Nick Saban says pro-UAW ads use his words out of context, wants them pulled

Posted on by Michael Randle

Former Alabama Coach Nick Saban has released a statement on the eve of this week’s union election at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa County, saying some comments of his have been used without his approval in support of the union.

Saban said he does not endorse the union and has asked that ads featuring his words be pulled.

“I recently learned the United Autoworkers (UAW) union has taken the liberty of featuring my comments in advertisements released as part of its campaign to organize workers at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (MBUSI),” Saban said.

“Not only were these comments taken entirely out of context, they were also being used without my knowledge or permission,” Saban said.

“I do not personally endorse the UAW or its campaign and have asked the UAW to remove any advertisements featuring me from circulation. I encourage all Team Members to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election,” the former Alabama football coach’s statement read.

AL.com

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As Mercedes votes, Montgomery Hyundai workers at union rally call for better conditions, benefits

Posted on by Michael Randle

Workers at Montgomery’s Hyundai plant described difficult working conditions and arbitrary scheduling at a rally Monday evening led by clergy and faith leaders.

The rally came amid a campaign led by the United Auto Workers to unionize the factory and an ongoing vote this week at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Vance on whether to organize under the UAW.

“We have actually no voice inside of work,” said Gilbert Brooks, a 15-year veteran of the plant who works on machines that take sheet metal and shape them into vehicle parts. “Basically, it is one-sided. Pretty much what Hyundai says goes. They make and break their own rules. Pretty much, you can’t make plans because Hyundai has control basically.”

AL.com

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Working for Alabama package aims to supercharge Alabama’s economic growth

Posted on by Michael Randle

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey today signed the “Working for Alabama” legislative package into law, with the goal of transforming Alabama’s workforce, getting more Alabamians trained for high-paying jobs, streamlining Alabama’s economic development efforts and investing into Alabama communities, especially those in rural areas.

The bipartisan, six-bill package aims to streamline and make more efficient and effective the state’s efforts and strategies in these respective areas.

“Our state leaders over the past few years have taken up several ambitious challenges to address Alabama’s top areas of need,” Governor Ivey said. “And the results are paying out in dividends.

“From broadband to infrastructure to The Game Plan we passed last year and now, Working for Alabama, we have come together to put Alabama first and have paved the way for a stronger economy and a better quality of life for all Alabamians,” she said.

madeinalabama.com

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Ford reveals when West Tennessee’s BlueOval City mass local hiring to begin, details plant’s environmental features

Posted on by Michael Randle

Ford Motor Co. just announced a slew of workforce and environmental initiatives and confirmed that mass hiring for BlueOval City is scheduled to start next year.

To that end, Ford is shifting its focus to local engagement, education, and environmentalism as equipment installation begins at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center (TEVC).

Robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths, and stamping press lines are all being installed now as Ford plans to start delivering Project T3 vehicles to customers in 2026.

“We have been humbled by the warm hospitality extended to us by our new neighbors in West Tennessee,” Kel Kearns, plant manager of the TEVC, said in a release. “As the company that helped create the American middle class, we want residents in every community around the region to benefit as BlueOval City comes to life.”

Hiring for hourly workers is set to begin in 2025, with Ford unleashing its BlueOval Learning workforce development plan to build up a local workforce in the meantime.

Training is expected to feature a mix of online, classroom, and hands-on training. It will work in tandem with Ford’s developing recruitment pipeline, the crown of which is the Ford Tennessee Discovery Center in Brownsville. Ford also announced that that facility would come online later this year.

TEVC plant leadership have long discussed building out a local workforce pipeline, with Memphis as a primary focus.

Memphis Business Journal

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Gov. Beshear: Over $1.6 Million in State Funding Approved To Support Workforce Development of Nearly 5,000 Kentuckians

Posted on by Michael Randle

Bluegrass State Skills Corp. continues to support and develop Kentucky’s workforce

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 15, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted Kentucky’s continued investment in workforce training initiatives as he announced over $1.6 million in state support has been approved through the Bluegrass State Skills Corp. (BSSC) to assist with the training and development of nearly 5,000 Kentucky workers.

