Massive rail strike next week could deal another blow to America’s economy – CNN
The looming possibility of a strike by unions representing more than 90,000 workers at the nation’s freight railroads has businesses nationwide worried. The unions are poised to go on strike on September 16, a move that could bring nearly 30% of the nation’s freight to a grinding halt, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The fact that this is a sneaker industry site first, somewhat minimizes what is an extremely important issue for the entire U.S. economy. Last week Nike experienced an $800,000 theft at a Memphis area storage yard. This crime underscores an overlooked aspect of how the supply chain is shaping consumer and criminal behavior in port cities and distribution areas across the country. : ‘It’s ugly out there’: Rail theft soars on L.A. tracks – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Fom Los Angeles to Miami: Restaurateur Offers Reward for Stolen Shipping Container With $200k in Valuable Items – NBC 6 South Florida (nbcmiami.com), any location where containers are delivered are dealing with increased and targeted crime. The sneaker industry happens to be tied to the Memphis area with ASICS and Nike both having prominent warehouse locations. The President created a special committee to help with negotiations between “unions and the National Railway Labor Conference.” That committee, labeled a cooling down period, expires on the 16th. Memphis is already inundated with containers at both railyards and overflow facilities. The railyards in Memphis have their own police forces, but if the dispute between these unions creates a situation where the police are included in potential strikes, Nike and other companies may find that the 800,000-dollar theft was just the beginning. This is important to watch for in the upcoming week.
