disrupted U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak service in September. The Biden administration helped avert a service cutoff by hosting last-minute contract talks in September at the Labor Department that led to a tentative contract deal. The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads, including Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern. Labor unions have criticized the railroads’ sick leave and attendance policies and the lack of paid sick days for short-term illness.

☆ Rail strike potential grows, threatening to worsen supply chain backlogs, inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

That’s how much paid sick leave some freight rail workers are demanding from the rail companies before they sign new contracts. Rail workers say years of grievances about workforce cuts, coupled with new scheduling requirements, have pushed them to the brink of exhaustion. But if any of the unions decides to strike, all rail unions will honor the work stoppage. Kennedy said the union had never agreed to higher wages at the expense of a benefit like paid sick leave. “A rail strike, even one of short duration, would be catastrophic,” said John Drake, a vice president at the Chamber of Commerce.

☆ With U.S. economy at risk, here's how a national rail strike could start in December
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The strike prep calendar for rail operators, customers, and logistics managers continues to be in flux with a lack of coordination between key rail unions leaving open the potential for two strike dates in December. BMWED, which represents the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, is scheduled to strike on December 5 with the The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS). But unlike BMWED, the BRS — which can also strike after its cooling-off period ends on Dec. 4 — has not indicated whether it will extend its deadline for talks. According to federal safety measures, railroad carriers begin prepping for a strike seven days before the strike date. The carriers start to prioritize the securing and movement of security sensitive materials like chlorine for drinking water and hazardous materials in the rail winddown.

☆ U.S. railroad operators' volume woes to continue next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Volume woes at U.S. railroad operators are set to spill into next year as labor shortages continue to hurt the sector that is critical in connecting consumers with businesses and finished goods, according to analysts. The North America railroad industry has also been under scrutiny for working conditions. Railroad operators have tried to increase staffing levels, partly under pressure from U.S. regulator Surface Transportation Board, but have found it tough to recruit amid labor shortages. WALL STREET SENTIMENT** The current average analyst rating on Union Pacific shares is "buy", with 15 analysts rating it "hold", and 16 "buy" or higher. ** The current average analyst rating on Canadian National shares is "hold", with 18 rating it "hold", and six "buy" or higher.

☆ J.B. Hunt Expects Weaker Freight Volumes This Holiday Season
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Liz Young | Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Freight bellwether J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. said it is planning for a damped holiday shipping season, as cargo volumes fall ahead of what is typically the busiest period of the year for logistics operators. PREVIEWDarren Field, president of intermodal at J.B. Hunt, said on an earnings call Tuesday that peak season volumes aren’t where the company had anticipated they would be. J.B. Hunt executives said the company is seeing some of that in its freight-brokerage business, where volumes have been softening. Revenue in its brokerage business was down 11% in the third quarter year-over-year and volume was down 8%. Mr. Field said he attributed the September drop-off to the threat of a national rail strike that month.

Paris CNN Business —French President Emmanuel Macron called a crisis meeting with senior ministers on Monday to address crippling strikes at gas refineries that has caused fuel pumps to run dry. Elsewhere, nearly one third of gas stations have run out of at least one fuel, with the situation expected to worsen this week, according to French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. But French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the strikes were “unacceptable and illegitimate,” because wage agreements had been met with the majority of workers. Transportation minister Clement Beaune told France Inter that the only way out of the crisis is an end to strikes. On Sunday, thousands marched through central Paris to protest the crisis and “climate inaction.”

Now, one day after the monarch’s funeral, strikes are back on as workers press their claims for better pay and conditions and annual inflation hovers around 10%. More strikes could be on the way this fall, threatening unprecedented disruption across a range of industries. Teachers, doctors and nurses are set to vote on strike action in the coming weeks. The walkout will overlap with strike action by hundreds of dockworkers at the Port of Liverpool, another key UK trade hub. Last week, the country narrowly averted a rail strike by more than 50,000 workers after unions and railroad companies came to a tentative deal over pay.

