Delegates representing West Coast waterfront labor agreed yesterday to begin talks with management about extending the current five-year labor contract beyond its June 30, 2019, expiration date, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents workers at 30 ports, said.
The vote by a majority of 100 ILWU delegates came in response to a request by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents waterfront management, to discuss a possible contract extension. The delegates "made a tough decision under current circumstances, amid a wide range of concerns and opposing views on how to respond to PMA's request," said ILWU President Robert McEllrath in a statement.
McEllrath said the vote amounts to union representatives having discussions with the PMA and then reporting back to the rank and file.
That both sides are discussing a contract extension nearly three years before its expiry reflects the contentiousness of the last round of contract talks, and the need to ensure that a backstop—namely a contract extension—be in place to keep the docks operating normally should upcoming negotiations stall. There was no language in the last contract requiring a contract extension, a factor that added to the anxiety surrounding the negotiations. The current contract was finally ratified in May 2015 after a nine-month dispute that paralyzed West Coast seaports and forced the Obama Administration to dispatch Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to the West Coast in an effort resolve the dispute. The current contract is retroactive to June 2014.
In a statement, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, which represents U.S. agricultural- and forest-products exporters, said it supports labor and management's efforts to "extend the current contract, in order to restore our foreign customers' confidence in our ability to be affordable and dependable suppliers."
Delays and backlogs at West Coast ports during the dispute kept many agriculture exports from being shipped in a timely manner. The group warned that businesses that import U.S. goods would not simply endure the slowdown, and would look to other sources of supply from foreign competitors.
The “series C” round was led by Toyota division Woven Capital, with additional participation from Innovation Endeavors, Norwest Venture Partners, and Qualcomm Ventures. It brings California-based Third Wave to $97 million in total capital raised.
“In an industry grappling with a severely constrained labor market and intensifying market competition, Third Wave Automation's approach of blending AI-powered autonomy with human expertise is transforming warehouse operations,” Prashant Bothra, principal at Woven Capital, who is now joining the Third Wave board, said in a release. “Third Wave’s solution provides reliable automation for vertical movement and placement of goods while optimizing labor efficiency, enhancing safety and enabling data-driven improvements.”
According to Third Wave, its Shared Autonomy Platform enables the TWA Reach line of forklifts to operate autonomously or to seek help from remote operators who can take control from the safety of their office. Specifically, the TWA Reach forklifts operate in four modes: fully autonomous, remote assist, remote operation and traditional manual operation. They are designed for high-reach applications, capable of horizontal and vertical movement of payloads, and used for end-to-end applications, from inbound, replenish and outbound tasks to all tasks in between. The platform also uses machine learning to ensure forklifts continue to adapt and improve over time.
Women in supply chain tech don’t always have it easy. That’s particularly true when it comes to building a career in the male-dominated field, where they may face gender bias, limited advancement opportunities, and a lack of mentorship and support.
“Across many professional industries, women have made strides in breaking down barriers; however, supply chain and digital technology are two sectors that are often seen as being male-dominated,” Stephan de Barse, o9’s chief revenue officer, said in a release. “Through the o9 Minerva community, we aim to elevate the incredible knowledge, drive, and experiences of women working in the supply chain space.”
The new group will host networking events and panel discussions that feature expert guidance from “Minerva Ambassadors,” high-ranking professionals who will discuss their career paths and experiences within the supply chain and digital tech space. During the events, Minerva Ambassadors will also address key career advancement challenges, such as gender disparity, access to mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, and the opportunity for more diversity in leadership roles.
“As a supply chain risk management (SCRM) expert and Minerva Ambassador, I am excited to share my own professional journey alongside fellow supply chain leaders and speak to some of the unique challenges that women face as they advance their careers,” Lara Pedrini, global head of sales at risk-management tech company Exiger, said. “I am committed to the advancement of women in the workplace and digital tech, and look forward to discussing ways to close the gender gap for women in STEM fields and foster more inclusive corporate policies and work environments where women can thrive.”
Some of Americans’ favorite condiments include ketchup, salsa, barbecue sauce, and sriracha. Toppings like marinara and pizza sauce are popular as well. The common denominator here is the tomato, and food producers need many tons of them to make these and other tasty products.
One of those producers is Red Gold, an Elwood, Indiana, company whose brands include Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, Sacramento, Vine Ripe, and Huy Fong. The company works with more than 30 family-owned Midwestern farms to source sustainably managed crops.
In the 80 years since its founding, Red Gold has grown to become the largest privately held manufacturer of tomato products in the U.S., with 23 different product categories and nearly 400 combinations of flavors and cuts. Today, it serves both the grocery market and institutional customers like schools and hospitals.
But a food supply chain of this scale can be expensive to operate. So Red Gold recently launched an initiative to modernize its logistics processes with an eye toward boosting efficiency and increasing resilience while also cutting costs.
The timing was right for such a project. Freight rates in the trucking sector have been depressed for nearly two years, giving the company a rare opportunity to invest some of its savings into process improvements, the company said. “The current transportation market is extremely shipper-friendly and has been for the past 18 months,” James Posipanka, Red Gold’s supply chain manager–logistics, said in a press release. “Now is the time for us to plan and prepare for when it swings the other way and carriers can choose which customers they want to work with. When that happens, we want to be a ‘Shipper of Choice.’ By putting strategies and processes in place now, we’ll be successful when the market does flip.”
STEP-BY-STEP SAVINGS
For help streamlining its processes, the company turned to Loadsmart, a Chicago-based logistics technology developer that specializes in helping clients optimize freight spend, increase efficiency, and enhance service quality. Step by step, Red Gold began implementing three of Loadsmart’s technologies and digital services, moving to the next phase only after it had realized a return on its investment in the previous one.
