“It’s pretty simple. UPS is engaged in an unnecessary and reckless game of chicken with its pilots, shareholders, and customers. We are not playing games. While we prefer a negotiated agreement, our pilots are preparing for a strike.”
— Robert Travis, president of the Independent Pilots Association of Louisville, which represents more than 2,600 UPS pilots (Courier-JournaJ).
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UPS pilots are raising the pressure on the shipping giant, opening a strike operations center in south Louisville as contract talks grind on after five years. Under federal law governing airline labor contracts, the more than 2,600 pilots can’t strike, and UPS can’t lock them out unless mediators declared an impasse (CJ).
In other news, high-profile Louisville investor Jonathan Blue is scouting for broadcasters and other entertainers in Cuba under a deal he signed yesterday (USA Today). Roadside attraction Funtown Mountain‘s shops, mini-golf and haunted hotel hits the auction block tomorrow; Louisville entrepreneur Will Russell bought the property only last year, but later ran into legal and health problems (WDRB).
The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.
PAPA JOHN’S founder John Schnatter threw shade at Domino’s newly launched delivery vehicle, prompting howls from financial news site The Street.
HEINE BROS. is moving its headquarters to Portland, where it will occupy 16,000 square feet in the Portland Warehouse District at 1301 W. Main St. by late summer. The 13-store chain is now based above the Crescent Hill store. HQ has 15 employees (CJ). Heine hopes to open two more stores by the end of the year (Business First). The company was founded in 1994 with the original store in the Highlands, according to Heine’s about. Co-founder Gary Heine left in 2011, selling his stake to Chuck Schnatter, whose brother is the Papa John’s founder. Chuck left Papa in 2010. Heine’s Twitter feed, which includes this one; I’m pretty sure Heine Photoshopped its trade dress into that photo of the new HQ.
Big, exciting news this morning! Our headquarters are moving to another amazing #louisvill… https://t.co/5eepBcCiTw pic.twitter.com/aYGZ0oqwMZ
— Heine Brothers’ (@HeineBrosCoffee) April 18, 2016
That’s down from a revised 5.8% in February, according to newly released figures from state officials. But it’s up slightly from 5.3% in March 2015.
The U.S. rate for March, disclosed a week ago, was 5% — up a smidge from February, but substantially lower than the 5.5% in March 2015.
Also consider: Annual jobless rates fell in 115 Kentucky counties in 2015.
The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.
UPS was dealt a blow yesterday when a Fayette Circuit Court jury awarded $5.3 million in damages to eight black men who sued the shipping giant in 2014, claiming a hostile work environment in Lexington. (Herald-Leader.) FORD showed off 11 new Escape models made exclusively at the Louisville Assembly Plant. (Insider Louisville.) And GE has introduced a refrigerator with a water pitcher that automatically refills itself.
The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.
PAPA JOHN’s and PIZZA HUT: As consumers get more comfortable with autonomous delivery — robots to you and me — a restaurant industry that already uses cutting edge logistics services could start adding delivery robots in the coming decade. Indeed, Domino’s — arch rival to Papa John’s and Pizza Hut — is already giving a trial run to its “DRU” robot in Australia; watch Domino’s Robotic Unit video. DRU follows Domino’s introduction last October of a delivery van equipped with a special warming oven that’s easily accessed from outside.
TEXAS ROADHOUSE is adding bee hives at its corporate offices on Dutchmans Lane, a symbolic step drawing attention to the nation’s beleaguered bee colonies. (C-J).
In other news, University of Louisville said today it’s raised another $12 million for the planned $50 million Papa John’s Stadium expansion. (Card Game)
Boulevard 