NEWPORT, WA—A “very significant” explosion rocked the Zodiac Aerospace assembly here, toppling large pieces of machinery, lifting an entire floor off its foundation and seriously injuring five people, authorities said.
ARLINGTON, TX—General Motors will spend $1.4 billion to fund a slew of upgrades for its assembly plant here. The investment will cover a new paint shop, body shop and general assembly area.
DETROIT—At separate ceremonies earlier this week, the UAW officially opened negotiations for new collective bargaining agreements with FCA US and General Motors.
DETROIT—Wayne County, MI, has the best manufacturing economy in the United States, according to a report on job creation released Tuesday. Wayne tops the list of U.S. counties in creating manufacturing jobs, with the addition of 4,225 jobs in 2014, according to the report by Headlight Data.
SANTA ANA, CA—Ascent Aerospace has been awarded a contract to design and build the final assembly station for the Airbus Beluga XL jet. The Beluga is an A330 modified to transport large aerostructure components from Airbus supplier facilities.
MOLINE, IL—The U.S. Department of Labor claims Deere violated a federal whistleblower provision by firing a pipe fitter who had reported unsafe working conditions at a company’s cylinder factory here.
JACKSON, MS—Chinese solar panel manufacturer Seraphim Solar will invest $50 million to open its first U.S. assembly plant here. The company expects to will hire 250 workers during its first five years of operation.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker has announced a second set of 12 “manufacturing communities” to receive federal grants under the Obama Administration’s Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative. The program is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies.
MARSHALLTOWN, IA—Working with the local police department, Emerson Process Management conducted an “active shooter drill” at its assembly plant here. The drill was intended to train workers what to do in the event that a gunman opened fire at the facility.
DETROIT—In contract talks with the Detroit 3, the UAW will seek to boost the pay of veteran Tier 1 workers, who, union officials point out, haven’t had a wage increase in a decade. But that doesn’t mean their pay hasn’t gone up.