A Giant Steps On The Strike Field, Hawaii Curbs Cat Theft, Netflix Follows Disney

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It’s Tuesday and we’re all in on the ups and downs of the day as we talk about Bill Ford’s entry to the UAW strike conversation. We also talk about Hawaii’s very effective campaign to curb catalytic converter theft, as well as the new Netflix experience centers that take a page out of Disney’s playbook

• A new player has stepped out of the locker room in the ongoing UAW strike negotiations yesterday, as Bill Ford, Executive Chair of Ford Motor Co., publicly urged UAW leaders to end their month-long strike. 
  • Bill Ford has participated in every union negotiation since 1982 and said he is the most “pro-union leader in the industry.”
  • Addressing the press from Ford’s historic Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Mich, Ford said, "Choosing the right path is not just about Ford's future and our ability to compete. This is about the future of the American automobile industry. Toyota, Honda, Tesla and others are loving this strike because they know the longer it goes on, the better it is for them. They will win, and all of us will lose."
  • UAW President Shawn Fain was quick to respond,, ““Bill Ford knows exactly how to settle this strike. ... He should call up Jim Farley, tell him to stop playing games and get a deal done. It's not the UAW and Ford against foreign automakers. It's autoworkers everywhere against corporate greed. If Ford wants to be the all-American auto company, they can pay all-American wages and benefits. Workers at Tesla, Toyota, Honda, and others are not the enemy — they're the UAW members of the future."
    • As a side note, he has recently been photographed wearing a shirt that says, “Eat the rich.”

• Hawaii has seen a significant reduction in catalytic converter thefts after implementing a law that regulates their sale. A combination of legislation and practical implementation has led to a stark drop in thefts over the last year.
  • Catalytic converters, which can fetch up to $1,500 at scrapyards, are commonly stolen in many states and now, Hawaii's law requires individuals selling catalytic converters to present photo ID and sign a declaration that the part wasn't stolen.
  • Mark Yamauchi, the owner of Yama’s Auto Care in Hawaii, commented on the significant decline in catalytic converter thefts following the implementation of new laws in the state. He stated, “I did maybe a couple this year. Before, I would do at least two or three a month.” 
  • Thefts dropped from over 1,600 in 2022 to just 119 in 2023. 
    
    
    
• Following in the footsteps of entertainment giants like Disney, Netflix is set to launch "Netflix House" locations by 2025. These venues will offer merchandise, food, and activities inspired by its content, aiming to deepen fan immersion in the Netflix universe.
  • These spaces are intended to promote new content rather than primarily generate revenue, similar to strategies employed by Disney and other studio

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