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Another delivery system disruption as DHL Express Canada locks out workers and union strikes

Another delivery system disruption as DHL Express Canada locks out workers and union strikes

National Post4 hours ago

Unifor says DHL Express Canada locked out workers just after midnight today as the two sides failed to reach a contract deal, injecting more labour turmoil into the country's parcel delivery market.
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The union, which represents 2,100 truck drivers, couriers and warehouse workers across seven provinces, says they went on strike in response at 11 a.m. ET.
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Unifor says the German-owned carrier is proposing to change the driver pay system and planning to use replacement workers before legislation banning them comes into effect on June 20.
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The work stoppage, which affects package delivery across the country, comes as Canada Post remains at loggerheads with 55,000 workers, whose union last month imposed an overtime ban that scales back parcel services.
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Bat-flip king José Bautista's second act is all business
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  • Globe and Mail

Bat-flip king José Bautista's second act is all business

Ask any Blue Jays fan where they were the night of José Bautista's legendary 2015 bat flip, and chances are they'll remember exactly what they were doing. Mr. Bautista's memory of that moment, however, is surprisingly hazy. 'I remember hitting the ball,' he says, 'and then I was just … in the dugout, getting a drink. I kind of blacked out.' The sound, he adds, was overwhelming. 'It felt like the stadium was shaking.' Over a decade with the Jays, Mr. Bautista became one of the most iconic figures in Canadian sports – not just for his home runs or six All-Star appearances, but for the intensity and swagger he brought to the field. These days, he's busy building a quieter second act. Since retiring, Mr. Bautista has acquired a professional soccer team, backed a coffee farm in his native Dominican Republic, opened a fitness facility and taken stakes in multiple brands. He's invested in Canadian companies like Flow Water and is now the national face of Mary Brown's Chicken. He's also remained connected to his Canadian fanbase, supporting grassroots sports and raising funds for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted on Saturday. He sat down beforehand to talk about what life is like post-MLB, his evolution as an entrepreneur, and how he sees his legacy. What parts of your baseball career show up in your business life? The biggest thing is situational awareness – reading the environment and adjusting on the fly. You've got to understand the economic cycles, what engagement with your fans (or customers) looks like, and what you're really offering. That same thinking applies in business. Things are always shifting, so you have to stay resilient and adapt. You won't turn a business around overnight. But if you keep showing up, stay thoughtful, surround yourself with good people and put in the work consistently, small gains add up. Were you always interested in business? Yeah, I'd been investing for almost two decades at that point. When you're making money in pro sports, you get introduced to the wealth management world pretty quickly. I used it as a learning opportunity. I carved out a little side pot – money I could put into direct investments where I could meet the founders, ask questions and really understand the business. One of the first was Marucci Sports, a baseball equipment company. I joined their board in 2010. We sold the company right before COVID. Why go hands-on? I wanted a chance to roll the dice on things that felt interesting or personal. And even then, I wasn't replacing the advisers – I just became more active in a portion of what they were managing. I was the annoying client who came in with a lot of questions. Like, 'What's in this fund? Who runs it? How do they pick companies? What are the fees? What's the holding period?' I wanted to learn. Legendary Blue Jay Jose Bautista chats chicken, Netflix, and dishes on his Dominican hero Can you walk me through your biggest investments since then? Marucci was by far the biggest. Endy, a Canadian mattress company, was probably number two. I also got involved in a few pre-IPO and early-round opportunities. Some of them didn't work out – one was kind of like a WeWork concept that flopped, but we rolled that into something else that's doing okay now. Overall, I've probably done five or six, with about a 50-per-cent success rate, which feels lucky. What makes you say 'yes' to a brand or company now? For me, it has to serve a purpose, because I'm not just chasing returns. Giving back is a big one. Not harming the environment is another. I like companies that are thinking about the future, especially using technology to do things better or more efficiently. But even more than that, I want to work with good people who stick to their values. Because when things get tough – and they always do – you don't want to be involved with someone who's going to start cutting corners. Tell me about Bella Aldea, the Dominican coffee company you're backing. I grew up drinking espresso with my grandma on weekends in the Dominican Republic, so it's definitely personal. Most people don't associate Dominican Republic with coffee, even though we're one of the top-producing countries. So when I met my partners – fifth-generation coffee growers in a small mountain village called Juncalito – I felt like I could help tell that story. How do you handle the challenges of doing business in the DR? Having great partners is essential, and controlling the supply helps. We're vertically integrated – we own the farm, do the processing and roasting, and handle export. That lets us control consistency and quality from the source. Let's talk about the Las Vegas Lights FC. What made you want to own a soccer team? I've always wanted to invest in professional sports. But when you look at leagues like MLB or MLS, the valuations are so high that, even if you do invest, you don't really get a seat at the table. With the United Soccer League, I saw an opportunity to actually be involved. This is a long-term play. But the league has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and with promotion and relegation on the horizon, it's about to become a lot more dynamic. Baseball gives you instant feedback – hits, errors, the scoreboard. Was it strange adjusting to a world where results can take longer to show up? A little, yeah. In baseball, maybe I make an adjustment to my swing, and by my next at-bat, I'll see a change. In business, you might change a strategy and not know if it worked for six months. But it also forces you to be more thoughtful. You look for patterns. You rely on data. You talk to customers, partners, investors, whoever can give you insight. And it teaches you patience, which isn't always easy for someone wired like me. What's the biggest business mistake you've made? Early on, I was afraid to dig deep into financial statements. I'd get these investor updates and just kind of skim the parts I didn't fully understand – I didn't want to look like I didn't know what I was doing. Now? I ask everything. I don't care how dumb it sounds. If I don't get it, I want to figure it out. I'd rather look a little clueless and learn something than pretend and miss something important. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Still investing, for sure. Still giving back. I've already helped 62 kids through college with my foundation. But I have a lot more energy and curiosity to offer. I want to keep building – whether it's businesses, relationships, or maybe something bigger in the sports world. If I can add a few more stories to that list, help a few more people, and still have time to be present for my daughters … I'll be happy with that. This interview has been edited and condensed.

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