“Kentucky is home to an incredibly talented workforce, and it is our job to equip and support them with the skills necessary to do the jobs that we are bringing to the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “The Bluegrass State Skills Corp. is essential to our workforce training and development, giving employees the tools necessary to be successful and helping our businesses continue to build on Kentucky’s economic momentum.”

Through the BSSC’s Grant-in-Aid and Skills Training Investment Credit programs, over $1.6 million in state support has been approved to train and develop 4,982 Kentucky employees across 25 companies.

This month’s approvals included workforce training support for over 770 employees at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort and an additional 393 trainees for Franklin Precision Industry in Franklin. Other approvals include 299 trainees at Cumberland Cooperage in East Bernstadt, 227 workers at Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems in Edmonton, 200 trainees at Goose Creek Candles in Liberty, 190 employees at Piston Automotive in Louisville and 150 workers at Federal-Mogul Motorparts in Glasgow.

Including this month’s meeting, Gov. Beshear has now announced over $19 million in funding through BSSC across 127 projects to train over 42,600 Kentucky workers for fiscal year 2024.

Gov. Beshear previously announced over $10 million for 115 applicants throughout the state to train nearly 35,000 workers for fiscal year 2023. The state also provided over $8.4 million in funds and credits during fiscal year 2022. Those funds assisted with workforce training for more than 35,400 Kentucky employees – the most since 2016.

The Grant-in-Aid and Skills Training Investment Credit programs assist employers throughout the commonwealth. Grant-in-Aid provides cash reimbursements for occupational and skills upgrade training at Kentucky businesses, while the Skills Training Investment Credit offers state income tax credits for companies to offset the costs for approved training programs. Applications for both programs are accepted and considered for approval by the BSSC Board of Directors.

BSSC incentives are available to a range of operations, including manufacturing, agribusiness, nonretail service or technology, headquarters operations, state-licensed hospital operations, coal severing and processing, alternative fuel, gasification, renewable energy production and carbon dioxide transmission pipelines.

For more information on BSSC or to apply for workforce training assistance, click here.

Kentucky’s investment in workforce training furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,000 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $30.6 billion in announced investments, creating more than 52,700 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.

The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. The average incentivized hourly wage in 2022 and 2023 topped $26 in consecutive years for the first time.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County; AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; and INFAC North America’s $53 million investment in Taylor County, among others.

The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund, as well as the most jobs filled in state history. Last year, Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history.

Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Kentucky’s credit outlook from stable to positive.

In March, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky third nationally and first in the South Central economic development projects per capita in its 2023 Governor’s Cup rankings. In April, Site Selection placed Kentucky second in the South Central region and top 10 nationally in its 2024 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.

Gov. Beshear announced a “Supply Kentucky” initiative with the goal of boosting job growth, reducing costs and providing more security in the supply chains of our Kentucky companies.

Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at CED.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn.

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How new power transmission rules could have a big impact on the South

Posted on by Michael Randle

The federal government adopted new rules Monday requiring electric utilities to be more transparent and proactive in planning the huge transmission lines that send power across their territories.

Transmission is considered key to adding more renewable energy to the grid as fossil fuel-powered generation, particularly coal, is retired over the next decade. Stronger transmission across regions would also make the U.S. power supply more resilient to extreme temperatures and natural disasters, which scientists say are becoming more destructive as a result of climate change.

The rules, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), do not mandate construction of any new transmission infrastructure. They require utilities to publish regional plans that look 20 years ahead and respond to specific criteria, including the projected generation mix and corporate clean energy commitments.

They also allow the federal government to grant permits for new transmission in high-priority corridors if states do not.

The new rules follow a tightening of air pollution standards for power plants that provide electricity, a move observers say will accelerate the retirement of coal plants and make gas more difficult to pursue, thus boosting demand for renewables. Those new emissions rules, however, are being challenged in court.

Nick Guidi, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center who works on energy regulation, said the new FERC transmission rules bring much needed transparency and rigor to the existing planning process, which has been in place for over a decade and failed to produce much in the way of results, particularly in the South.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Momentum and money at center of Vanderbilt chancellor’s pursuit of business school in Florida

Posted on by Michael Randle

Elite universities often aspire to open outposts overseas to satisfy their ambitions to grow. Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier is looking no further than the Atlantic coast of Florida.

