CAMBRIDGE, ON—Just two months ago, efforts by the Canadian union Unifor to organize two Toyota Motor Corp. plants in Ontario had all but ground to a halt. But an April announcement that Toyota will move production of the Corolla from its 27-year-old plant here to a new factory to be built in Mexico ignited fears of job cuts. Now, the Unifor campaign is springing back to life.
DETROIT—Automotive suppliers that have quality relationships with OEMs are more willing to give price concessions, share technology and offer support beyond what contracts stipulate, according to a new report on automaker-supplier relations.
AUBURN HILLS, MI—ABB will begin manufacturing robots in the United States, making it the first global industrial robotics company to do so. The company made the announcement at the opening of a new robotics factory here. Approximately 300 new jobs will be added to the facility by 2017.
CHARLESTON, SC—Twenty Chinese companies have put down $669 million in capital investment in South Carolina since 2000, according to that state's Department of Commerce. Together, they employ 3,253 workers.
WASHINGTON—U.S. sales of machine tools totaled $399.8 million in March, a 30 percent increase from February, but an 18 percent decrease compared with March 2014.
CHICAGO—Twenty-nine more female employees have joined a class action lawsuit that all alleges sexual harassment and discrimination at two Ford Motor Co. factories here. The lawsuit now includes Ford’s stamping plant as well as its assembly plant.
EVERETT, WA—Boeing will shut down a temporary extra assembly line used to build 787 Dreamliners at the end of this year and convert it for use in early production of the forthcoming 777X jet. Two final assembly lines in Everett are currently producing seven 787s per month. Workers on the temporary line, known as the “surge line,” will transition to the other assembly line, which will step up production to match the rate from both assembly lines.
GOODWOOD, UK—If you’ve ever seen a Rolls-Royce with a painted pinstripe down the side—that long, thin dead-straight line that goes from the just behind the headlights to just before the taillights— you’re seeing the artwork of Mark Court. That’s his job and his alone—and he does it by hand.
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