Labor

Six months into the latest tariff wave, the US faces a widening gap between policy-driven optimism and the real-world challenges of restoring competitive, resilient domestic manufacturing.

Greenwich, Conn.-based global contract logistics services provider GXO Logistics Inc. reported a company record for quarterly revenue, in its third quarter earnings announcement earlier this week. Revenue, at $3.4 billion, saw an 8% annual gain, with organic revenue up 4%, and net income, at $60 million, rose 42% annually. Adjusted earnings per share, at $0.79, was flat, topping Wall Street expectations, at $0.77.

UPS said that it is installing air conditioning in 5,000 of its existing delivery vehicles in the hottest regions across the country and also testing air conditioning in the cargo area of its package cars.

The prospects of the proposed Class I rail carrier merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern appear to be closer to coming to fruition are picking up steam.

The Teamsters said earlier today that UPS is preparing to roll out later this month what it called “an illegal plan” to buy out full-time Teamsters-represented UPS employees, labeling it a corporate scheme which directly violated its contract with UPS that represents 340,000 delivery workers.

The new four-year contract includes raises, better pensions, mental health benefits, and protections around AI and automation.

As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve said yesterday that it will not make any changes to its federal funds rate, which comes from the Federal Reserve Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), announcing that it again decided to leave the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25%-to-4.5%.

More companies are adopting robots to improve productivity, reduce physical strain, and offset workforce gaps.

As rates fall in the for-hire sector, private fleets remain a bedrock of U.S. trucking. Shippers like Walmart, Amazon, and PepsiCo are expanding private capacity, citing service, safety, and control as key advantages. Backed by tech and reliability, private fleet operations are growing—even in a downturn.

Explore the evolving role of humanoid robots in supply chain automation. From addressing labor shortages to enhancing workplace safety, learn how AI-driven humanoids like Agility Robotics’ Digit are poised to revolutionize warehouse operations. Discover key benefits, including cost-effectiveness and improved efficiency, as companies like Amazon and Tesla pioneer their integration. Prepare for the future with strategies for automation adoption and workforce upskilling, ensuring seamless integration and operational enhancement.

In our latest Special Focus Issue, Logistics Management brings together a collection of feature stories that showcase the software, hardware, and automation technologies revolutionizing warehouse and DC operations

"Easy Metrics' guide, The 7 Deadly Sins of Warehouse Labor Management, reveals costly inefficiencies in warehouse operations and provides actionable strategies to boost profitability by addressing critical labor management mistakes."

As expected, the ratification of a new six-year agreement of a new Master Contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) was overwhelmingly approved by ILA membership late yesterday, with almost 99% of ILA membership approving the deal, which will ensure labor peace for 36 United States-based East and Gulf Coast ports, stretching from Maine to Texas.

Climate change, geopolitics are among the top business concerns.

A potential East and Gulf Coasts’ port labor strike has been averted, with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the largest union of maritime workers in North America, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), an alliance of container carriers, direct employers, and port associations serving United States-based East and Gulf Coasts , having come to terms on a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year Master Contract.