The Urethane Blog
August 22, 2024
Over the last nine months, CN has attempted to negotiate with the TCRC in good faith. The Company has proposed serious offers, never compromising safety, with better pay, improved rest, and more predictable schedules. With a work stoppage looming, we made one last offer to the TCRC on Wednesday, August 21 in a final attempt to reach an agreement. The union has not responded.
CN has now locked out employees represented by the TCRC as of August 22, 00:01 ET. Until CN and the TCRC come to an agreement, or binding arbitration is imposed, all train movements within Canada and between Canada and the United States have ceased.
This decision to halt operations in a planned and phased approach was made to ensure the safety of the network and the communities in which we operate. It is not a decision that was taken lightly. It does however enable us to ensure a safe and orderly shutdown and optimize the eventual resumption of services once the labour disruption has ended.
What this means for you
Embargo information has been shared over the past week and the latest on embargoes can be found on www.cn.ca/TCRCinfo. We understand the impacts of this stoppage on our customers and the Canadian economy, particularly ahead of peak fall volumes. We will continue to strive for an agreement with the Union and implore them to work with us to find a swift resolution and end the stoppage. In the absence of a path forward, we call on the government to act in the interest of all Canadians, Canadian jobs, and the economy to mandate the parties into binding arbitration.
Updates will be provided as the situation evolves. As always, consult www.cn.ca/TCRCinfo for the most up to date information.
Thank you for your collaboration and trust.
CN Sales and Marketing
August 21, 2024
Federal District Court Blocks Federal Trade Commission Final Rule on Non-Competes
On August 20, 2024, a judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a nationwide injunction barring the implementation of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) controversial final rule that would have prohibited non-competition agreements with workers.
The FTC adopted the final rule on April 23, 2024. With limited exceptions, the rule effectively would have banned all non-compete agreements – and provisions that functioned as non-competes – between businesses and virtually all workers as “unfair method[s] of competition.” The final rule also would have required companies to refrain from enforcing most existing non-compete agreements and to notify workers that any non-compete obligations were now unenforceable. The rule had been scheduled to take effect on September 4, 2024.
The FTC’s sweeping prohibition would have covered agreements with any worker, including employees, independent contractors, externs, interns, volunteers, apprentices, or sole proprietors who provide a service to a client or customer. In issuing the final rule, the FTC argued that non-competition clauses restrict workers’ freedom to change jobs, thus stifling competition and innovation. The agency claimed that non-competes often disadvantage workers, particularly those in low-wage positions, by limiting their opportunities for career advancement and wage growth.
In its August 20, 2024 ruling, the Texas federal court challenged the FTC’s authority to enact such a broad and all-encompassing regulation. The court expressed concerns that the FTC may have overstepped its legal boundaries by attempting to regulate employment contracts, which traditionally have been governed by state law. The ruling emphasized that employment law, including the enforcement or prohibition of non-compete agreements, has long been within the purview of individual states, rather than the federal government.
Since the publication of the final rule in April, it has been subject to various legal challenges, with mixed results. On July 3, 2024, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas had granted a limited preliminary injunction staying enforcement of the FTC’s final rule prohibiting non-compete clauses, but only as to the parties in that case, pending a final ruling on the merits. On August 20, 2024, the same court issued the significantly broader ruling described above.
What Should Businesses Do Now?
Businesses that were planning to comply with the FTC’s final rule by rewriting template agreements and issuing notices to current and former employees regarding the rule’s effects can now halt those efforts, as the non-compete rule will no longer take effect on September 4, 2024. However, given the increasing attention to non-compete agreements at the state and federal level, companies should maintain efforts to update and implement their restrictive covenant programs so that each worker agreement is narrowly tailored to protect only the organization’s legitimate business needs.
www.meainfo.org
August 21, 2024
Housing starts in Canada increase in July
By Dakota Smith
August 20, 2024 | 9:05 am CDT
Housing starts in Canada saw a notable increase in July 2024, with the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) rising by 16 percent to 279,509 units, up from 241,643 units in June, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
The six-month trend in housing starts also climbed 3.2 percent, reaching 255,783 units in July, compared to 247,840 units in June. This trend measure is a six-month moving average of the SAAR of total housing starts across all areas in Canada.
In urban centers with populations of 10,000 or more, actual housing starts for the year to date (January to July) reached 132,823 units in 2024, a 7.5 percent increase from the 123,593 units recorded during the same period in 2023.