First, Red Gold implemented Opendock, Loadsmart’s online dock-scheduling platform. That move alone saved thousands of hours of staff time by eliminating the need to make carrier pickup appointments via phone and email. Today, 100% of the carriers that do business at Red Gold’s facilities book their appointments through Opendock—which amounts to some 60,000 appointments annually. Among other benefits, the new platform has drastically reduced the amount of time it takes for a carrier to book an appointment—with Opendock, appointments are scheduled one to two days out instead of 10 or more.
Second, the company installed Loadsmart’s ShipperGuide TMS, a transportation management and request-for-proposal (RFP) management system. The platform helps Red Gold avoid spreadsheets and administrative work. For example, instead of individually emailing RFPs to a few carriers, the company can now send RFPs through the TMS to many more carriers than was feasible in the past and easily compare the rates carriers submit in response. In addition, Red Gold was able to automate some 70% of its load tenders, or about 25,000 shipments, which allowed the company to reduce headcount without any interruptions in workflow.
Third, Red Gold began working with Loadsmart’s digital freight brokerage team to convert some of its full truckload movements to partial truckloads. That move expanded both its carrier base and its freight mode options, saving it $200,000 annually.
All in all, since it began using Loadsmart’s technology and services, Red Gold has reduced appointment leadtimes by 90% and saved 17% on annual LTL freight costs, according to the two companies. Red Gold is so pleased with those results that its logistics team has already begun working with the technology vendor on additional opportunities for improvement.
With that money, qualified ports intend to buy over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation.
For example, funds going to the Port of Los Angeles include a $412 million grant to support its goal of achieving 100% zero-emission (ZE) terminal operations by 2030. And following the award, the Port and its private sector partners will match the EPA grant with an additional $236 million, bringing the total new investment in ZE programs at the Port of Los Angeles to $644 million. According to the Port of Los Angeles, the combined new funding will go toward purchasing nearly 425 pieces of battery electric, human-operated ZE cargo-handling equipment, installing 300 new ZE charging ports and other related infrastructure, and deploying 250 ZE drayage trucks. The grant will also provide for $50 million for a community-led ZE grant program, workforce development, and related engagement activities.
And the Port of Oakland received $322 million through the grant, which will generate a total of nearly $500 million when combined with port and local partner contributions. Altogether, that total will be the largest-ever amount of federal funding for a Bay Area program aimed at cutting emissions from seaport cargo operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.
Likewise, the Port of Virginia said its $380 million in new funding will help to reach its goal of eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The grant money will be used to buy and install electric assets and equipment while retiring legacy equipment powered by engines that burn gasoline or diesel fuel.
According to AAPA, those awards will demonstrate to Congress that the Clean Ports Program should become permanent with annual appropriations. Otherwise, they would soon cease to be funded as backing from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) comes to a close, AAPA said. “From the earliest stages of legislative development in Congress, America’s ports have been ecstatic about and committed to the vision of implementing a novel grant program for the port industry that will complement and strengthen existing plans to diversify how we power our ports,” Cary Davis, AAPA’s president and CEO, said in a release. “These grant funding awards will usher in a cleaner and more resilient future for our ports and national transportation system. We thank our champions in Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration for committing to us and we look forward to working closely with our Federal Government partners to get these funds quickly deployed and put to work.”
The majority of American consumers (86%) plan to reduce their holiday shopping budgets this year, with nearly half (47%) expecting to cut spending by more than 50% compared to last year, according to consumer research from Relex Solutions.
The forecast runs against some other studies that predict the upcoming holiday shopping season will be a stronger than last year, with higher sales and earlier shopping than 2023.
But Finland-based Relex says its conclusion is based on the shorter holiday shopping period of 27 days in 2024 (five days shorter than 2023), combined with economic volatility and supply chain disruptions. The research includes survey responses from 1,000 U.S. consumers in October 2024.
According to Relex, those results reveal a complex landscape where price sensitivity and decreased brand loyalty are reshaping traditional retail dynamics. That means retailers and manufacturers must carefully balance promotional strategies with profitability while maintaining product availability, since consumers are actively seeking better value and may switch between brands more readily.
"Retailers are facing a highly challenging season, with consumers prioritizing value more than ever. To succeed, retailers must not only offer attractive promotions but also ensure those deals don’t erode their margins. At the same time, manufacturers need to optimize their operations and collaborate with retailers to deliver value without sacrificing profitability," Madhav Durbha, Relex’ group vice president of CPG and Manufacturing, said in a release. The company says it provides a supply chain and retail planning platform that optimizes demand, merchandising, supply chain, operations, and production planning.
"This holiday season represents a critical juncture for the retail industry," Durbha added. "With reduced brand loyalty and a shorter shopping window, there’s no room for error. Retailers and manufacturers need to work together closely, leveraging AI-powered tools to anticipate demand, manage inventory, and run effective promotions," Durbha said.
In additional findings, the survey found:
Brand loyalty is eroding: About 45% of consumers say they're less likely to remain loyal to brands without meaningful discounts, while 41% will switch brands if faced with both poor deals and out-of-stock products.
Digital channels dominate deal-seeking behavior: Store and brand apps (60%) and email promotions (60%) are the primary channels for finding deals, while only 32% of consumers primarily search for deals in physical stores.
Supply chain concerns remain significant: Nearly 85% of shoppers express concern about potential disruptions, with electronics (60%) and clothing/accessories (57%) being the categories of highest concern.
Age significantly impacts shopping behavior: Consumers from age 45-60 show the highest economic sensitivity, with 60% cutting budgets by more than 50%, while shoppers aged 18-29 prioritize product availability over price.