Amazon’s purchase of the Belgian business is the latest in a string of buys the e-commerce giant has made to automate its logistics operations. The e-commerce giant has targeted 66 planned or existing facilities in what experts say amounts to a reconfiguration of its fulfillment in local U.S. markets. Companies including Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are still negotiating with two unions ahead of a Friday deadline. Newell Brands Says Retailers Are Cutting Consumer-Goods Orders The conglomerate scaled back its sales outlook, signaling retail supply chains are retrenching as they head into the fall. Retailers Start Selling Something New: Logistics Services The lineup of retailers seeking to sell supply-chain services to other merchants is growing, raising questions about control, competition and customer experience.

☆ Wall Street dodged a rail strike crisis, but there's trouble ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The company is seen as a bellwether for the economy since has insight into shipments across a wide range of industries. Persistent inflation, fears of recession and slowing economic growth have rattled markets across the globe. Now as major central banks institute aggressive rounds of monetary policy tightening to battle inflation, investors fear that they may go too far. S&P 500 INX About half of allcompanies mentioned "recession" during second quarter earnings calls, the highest number since 2010. That's the largest drop for a quarter since the second quarter of 2020 (when Covid-19 sent the United States into recession).

Railroads and workers' unions reached a tentative labor agreement early Thursday to avert a national rail strike that threatened to shut a major segment of the U.S. transportation network. "The tentative agreement reached tonight is an important win for our economy and the American people," President Joe Biden said in a statement announcing the deal. The White House had been in talks with railroad workers' unions and companies for several months, but negotiations were hung up over unpaid sick time. He thanked railroad unions and companies for negotiating "in good faith." Negotiators from railroad carriers and unions had met in Labor Secretary Marty Walsh's office Wednesday as the sides tried to negotiate a deal ahead of Friday's strike deadline.

☆ Premarket trading: It's getting late in the game. Will the Fed risk a Hail Mary?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Markets plummeted as the report stoked fears that the central bank and Chair Jerome Powell would decide to hike rates more aggressively, inflicting serious economic pain. Investors are putting the odds of a three-quarter percentage point hike next week at 75%, according to CME FedWatch data. The odds for a full point hike are hovering around 25% in the wake of the inflation report, up from 0% one week ago. It meant that people understood the seriousness of the Fed’s commitment to getting inflation rates back down to 2%, he said. “I wouldn’t discount a 100 basis point rate hike,” Marvin Loh, senior strategist at State Street, told me.

☆ Rail Shippers Brace for Potential National Strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Companies from food suppliers in the Midwest to retail importers across the U.S. are bracing for a potential national rail strike by seeking alternative transport to keep their supply chains running. Tens of thousands of American workers are on strike and thousands more are attempting to unionize. “We believe the potential for a rail work stoppage is growing,” Citi’s Christian Wetherbee wrote in a research note Wednesday. Other shippers will have to hold on to cargo if the rail network shuts down. U.S. railroads hauled more than 18,000 carloads of grains over the past week, according to the Association of American Railroads.

New York (CNN Business) The US economy can keep running without freight trains — but not for long. But a rail strike could send prices shooting higher again due to limited supplies. The National Retail Federation said last week it is concerned about shortages later this year if there is a rail strike. A rail strike would "devastate the movement of manufactured products that families depend on." CommutingAlthough only the nation's freight rail lines face a pending strike, many of the nation's commuter trains travel on tracks maintained and operated by the freight railroads.

Amtrak on Monday said it had canceled three long-distance train routes in advance of a looming railroad union strike that is threatening to hobble the nation's economy. The rail line said it was phasing in additional schedule "adjustments" as needed. Freight rail workers are threatening to strike for higher pay, more generous paid leave and a renegotiation of strict attendance policies and broader working conditions. A national rail strike "would be an economic disaster — freezing the flow of goods, emptying shelves, shuttering workplaces and raising prices for families and businesses alike," Suzanne Clark, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Monday. The Association of American Railroads trade group has estimated that shutting down the railroads would cost the economy $2 billion a day.

