That's all folks! (for now) The Teamsters and UPS have a deal and I've written my last story for Insider for 9 months. (Check out the comments for my NPR interview about the UPS deal). ICYMI I'm starting the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University next month. I'll be immersed in accounting and capital markets classes for two semesters and apparently, I'll emerge with a love for Excel among other skills. (I'll believe it when I see it.) My last story until next May is an important one. Heat was a big part of the Teamsters negotiation with UPS and air conditioning in newly purchased vehicles was an early win for the union. But the battle against heat stress can't stop at air conditioning as FedEx and Amazon contractors, and expert Jeff Goodell told me for this story. My biggest takeaways: 1. Heat isn't just dangerous for workers in traditionally hot states — the danger comes from the extreme changes just as much as the temperature itself. 2. Heat deaths often present as cardiac failure, which means we have little idea how many there are each year. 3. Sometimes what delivery drivers need most is the hardest for them to get: more breaks. Check out the story below. And if you talked to me for this story or any in the last few years — thanks so much. This community and its support for my work is something I don't take for granted for one second. Please stay in touch. #deliverydriver #ups #fedex #amazon #climate

Yesterday FedEx sent a memo out to its delivery contractors urging "heightened security awareness" in the case of a UPS strike. The memo mentions some pretty serious concerns about safety, which the Teamsters called "scare tactics." There are still 2.5 weeks for Big Brown and the Teamsters to reach a deal, but it seems to me that the logistics industry is thinking more seriously about the reality of a strike every day. What are you thinking? Or rethinking? If you were confident a deal would materialize last week, are you still confident? Let me know in the comments — I'll put the latest on where the negotiations stand there too. Not much has changed in the last week. My story with all the details for Insider here: #ups #logistics #teamsters #union

Yesterday I went on NPR and WBUR's "Here and Now" to talk to Peter O'Dowd about the potential for the Teamsters to strike UPS on Aug. 1. 24 hours later, not much has changed. The parties are held up on one issue: part-time pay. Though the rhetoric is fierce and the passing of July 5 without a deal is dismaying some, most of the folks I talk to on the regular still think a deal will come by the deadline. Are you expecting a strike? Seeing any panic out there? Let me know in the comments. Listen to me check something off my bucket list at the link below. And read up on the very latest in the Insider story in the comments — updated with Sean O'Brien's comments from this morning. #ups #teamsters #Union #strike

Annnnnd we're back! The ILWU has a tentative contract and so does Insider Union — what an amazing 24 hours! I'm so excited to dig back into reporting! I thought I'd share my last story before our strike since I think it got lost in the shuffle. It's about more changes to Amazon DSP rules — this time regarding vans. New standards of readiness for vans recently went into place and they're going to cost DSPs big bucks. So big, some fear they may go under. And the kicker is it could be worse for those who use lots of Amazon's coveted Rivian electric vans. Get the details in the Insider story below. I'll put some more background about Amazon DSP troubles in the comments AND a story about our historic contract (after 13 days on strike) at Insider in case you're curious about what we won. What I need YOU to put in the comments is what you think I should look into next! Clean slate! What's on your mind? #amazon #amazondsp #logistics #union #contract

Hi everyone! Last time I posted here it was Day 4 (I think?) of our Insider Union ULP strike. It's now Day 12. And as you can imagine ... I could use a drink. To be clear, we are not losing steam. We are more committed than ever to withholding our labor until Insider management comes to the table with a fair deal that addresses inflation, equity, and our rising healthcare costs. Now lots of industry folks can attest, that I don't let pretty much anyone in logistics buy me a drink. When it comes to journalistic ethics, I like to keep it simple and just pay for my own. But if you've ever thought, hey I'd really like to buy Emma a drink and talk logistics, I have an idea. Take that $10 (or if this hypothetical is in NYC be honest and make it $20) and consider putting that in our Union's hardship fund. (linked below) If you're feeling saucy you could even label your donation "Insider Reader" so our bosses can see your support. Every dollar we raise does two things. First, it helps our members pay for crucial things like rent and medication while we're on strike and not getting paid. And second, it shows our management that you, our audience are done with this strike and want us back at our desks reporting. I know I do. Thanks so much for your support now and always.

Every time I make a request to my LinkedIn community, you always come through. This time it's a weird one: Please don't read my work. The roughly 250 unionized workers at Insider (including me!) are ON STRIKE as of Friday. We've been fighting for a fair contract for two years and our management is not moving on key economic issues. They also illegally changed our health insurance without proper bargaining, leading some of us to incur thousands of dollars in extra bills. (We filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge, and despite the NLRB finding merit in our charge, Insider refuses to remedy the situation.) I'll be picketing in downtown Manhattan every day (message me if you want to come say hi!) But there's something you can do too! Don't read Insider articles, watch our videos, or use our app until we end the strike. We're forming a digital picket line around all Insider content and asking you not to cross it. This is weird for me. I'm usually posting about your challenges, triumphs, and workplaces. Focusing in on my own workplace feels strange, but I've always appreciated your support and I need it again now. Thanks so much for reading. I hope to be able to get back to the reporting I love soon. Keep up with our strike here: https://lnkd.in/eR5X2pF8

Where is Flexport headed? In the crush of news last week regarding Shopify's offloading of its logistics assets to Flexport (and Ocado - I'll put some catch-up links in the comments) I almost missed CEO Dave Clark's interview on Fox Business. In that conversation, he got one of the questions I've been thinking about a lot.  "It also enables you to better compete with businesses like Amazon, right? Your old stomping ground!" Maria Bartiromo asked about the acquisition of Deliverr. Clark's response is in the Insider story below. Give it a read and let me know if you buy it. (sorry for the blatant tease 😉 ) He described the overall mission like this: "Now, under one system, you can get your goods from the manufacturer all the way to the US through the ports to a distribution center to either your store or to the customer's door," said Clark. If that's the play -- what do you think are Flexport's biggest competitors? Or will be? How are you thinking about the broadening of services Clark is tasked with making real? Sound off in the comments or in my DMS if you're so inclined. #flexport #logistics #shopify #deliverr #freight #freighforwarding #supplychain #amazon

We did it again ... More Insider reporting from me and Madeline Stone below. The central question: was Shopify's foray into logistics a waste or a worthwhile opening salvo? Read this and tell me what you decide. Big thanks to Ken Wong, CFA, Gil Luria, Derek Lossing, Matthew Hertz, and Jason Murray for their analysis. #shopify #logistics #flexport #logisticsishard #armtherebels

If the news that Shopify is selling off its logistics assets, most to Flexport, has you asking 'what the hell just happened?' I wouldn't blame you. Shopify acquired Deliverr, the most expensive and most substantial element in its logistics push, just last year. But there are lots of events that led Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke to call logistics a "side quest" today after nearly four years of waffling on strategy. The Insider piece linked below from Madeline Stone and myself published yesterday ahead of the news is a great place to start and there's more analysis coming from us ... What does this mean for Shopify? what does this mean for Deliverr's folks? What does this mean for Flexport's direction under Dave Clark? If you've got intel or thoughts I want to hear all of them. And I'll add more links to the comments if you need to catch up. 1-2-3 discuss! #Shopify #SHOP #Flexport #logistics