The Daily Valet. - 1/12/23, Thursday
✔️ Is This the Year of Strikes?
Thursday, January 12th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Would you rather wait, standing, in a long line or be stuck in traffic?
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Today’s Big Story
Is This the Year of Strikes?
The Standoff Between Workers and Their Bosses Is Set To Heat Up in 2023
Strikes surged last year. There were 374 worker strikes started in 2022—a 39% increase over 2021, according to a database run by Cornell. Fueled partly by anger over working conditions during the pandemic and spurred on by other labor wins, all sorts of workers—warehouse employees, teachers, nurses, graduate students, journalists—all walked off the job.And experts say there could be even more this year. Long shot campaigns—like organizing workers at Starbucks coffee shops—have snowballed, leading to a surge of union elections. There's a very real risk of a recession in the next year, which means it would seem like a bad time to send a letter to your boss, saying you think you deserve more respect. But as TIME reports, all the action appears to have energized workers at long-established unions who had given up big concessions in past economic downturns.This year will be pivotal for employees at Starbucks, Amazon and a few other places who voted to unionize and will need to negotiate labor contracts with employers who've so far been staunchly resistant to organization. Plus, there's been a lot of chatter about the labor contract for over 350,000 UPS workers, which expires in July 2023. Depending on how negotiations go for a new contract, that could be “2023's biggest strike.”As the New Yorker reports, if more than a quarter of a million workers walk off the job this summer, the consequences for the company could be severe. (UPS delivers more than five billion parcels a year in the U.S. alone.) “If the Teamsters prevail, securing a stronger contract for UPS workers, the agreement could prove to be a powerful recruiting tool for the labor movement—and a crucial asset in the Teamsters' quest to unionize Amazon workers.”Meanwhile, the United Auto Workers will be seeking a new contract with the Big Three—General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (the group that now runs Chrysler). And the Writer's Guild, which represents many working TV and film writers, has a current contract that expires in May. Now we will just have to wait and see how the standoffs shake out.
FYI:
Between 2026 and 2036, the U.S. will see its workforce shrink by 3.2%, which means “workers will have more power to demand changes,” according to Glassdoor.
Flights Delayed Across the U.S.
A Computer breakdown sows chaos across the whole air travel system
It's been tough out there for flyers lately, huh? Over 10,000 flights were delayed and nearly 1,400 were completely canceled Wednesday after a system that offers safety information to pilots failed. The government launched an investigation into the breakdown, which grounded planes across the country for hours. Flights resumed, but the effects continued to snarl air traffic throughout the day.The Federal Aviation Administration said they had “traced the outage to a damaged database file.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday evening that the FAA will further pinpoint the source and identify steps to prevent it from happening again. But the breakdown showed how much American air travel depends on the computer system that generates alerts called NOTAMs—or Notice to Air Missions.Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, which represents airline consumers, called the shutdown “shocking” and potentially avoidable. He said that while the cause of the disruption is still unknown, it is clear that the F.A.A. needs to update its computer system and conduct more “stress tests,” such as drills conducted at airports and by airlines to prepare for emergencies.
FYI:
Before a plane takes off, pilots review the MOTAMs, which include details about weather, runway closures or other factors that could affect the flight.
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Refresh what’s in your gym bag and power through a workout.
The Cities With the Worst Traffic
Five of the top 10 Are Here in the U.S.
Traffic congestion got much worse in 2022, but is still below pre-pandemic levels overall. However, the average U.S. driver lost about 51 hours to congestion last year—about an hour each week. That's 15 more hours lost to congestion than in 2021, and all that time wasted in traffic jams hit pocketbooks hard, costing the average American driver $869 in lost time, according to the Global Traffic Scorecard.And I'm sure everyone you know says that their city's traffic has gotten “so bad” over the last few years. But where is really bad? Like where is it exceeding historic highs with honking, frustrated drivers inching bumper to bumper? Mobility analytics firm Inrix just released their top 10 list for the worst cities for traffic worldwide—and half the list includes American cities.In 2022, the most congested U.S. city was Chicago, which is number two in the world (right behind London). The four other American cities that made it onto the list were Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Miami. And while not all saw traffic match or exceed pre-pandemic levels, a couple of them did: in Chicago, hours lost were up by 7% compared to pre-pandemic levels; and hours lost in Miami were up by a staggering 30%. Good luck out there.
FYI:
The population boom in Miami (and Florida in general) is part of what's contributing to all those traffic-choked roads.
The Secret to Being a Good Guy
A little extra kindness goes a long way in life
There are countless ways to improve yourself—to become the best version of the man staring back at you in the mirror. In fact, Valet. as a whole is centered on that very pursuit. But there's another way to be better: by doing something kind. Kindness is an underrated virtue in a society that's always hustling and trying to maximize time. Who's got time to slow down and do something selfless?But giving your time, empathy, support and thought can have huge impacts on the people around you—be it friends and family, colleagues or simply strangers that you don't even know. And here's the bonus: it does something good for you too. You're probably familiar with that warm and fuzzy feeling you get after you perform a good deed.Research shows that helping others can be good for our mental health—it improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health by boosting our resiliency and immunity. What's more, doing something nice for others helps strengthen social ties and the sense that you're part of a community. And that is something that can be sorely lacking these days. But as Aristotle once famously said: “It is easy to perform good action, but not easy to acquire a settled habit of performing such actions.
Read:
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The Modern Man’s Gym Kit
Refresh what’s in your gym bag and power through a workout
Just like how we all give in to the temptation of December's over-indulging, January always ushers in new motivation for healthy living. But just because we're all doing what we always do, doesn't mean you can't be successful. This year, give yourself an advantage by upgrading your fitness kit. New year, new gear, right?But the big benefit isn't physical. It's mental. Science has actually proven that what you wear influences how you feel about yourself. And when you show up to the gym in badass workout gear, you have more confidence. So if you've been wavering on those New Years resolutions, refresh your workout wardrobe and you'll get a jolt of motivation. And MR PORTER is stocked with tried and true pieces that have proven to be worth the investment.
Clockwise, from top left:
Merino wool half-zip, $345 by SunspelTorpid quilted ripstop down gilet, $400 by Ostrya2-in-1 Dot air mesh short, $110 by Reigning Champ
Clockwise, from top left:
Cloudultra trail running sneaker, $180 by OnSpider Rock printed yoga mat, $115 by PendletonEveryday 2.0 shell backpack, $100 by lululemon
Want more?
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A Suede Boston Clog
Our love of the slip-on isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And this is a fresh take on everyone's favorite mule, the Boston clog from Birkenstock. Call it the “winter white” version. It's got a modern off-white suede upper, complete with tonal buckle, and is finished with a matching monochromatic EVA outsole. Since they're so pristine, we might suggest letting these be your go-to WFH shoes—unless you're brave enough to take them outside.
Get It:
Suede Boston clog, $140 by Birkenstock
Morning Motto
Don’t yuck someone’s yum.
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