☆ Thousands of nurses at Minnesota hospitals launch strike seeking wage increases of 30%
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of nurses in Minnesota launched a three-day strike Monday, complaining of low salaries and understaffing worsened by the strains of the coronavirus pandemic. Minnesota Nurses Association president Mary Turner said pay raises are necessary to address the “crisis of retention” that would otherwise leave the hospitals severely understaffed. Nurses picket Monday outside North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minn. David Joles / Star Tribune via APThe hospitals have offered 10-12% wage increases but the nurses are seeking more than 30%. The hospitals affected by the strike included those operated by Allina Health, M Health Fairview, Children’s Hospital, North Memorial and HealthPartners. The Minnesota nurses’ strike comes amid an upsurge in union activity nationwide.

☆ London Tube staff plan strike next month, says union
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Union Jack flags and signs are seen outside Oxford Circus underground station on the first day of national rail strike, in London, Britain June 21, 2022. REUTERS/John SibleyLONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - London underground rail staff plan to strike on Aug. 19 over jobs and pensions, the RMT union said on Tuesday, in the latest industrial dispute that could disruptBritain's transport services. "Unless there can be assurances made about jobs, pensions and detrimental changes to working conditions, then our strike on August 19 will go ahead," RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said. The union said Transport for London (TfL) had failed to engage in talks about safeguarding jobs and pensions. Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The world's fastest trains -- from China to France
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-10 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Chogo/Xinhua/Getty ImagesAs well as boasting the longest network of high-speed lines in the world, China now has the fastest scheduled trains on the planet. A statement of intent by China’s booming railway technology industry, the Fuxing trains have been developed from previous generations of high-speed trains, which were based on technology imported from Europe and Japan. The design also forms the basis of the Siemens “Velaro” family of high-speed trains, which has been sold to Spain, Russia, Turkey, China and to Eurostar for its second generation international trains. Europe’s first dedicated high-speed network is still its best known and most successful, reaching out well beyond France’s borders. Frecciarossa services operate across Italy’s T-shaped high-speed network, linking Turin, Milan and Venice in the north with Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples.

Persons: Germany's, Philipp von Ditfurth, Thomas Coex, Europe’s, Kiyoshi Ota, Al Boraq, Morocco's Al Boraq, ‘ Al, Boraq, Oriol, Iryo, Frecciarossa, Ed Jones, Alessandro Rota, sandstorms don’t, HHR Organizations: CNN, Japan’s, Vitesse, Getty, Germany's Inter, City Express, Express, Siemens, Eurostar, Bloomberg, JR, Japan Railways, Tohoku, TGV Euroduplex, Alstom, Flickr, Images Spain, Alta Velocidad, Ouigo Espana, Italian State Railways, Alitalia, Arrows, Spanish National Railways, Railway, Haramain, Speed Railway Locations: Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, France, China, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, Africa, Morocco, Egypt, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Russia, United States, Shanghai, Shanghai’s Pudong, Hangzhou, Chogo, Xinhua, Japan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Harbin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Turkey, AFP, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, Lille, London, Switzerland, Tokyo, Shin, Aomori, Hokkaido, Honshu, Tsugaru Strait, Tangier, Casablanca, Kenitra, Rabat, Oriol Paris, Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Galicia, Barcelona, Alta Velocidad Espana, Korea, South, Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Mokpo, Pyeongchang, Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Saudi, Bandar Aldandani, Mecca, Medina

☆ Averea agonisită de Bill și Melinda Gates va fi foarte greu de împărțit: „Depășește imaginația”
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-15 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Sursa foto: ft.comAverea agonisită de Bill și Melinda Gates va fi foarte greu de împărțit: „Depășește imaginația”Bill și Melinda Gates, unul dintre cele mai bogate cupluri din lume, au decis să divorțeze, după un mariaj de aproape 30 de ani. Bill și Melinda Gates au o avere mai mare decât economia MaroculuiBill și Melinda Gates au o avere care depășește PIB-ul anual al Marocului sau valoarea combinată a companiilor Ford, Twitter și Marriott. Aceste investiții generează profitul atât de necesar fundației Bill și Melinda Gates pentru a continua lupta sa de a ataca probleme importante precum creșterea nivelului educației și reducerea sărăciei. Pe de altă parte, unii avocați spun că unele dintre bunurile personale ale celor doi vor fi foarte greu de evaluat, deci și dificil de împărțit. Bill și Melinda s-au cunoscut în 1980, când Melinda a început să lucreze la Microsoft.