There, he is pursuing a satellite site for Vanderbilt’s business school, the Owen Graduate School of Management. The minimum $300 million expansion in West Palm Beach, a move that would double the enrollment and faculty tied to the Owen school, boils down to one statistic.

“For the first time in U.S. history, if you take these six [Southern] states, the GDP is higher than the Northeast. That’s never happened before,” Diermeier said in an interview. He’s referring to Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas.

“There is a relocation of talent and capital from the traditional centers of innovations on the coasts,” Diermeier said. “In this region of the country, characterized by this high growth, we have an undersupply of great research universities. We have an oversupply in the Northeast. Even places like the Midwest or California, have a lot more than we have in this part of the country.” Nashville Business Journal

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Mercedes-Benz asked Nick Saban to address Alabama workers after UAW launched organizing campaign

Posted on by Michael Randle

Mercedes-Benz earlier this year brought college football coaching legend Nick Saban to talk to workers at its auto manufacturing campus in Alabama after the UAW announced a bid to unionize the plants there.

Why it matters: Mercedes workers in Tuscaloosa County are voting this week on whether to join the UAW in what would be the union’s second victory in as many months after years of organizing failures in the South.

The big picture: Saban — who recently retired from coaching and joined ESPN as a commentator — is revered in Alabama for leading the Crimson Tide to seven national championships.

Saban owns multiple Mercedes dealerships and has reportedly said he does not endorse the UAW’s campaign.

Behind the scenes: “They don’t stop the line for hardly anything, but they shut the line down and they had a meeting with Nick Saban in there to talk to us about teamwork and the tactics and methods he used as a football coach,” Kay Finklea, a quality inspector at the site and a member of the UAW’s voluntary organizing committee in Tuscaloosa, tells Axios.

Axios

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Which states have the highest, least tax burden? See where Tennessee ranks

Posted on by Michael Randle

Residents in Tennessee are among the least burdened by taxes in the United States, according to a new report.

Visual Capitalist, a data company focused on global trends and the economy, put out a report that looked into the burden taxes put on residents in each state. The study found that Tennessee residents face one of the least tax burdens in the country.

Tax burden is measured as the percent of an average person’s income that is paid towards state and local taxes. The study considers property taxes, income taxes, and sales and excise taxes.

Here is what the study said about the burden taxes put on residents across the United States.

New York residents spend the most of any state in the country. Here, a whopping 12% of their annual income goes to state and local government taxes.

  1. New York 12%
  2. Hawaii 11.8%
  3. Vermont 11.1%
  4. Maine 10.7%
  5. California 10.4%
  6. Connecticut 10.1%
  7. Minnesota 10%
  8. Illinois 9.7%
  9. New Jersey 9.5%
  10. Rhode Island and Utah 9.4%

The Tennessean

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Worley tapped to design Bayou Bend carbon capture and storage project near Houston

Posted on by Michael Randle

The owners of the Bayou Bend carbon capture and storage project along the Texas Gulf Coast have begun the design process.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR) and TotalEnergies SE (NYSE: TTE), which are developing Bayou Bend CCS LLC between Houston and Port Arthur, have tapped Australian-based engineering firm Worley to design the carbon capture and storage project.

Worley has its main U.S. office in Houston as well as an office in Pasadena. The company is designing and evaluating carbon dioxide gathering, handling and sequestration facilities in Southeast Texas for the project from its Houston office, with support from its global integrated delivery teams in India.

“We’re committed to a strong partnership with Bayou Bend, drawing on our global CCUS knowledge and project execution experience,” Mark Trueman, group president of the Americas at Worley, said in a statement. “Innovative projects like Bayou Bend will potentially enable CCS at scale and help more companies achieve their net zero goals, supporting our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world.”

The project, which was initially a joint venture between Houston-based Talos Energy Inc. (NYSE: TALO) and Denver-based Carbonvert Inc., was selected as the winning bidder for the Texas General Land Office’s Jefferson County carbon storage lease offshore Beaumont and Port Arthur in 2021. It was the first offshore lease in the U.S. dedicated to carbon dioxide sequestration, according to the companies and the GLO. California-based Chevron joined the JV in May 2022 as the operator with a 50% stake.

Houston Business Journal

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