As a sign of the times we live in, it is hard to ride around these days without seeing signs in front of restaurants, service establishments and other types of businesses seeking applicants for immediate employment for all shifts.

Any student of world history can tell you that the concept of democracy is handed down to us by the culture and governance of ancient Greece. The word democracy is derived from two Greek words: “demos,” or people; and “kratos,” or rule.

With the 2020 general election approaching, a review of employees’ rights and employers’ obligations to employees is in order.

Depending on your source, definitions of the word tariff vary, but virtually all of them include the word “tax” or “duty.” Most etymologists say the word comes from the Italian tariffa, or “list of prices, book of rates,” derived in turn from the Arabic ta’rif, meaning “making known” or “to define.” For convenience sake we will go with Wikipedia’s simple definition: “A tariff is a tax on imports or exports between sovereign states.”

My first full year as the new president and CEO of the Forging Industry Association (FIA) was eventful and exciting!

Ongoing trade discussions between the U.S. and China were high in the news cycle in March. The economic relationship between China and the U.S., which has expanded enormously during the last few decades, has been one filled with tensions, allegations of currency manipulation, outright theft of intellectual property (IP) and other speed bumps in the highway of trade between the two countries.

The Forging Industry Association (FIA) announced a new partnership with Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas (MCRT), a bipartisan government-affairs consultancy. MCRT helps its clients develop winning strategies by educating and building relationships with key policymakers in Congress, the White House, government agencies and regulatory bodies. As FIA’s new lobby firm, they will work with the association to facilitate and advance its advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. They will also help coordinate FIA Lobby Day, an annual event that offers FIA members an opportunity to meet with key members of the U.S. House and Senate.

As I write this, the newly sworn 116th Congress of the United States is about a week old.

The 116th U.S. Congress commenced chaotically on Jan. 3, with Democrats taking control of the House for the first time since 2010, Republicans retaining the Senate and a partial shutdown of the U.S. government in full swing.

Approximately 90 FIA members gathered at FIA’s annual meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, to engage the issues of the day in the forging industry.