Persons: Bill, Melinda Gates, Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Gates, Leonardo da Vinci, Marocului Bill, Marriott . Gates, David Aronson, Melinda, Jennifer, Phoebe Organizations: New York Times, The New York Times, Canadian National Railway, Microsoft, Marocului, Ford, The New Locations: AutoNation, Californiei, Marocului, The New York, Hawaii

☆ Câte MILIOANE de DOLARI a primit Melinda Gates la o zi după divorțul cu Bill Gates
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-06 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

O companie de investiții fondată de Bill Gates din profiturile de la Microsoft a transferat acțiuni în valoare de peste 1,8 miliarde de dolari către Melinda Gates la o zi după anunțul divorțului dintre cei doi, potrivit site-ului Bloomberg, citează digi24.ro. Cascade Investment i-a transferat, de asemenea, 2,94 de milioane de acțiuni la AutoNation Inc., în valoare de 309 milioane de dolari. Prin Cascade Investment, Bill Gates investește în imobiliare, energie și Horeca și deține acțiuni la zeci de companii publice, printre care Deere & Co. sau Republic Services Inc.De asemenea, Bill și Melinda Gates se numără printre cei mai mari deținători de terenuri din SUA. Bill şi Melinda Gates au anunţat pe 3 mai că vor divorţa, după 27 de ani de căsnicie. Cei doi vor continua să colaboreze în cadrul Fundaţiei Bill şi Melinda Gates.

Persons: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, . Melinda Gates, Bill, Gates, Melinda Gates . Organizations: Microsoft, Canadian National Railway Co, Cascade, AutoNation, Republic Services Locations: AutoNation Inc, Cascade Investment, SUA

Cascade Investment, o companie fondată de Bill Gates din profiturile de la Microsoft, a transferat acțiuni în valoare de peste 1,8 miliarde de dolari către Melinda Gates la o zi după anunțul divorțului dintre cei doi, potrivit site-ului Bloomberg. Melinda Gates deține acum 14,1 milioane de acțiuni la Canadian National Railway Co., în valoare de aproximativ 1,5 miliarde de dolari, potrivit datelor Comisiei de Valori Mobiliare și schimb, valabile la 3 mai. Cascade Investment i-a transferat, de asemenea, 2,94 de milioane de acțiuni la AutoNation Inc., în valoare de 309 milioane de dolari. Bill şi Melinda Gates au anunţat pe 3 mai că vor divorţa, după 27 de ani de căsnicie. Cei doi vor continua să colaboreze în cadrul Fundaţiei Bill şi Melinda Gates.

Persons: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Bill, Gates, Melinda Gates . Organizations: Microsoft, Canadian National Railway Co, Cascade, AutoNation, Republic Services Locations: Cascade Investment, AutoNation Inc, SUA

☆ Paris commuters face 300 miles of traffic jams in fifth day of French strikes
▼ + stars: | 2019-12-09 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TOPSHOT - Vehicles run on the Paris' ring road, the "Peripherique", on December 9, 2019 in Porte de Vincennes in Paris, during a strike of Paris public transports over French government's plan to overhaul the country's retirement system, as part of a national strike. French commuters experienced a chaotic journey getting to work on Monday as public sector workers entered a fifth consecutive day of nationwide strikes. Nationwide, public sector workers have protested against government plans to update the pension system since Thursday. Tweet 1Monday starts a make-it-or-break-it week for the French government, according to different French media. President Emmanuel Macron vowed in 2017 to change France's pension system, which is one of the most expensive across the world, according to data from the OECD.

☆ France hit by nationwide strike as workers protest over pension reforms
▼ + stars: | 2019-12-05 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowFrance is experiencing one of its biggest strikes in decades as public sector workers protest against changes to the pension system. According to the French newspaper, Le Monde, more than 180 000 people are taking to the streets in 30 different parts of France. Prior to his election in 2017, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to reform France's pension system. watch nowPrevious attempts to change the pension system have also been met with strong opposition from public sector workers. However, transport workers argue that the new system would mean they would have to work longer into old age or see their pension reduced.

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