DETROIT—The UAW’s total membership grew by 8,902 in 2013, as the automotive industry rebounded and the union logged some organizing victories that helped it reach a total of 391,415 members. While the increase is a modest 2 percent gain, it is the fourth consecutive year of membership gains for the UAW at a time when labor union membership continues to decline nationally.
LEXINGTON, KY—The former pneumatics business unit of Bosch Rexroth Corp. is now a standalone company operating under the name Aventics. The company’s U.S. headquarters will remain in Lexington, while its global headquarters will be in Laatzen, Germany.
DETROIT—GM has suspended two engineers with pay for their part in the company’s long failure to recall Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars equipped with a defective ignition switch linked to 13 deaths.
BROOKHAVEN, MS—Delphi Automotive is investing $15 million to upgrade its assembly plant here. The project will include new equipment and other improvements.
MOBILE, AL—One year after the ground breaking ceremony for Airbus’ first U.S. assembly plant, the assembly line is making good progress. The main buildings are taking shape, and the first employees have started their on-the-job training in Hamburg, Germany.
BIRMINGHAM, AL—A worker’s complaint about not being able to pass out pro-union literature and union authorization cards near the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant here was considered this week during a three-day hearing conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
WASHINGTON—Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week than at any time since before the last recession, indicating bigger gains in hiring will soon follow. Jobless claims decreased by 32,000 to 300,000 in the week ended April 5, the least since May 2007.
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