Economic bellwether

The Commerce Department issues its latest monthly tally of U.S. wholesale inventories today.

Business stockpiles have mostly edged lower in recent months. When businesses order fewer goods, it generally leads to less factory production and dampens economic growth. Inventories fell 0.3% in January after edging 0.4% higher in December.

A small percentage of workers at Delta Air Lines are represented by labor unions, compared with its major rivals.

Unions are trying to change that.

The Association of Flight Attendants, the machinists’ union and the Teamsters are campaigning to organize flight attendants and ground workers at Delta, where pilots have long been unionized.

Overall, just 20% of Delta employees have union representation to negotiate over pay and benefits. That compares with more than 80% at American, United,

Southwest and Alaska Airlines.

Delta, the biggest U.S. airline by revenue and the most profitable, is trying to protect its cost advantage. Airlines with heavily unionized workforces “generally have higher labor costs” than those that don't, Alaska says in its latest 10-K report.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian points to the company's industry-leading profit-sharing — $1.4 billion last year — to argue that his employees are better off without unions. Including the profit-sharing, Delta's spending on labor as a percentage of revenue is roughly in line with American and United but far less than Southwest.

The unions have lined up support from 145 U.S. House members. The lawmakers are asking Delta not to interfere in future elections, the timing of which is up in the air.