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Supply
Chain by the Numbers |
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- April 25, 2024
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UAW Finally Wins Big Union Vote at VW; Euro Companies could be Liable for Extended Supply Chains; US Manfacturing Up in March after Long Flat Period; Amazon Free Grocery Delivery - with Low Monthly Fee |
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73% |
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| That was the decisive majority of some 4000 workers at a VW assembly plant near national Tennessee who voted to unionize, as tallied by the National Labor Relations Board this past weekend. This is a big deal, as the United Autoworkers Workers had tried and failed to win a majority in both 2014 and 2019. What’s more, before this latest vote, labor had been unable to organize any of the dozen or so Southern plants operated by foreign automakers in the US, despite spending a reported $40 million to do so. US-based Tesla factories are also non-union. UAW membership fell 3.3% in 2023 to 370,000, its lowest point since 2009, according to US Labor Department data. In 1970, the union had 1.5 million members. Another unionization vote is set for May 13-17 at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. |
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That was the level of US manufacturing output in March as represented in the monthly index from the Federal Reserve Bank, which was released late last week. That was up from an index score of 99.4, and was something of a breakout in the Index, which has seen scores hovering around the 99.0 level since February 2023, with no real growth, but not recessionary with declines either. The March level was also up a modest 0.8 percentage point versus March 2023. However, at an index level of 99.9, it means UtS manufacturing is still now just below output in the baseline year of 2017 (index = 100) now seven years later. It is also well below the all-time high of about 108, reached in late 2007. |
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$9.99 |
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| That is the monthly charge for Amazon Prime customers to receive unlimited free grocery deliveries of orders for $35 or more. At least for those who live in one of the 3,500 eligible cities and towns, as will be delivered from Amazon Fresh grocery stores and those of its Whole Foods unit. As SCDigest reported in late 2023, Amazon began testing grocery delivery in three locations last year: Denver; Sacramento, and Columbus, Ohio. The subscription offers one-hour delivery windows without any extra fees and unlimited 30-minute pickup for orders of any size. But here Amazon is playing a bit of catch-up, as Walmart Plus, costs $12.95 per month for free deliveries or $98 per year, while Target also has a free grocery delivery plan that costs $99 a year, both with the same $35 order minimums. . |
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That is the number of employees above which European companies that also have global revenues of above 450 million euros will be subject to new rules contained in something called EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), with major supply chain implications. That measure was approved this week by the European Parliament. The proposed law, which must receive final approval by ministers of EU member states, and requires large companies to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence in their own operations and in their global value chains. It empowers regulators to take action against companies failing to conduct such due diligence and, in some situations, allows victims of corporate abuses to approach European courts to seek justice. All of which could open up a Pandora’s Box of risks and costs for Euro companies.
