TORONTO—Unifor’s Auto Council has decided that gaining investment in Canada’s automotive plants and winning new jobs are its top priorities as it heads into contract negotiations this summer with the Detroit Three automakers.

CHICAGO—Two high-ranking UAW Local 551 officials were shot outside the union hall here shortly after winning re-election to the executive board on Friday night.

PLANO, TX—Toyota will use solar panels at its Texas headquarters, which is currently under construction, to get 25 percent of its power from the sun.

DETROIT—Acknowledging that it had to choose between “two good friends,” the United Autoworkers union has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president over her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders.

GUANGZHOU, China—Police have seized some 33,000 counterfeit automotive parts at a factory here. , Collectively worth $1 million, the parts were destined for Toyota’s assembly plant in Australia.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. is formulating and testing new foam and plastic components that uses carbon dioxide as feedstock. Formulated with up to 50 percent CO₂-based polyols, the new materials could reduce petroleum use by more than 600 million pounds annually.

Efforts to reduce vehicle weight have mostly focused on aluminum, plastics and composites, but another lightweight material is also getting attention: magnesium. The ninth most abundant element in the universe, magnesium is as strong as steel, but 33 percent lighter than aluminum, 60 percent lighter than titanium, and 75 percent lighter than steel.

If we are to build a better world, politicians tell us, power must be placed in the right hands. This statement will draw no protest from assemblers. After all, these skilled workers require state-of-the-art power tools to build long-lasting quality products on a daily basis.

Instant, reliable communication amongst plant managers is essential for them to coordinate and optimize their facility’s productivity and efficiency. Even a slight delay in relaying information can prevent a company from achieving these goals, especially if the delay results in unplanned downtime for equipment retooling or maintenance.

ARaymond Automotive has provided custom fasteners, clips, connectors, adhesives and other materials to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers around the world for nearly 20 years. Its engineers specialize in three processes (fastening, fluid connections and bonding) that are used in all areas of a vehicle.