YORK, PA—Employees at Harley-Davidson’s assembly plant here have worked out a new labor agreement with the company. Represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 175, the 970 employees ratified a new deal through 2022, which takes effect Feb. 1, 2016.
ITHACA, NY—Researchers at Cornell University have used stereolithography to create air-powered elastomeric robotic tentacles that could someday be used to move or grip objects.
DETROIT—Workers at Ford narrowly ratified the company’s four-year labor deal with the UAW, the labor union announced late Friday. Final results showed that members voted to ratify by a 51.4 percent majority after a last-minute push by union leaders put the contract over the top at the company’s giant Rouge manufacturing complex in Dearborn, MI.
PESQUERIA, Mexico—Quality and production runs are under way at Kia’s new vehicle assembly plant here, which is considered 95 percent completed. Construction and tooling of the $3 billion plant was completed in just 13 months. The factory should have an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
REDFORD, MI—Daimler’s Trucks division is planning to invest $475 million here to develop to diesel engines for medium-duty trucks. The engine will be produced at the company’s assembly plant here, which currently employs 2,200 people. The investment will add approximately 330 new jobs.
DETROIT—UAW leaders are scrambling to save a proposed contract with Ford Motor Co. after workers at two large assembly plants overwhelmingly voted against it Tuesday.
ANDERSON, IN—NTN Driveshaft began construction on a new assembly plant here to make constant velocity joints for the automotive industry. Schedule to open in spring 2017, the factory will ultimately create up to 510 new jobs.
PROVIDENCE, RI—GE Aviation is teaming up with Textron to produce a new turboprop aircraft and engine for the general aviation market, part of an effort GE expects will generate more than $1 billion in annual sales of engines by 2020.
GARDENA, CA—Faraday Future, an electric-car company that is modeling itself after Tesla Motors, is searching for a location for its first assembly plant. Four states—California, Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada—are in the running for the $1 billion factory.
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