U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down OSHA ETS for Larger Private Employers

Decision Overturns OSHA's Vaccine and Testing Requirements for Companies of 100 or More Employees

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the OSHA requirement that private company employers (with 100+ employees) implement COVID-19 vaccine and or testing requirements (commonly referred to as the "ETS") for their employees. In today's 6 to 3 decision, the Court acknowledged that while Congress had given the right to OSHA to regulate occupation specific hazards, it had not provided the same latitude over broader health issues and concerns.

Guidance-only documents and other COVID-19 information for businesses may be found at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Coming Up at IAM Learning - Electronic Inventories on Jan. 27!

A number of sessions are currently scheduled and more are being planned to help IAM members learn what they need and to make connections to help them do business better. Currently in the lineup and ready for your registration:

• Electronic Inventories Are Coming: Learn What Your Company Needs To Do before DOD’s Mandate Goes Into Effect in 2023 - Jan. 27
• IAM CEO Forum - Feb. 8
• US Government & Military Affairs Update - Feb. 9
• What it's Like to Work for a Family-Owned Business - Mar. 2

Portal Magazine

In every issue of the Portal, we invite our authors to share their experiences, success stories, learning experiences, and vision with others in the moving and forwarding industry. In addition to our regular columns, feature articles for each issue are united by a central theme. 

Industry Training Program Award Set To Launch Feb. 1

Want to enhance your career and become more valuable? Educate yourself for FREE!

The Alan F  Wohlstetter Scholarship Fund will be awarding up to $500 per person annually to offset professional development costs when taking courses at one of our many great industry training programs. Pre-approved training programs include but are not limited to IAM Learning, FIDI, LACMA, and EuRA. There are NO LIMITS to applicants per company. Apply now; applications are quick and easy.

Applicants must be employed by an IAM Member, a dependent of an employee of an IAM Member, or be a Student Member.

Service Chiefs Warn Congress: Full-Year Stopgap Spending Will Disrupt PCSs, Bonuses, Training

Reenlistment bonuses, permanent change of station moves, training exercises, sexual assault prevention funding and more could all be at risk if Congress doesn't pass a regular Pentagon spending bill this year, top military officers recently said.

The stark warning from leaders was delivered to a House panel ahead of a hearing on the potential effects of a full-year stopgap spending measure, which may be necessary if Congress can't agree on annual funding legislation.

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Save the Date - 2022 Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) Spring Personal Property Forum (PPF)

The Defense Personal Property Management Office (DPMO) is pleased to announce that the 2022 Spring PPF will be held 29-30 March. The Spring 2022 PPF will be a virtual event. To allow maximum participation and flexibility, we will offer identical, single-day sessions on 29 March (morning session) and 30 March (evening session). Both sessions will feature the same information. The platform for the Spring 2022 PPF will be Microsoft TEAMS. Attendees will need to register for the event on the day of their choice. DPMO will release registration instructions by 14 Feb. Registration for the PPF will run from 14 Feb to 16 March.

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IAM Country Guides

IAM’s Country Guides provide customs information for more than 170 countries and territories around the world.

USTRANSCOM Conditions Based Movement Call (25 Jan)

Please see slides and notes from today’s (25 Jan) USTC/Service/JPPSO/Industry call.  Some highlights from the attached notes include:

• Much discussion initiated from JPPSOs on serious concerns they have with DoD maintaining the soft threshold of a 9,000 shipment per week capacity requirement this upcoming peak season; generally, the view from USTC and some of the Service HQs representatives is that it’s too late in terms of PCS orders being cut to dial back those expectations for 2022 Peak Season.
• Col Safranek emphasized the need for an effective communication plan when dealing with customers as the key to heading off problems that lead to Congressional inquiries or senior DoD leader involvement.
• Rate rejections for round one of DP3 rate filing won’t be out until about the middle of next week.
• Asked USTC to confirm a rumor that Code J and Code T shipments might transition from McGuire AFB to Dover AFB. USTC was not aware but will engage AMC to find out.

USTRANSCOM Conditions-Based Movement Call (18 Jan)

Please see attached notes and slides from today’s (18 Jan) USTC industry/Services/JPPSO call.

• USTRANSCOM will update the business rule associated with a TSP only being able to invoice for 110% of a customer’s entitled weight if the weight is over the entitlement and a reweigh is not performed. Read the notes for details.
• I asked USTC whether the new customs ISF 10+2 process where the TSP must use their information and Tax ID (EIN) instead of the member’s social security number when providing data to Customs for inbound shipments to the US. We had expected an advisory to be released last week on the process, but to date it has not been sent to industry. I was told by USTC that TSPs should be using this new 10+2 process for Customs; and they would check on the status of the advisory.
• Please see notes about the new DPS Claims Module coming out this weekend and the TSP Guide associated with the new module. I’ve attached the new Guide (sent by Kevin Meyers…the NDTA HHG Subcommittee chair). This guide will be in DPS when the new module is released.
• Also…I’ve been participating in a DoD call on shipping of lithium batteries in household goods. The effort continues, but there is a short update in the notes.  On the lithium battery notes, I also referenced a lithium battery guide I was sent by FMCSA. It’s a good tool for determining when lithium batteries require additional packing/labeling/hazardous declarations based on what you are shipping, if you want to start reading up.  But it isn’t necessarily the DoD solution at this point, but will likely (hopefully) be used heavily by DoD when establishing their policy.