DETROIT—The United Auto Workers union wants to boost dues by 25 percent to rebuild its strike fund before entering into contractor negotiations next year.

MERIDIAN, MS—Auto parts manufacturer Tower International will spend $15 million to expand operations at its assembly plant here.

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration has named 12 regions of the U,S. that will receive special attention under a new federal program designed to help make them more attractive to manufacturing companies.

KNOXVILLE, TN—Innovative manufacturers are targeting schools to let young people know there’s more to manufacturing than pulling levers on an assembly line.

WASHINGTON—American manufacturers are increasingly finding that prospective workers do not have the skill set required to perform basic job functions.

BIRMINGHAM, UK—A way of teaching robots to pick up unfamiliar objects without dropping or breaking them has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham. The research paves the way for robots to be used in more flexible ways and in more complex environments.

DETROIT—A federal grand jury has charged a Japanese executive with conspiring to fix prices on auto parts. According to an indictment filed Thursday in U.S. District Court here, Hitoshi Hirano, while executive managing director at Tokai Rika Co. Ltd., fixed prices of heater control panels sold to Toyota Motor Corp. between 2003 and 2010.

RACINE, WI—InSinkErator will open a new assembly plant here, creating an estimated 165 jobs. The company also plans to spend $43.7 million to upgrade equipment and facilities at its Racine, WI, operation.

FREDERICKSON, WA—Boeing will build the carbon-fiber composite tail of the 777X jet at its assembly plant here. The facility already builds the similar tail of the current 777.

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI—Medical device manufacturer Avasure LLC will invest $1.9 million to expand its assembly plant here, creating 110 new jobs over the next three years.