“Both the SAAR and Trend of housing starts increased in July. This was due to growth in actual year-over-year starts, driven by higher multi-unit starts, particularly in Calgary and Ottawa,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist. “As the national housing shortage continues, developers remain focused on multi-unit construction in Canada’s major centers.”
https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/canadian-news/housing-starts-canada-increase-july
August 21, 2024
Joint News Release
BASF and STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc. partner to offer more sustainable polyurethane playground and recreational surfacing products
- BASF supplies STOCKMEIER Urethanes with BMB Lupranate MDI for the manufacturing of their Stobielast S binders
FLORHAM PARK, NJ and CLARKSBURG, WV, AUGUST 20, 2024 – BASF and STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc. (“STOCKMEIER Urethanes”) have announced the commercial production of Stobielast® S polyurethane binders for playground and recreational surfacing made with 100% domestically produced Biomass Balance (BMB) Lupranate® methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). BASF produces the BMB MDI at its Verbund site in Geismar, Louisiana. This achievement represents a pivotal milestone in the surfacing industry and highlights both companies’ commitments to driving a more sustainable future.
The use of BMB Lupranate in the polyurethane manufacturing process allows STOCKMEIER Urethanes to leverage more sustainable solutions without the need for reformulations, new production equipment or changes to its supply chain. Creating polyurethane binders from mass balanced isocyanates complements STOCKMEIER Urethanes’ efforts to promote environmental stewardship and a more circular economy. The Stobielast S product line also includes water-based & solvent-free coatings, GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD GOLD certified products, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased labeled products.
“With playground season in full swing across North America, we are excited to team with BASF and become the first U.S. polyurethane pour-in-place (PIP) binder manufacturer to forge a domestic partnership over BASF’s BMB isocyanates,” said Christian Martinkat, President and CEO of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc. “This collaboration marks a significant advancement toward enhancing product innovation and expanding manufacturing capabilities in the surfacing industry. We can take a big step toward greater sustainability of our products by offering a version of our high-quality PIP binders produced with renewable feedstock-based MDI. This partnership advances our goal of reducing STOCKMEIER Urethanes’ carbon footprint worldwide.”
“At BASF’s Monomers division, we are proud to partner with STOCKMEIER Urethanes as the company scales up its more sustainable production of PIP binders using BMB MDI,” said Stefan Doerr, Senior Vice President, Monomers North America at BASF. “All of our BMB MDI products are certified according to globally recognized ISCC PLUS and REDcert² standards and produced right here in the United States.”
BASF aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Bio-circular feedstocks used to make BMB MDI play an important role in reducing the product carbon footprint (PCF), which sums up the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by a product over the different stages of its life cycle. BASF’s Monomers division is following an ambitious sustainability roadmap and will expand its portfolio of products with a lower CO2 footprint while committing to providing a circular option in every major product line by 2025.
Like BASF, STOCKMEIER Urethanes is deeply committed to sustainability, actively participating in the Responsible Care initiative through the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to enhance health, safety and environmental practices. The company implements various sustainability measures, such as waste reduction and energy efficiency in its production processes. By prioritizing sustainability across its operations and collaborating with stakeholders including customers, suppliers, and industry partners, the company strives for responsible growth and innovation, aiming meet the market demand for greener solutions.
To learn more about BASF’s 100% BMB Lupranate and its certification process, visit https://polyurethanes.basf.us/about-us/sustainability.
To learn more about STOCKMEIER Urethanes’ sustainability commitments, visit https://www.stockmeier.com/en/responsibility/sustainability. To inquire about the Stobielast® S product line, please reach out at info@stockmeier.us.com.
Always read and follow label directions. Stobielast is a registered trademark of STOCKMEIER Urethanes. Lupranate is a registered trademark of BASF. (C) 2024, BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
August 19, 2024
Virginia Tech housing commentary June 2024
By Dakota Smith
August 16, 2024 | 10:03 am CDT
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The June 2024 housing report is a free service of Virginia Tech, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the U.S. Forest Service.
Housing data, month-over-month and year-over-year, were mostly negative. On a month-over-month
Based on total and multi-family starts, total and multi-family permits, and housing completions, the results were positive.
Year-over-year, single-family starts, total and single-family completions, and total and single-family
construction spending was positive. The influence of increased mortgage rates is evident, as aggregate
costs have decreased affordability and the “lock-in” effect has obfuscated sales. New and existing house
sales continued their respective declines.
The August 15th Atlanta Fed GDPNow total residential investment spending forecast is -1.5% for Q3
2024. Quarterly log change for new private permanent site expenditures was projected at -6.1%; the
improvement spending forecast was -1.7%; and the manufactured/mobile home expenditures projection
was 5.1% (all: quarterly log change and at a seasonally adjusted annual rate).
“North American lumber markets over the near term are expected to remain depressed as the economy continues to adjust to inflationary pressures, elevated interest rates, labor shortages, and geo-political uncertainty, and as industry-wide lumber production continues to adjust to match demand,” says Richard Pozzebon, executive vice president and CEO; Interfor Corporation. “Interfor expects that lumber markets will continue to benefit over the mid-term from favorable underlying supply and demand fundamentals. Positive demand factors include the advanced age of the U.S. housing stock, a shortage of available housing, and various demographic factors. At the same time, growth in lumber supply is expected to be limited by extended capital project completion and ramp-up timelines, labor availability, and constrained global fiber availability.”
To read the full report, visit woodproducts.sbio
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