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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Sub-Zero Workers Accept 20 Percent Pay Cuts To Keep Jobs
September 13, 2010 4:46 am | CommentsMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Union workers at Madison-based Sub-Zero/Wolf have agreed to a deal that will save their jobs, but with a 20 percent cut in pay and benefits over a year. Company vice president Chuck Verri tells the Wisconsin State Journal on Friday that the agreement runs through October 2018 and will save the jobs of about 200 workers.
OSHA Investigating Deadly Kan. Flash Fire
September 13, 2010 4:45 am | CommentsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Federal authorities have begun investigating a flash fire that killed one worker and injured another at a central Kansas business. The fire Wednesday at Woodwork Manufacturing in Hutchinson killed 46-year-old Kevin Lewis of Burrton. The Hutchinson News reports that the U.
Harley CEO Urges Wis. Workers To Accept Concessions
September 13, 2010 4:43 am | by Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press Writer | CommentsMILWAUKEE (AP) — The chief executive of Harley-Davidson Inc. has urged Wisconsin employees to approve an unpopular labor contract Monday, telling them the motorcycle company is prepared to move on without them if they turn it down. CEO Keith Wandell wrote a letter last week telling the workers it's up to them to decide whether they want to remain part of Harley's future.
Kraft Shooter Fired For Co-Worker 'Feuds'
September 13, 2010 4:42 am | by MaryClaire Dale, Associated Press Writer | CommentsPHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Kraft Foods plant worker who had been suspended for feuding with colleagues, then escorted from the building, returned minutes later with a handgun, found her foes in a break room and executed two of them with a single bullet each and critically wounded a third, police said Friday.
Calif. Ponders Gagging 'Obnoxious' Motorcycles
September 13, 2010 4:40 am | by Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press Writer | CommentsCALABASAS, Calif. (AP) — The laid-back vibe of this affluent Los Angeles suburb gets a jarring wakeup on weekends when hundreds of motorcycles thunder through the Santa Monica Mountains, triggering car alarms, rattling windows and jolting alive barking dogs. "They rev their engines with complete disregard for the people who live here," complained neighborhood resident Tonia Aery.
Stimulus-Funded Car Batteries Roll Off Assembly Lines
September 13, 2010 4:37 am | by Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The first wave of mass-produced advanced batteries funded by the Obama administration's economic recovery program is starting to roll off assembly lines, setting the stage for new hybrid and electric vehicles. So how will consumers respond? Fending off criticism of the $787 billion stimulus program, the administration has cited the battery industry as one of the success stories.
Reid Supply To Unveil New Products At IMTS
September 10, 2010 6:11 am | CommentsMuskegon, Michigan — Reid Supply Company, a Michigan-based global distributor of industrial products, will be showcasing new products from innovative floor dryers to time-saving industrial clamps during the 2010 International Manufacturing Technology Show at the McCormick Place in Chicago, September 13th through the 18th.
Injured Workers Expand Lawsuits In Power Plant Explosion
September 10, 2010 4:45 am | by Everton Bailey Jr., Associated Press Writer | CommentsHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Attorneys for nine workers injured or killed in a Connecticut power plant explosion are suing companies involved with the plant, saying the facility was rife with violations. The four lawyers filed a lawsuit for each of the workers Thursday in Middletown Superior Court, alleging plantowner Kleen Energy Systems, general contractor O&G Industries, of Torrington, and Bluewater Energy Solutions of Acworth, Ga.
Flaming Pallets Cost NY Manufacturer $4 Million
September 10, 2010 4:17 am | CommentsBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say damage from a fire that destroyed a wood pallet company's warehouse in western New York's largest city will exceed $4 million. The fire Thursday morning leveled the warehouse at the Superior Pallets Inc. property in Buffalo. About 100 firefighters battled the blaze after it broke out at around 4 a.
Tums Celebrates 80 Years Of Gastrointestinal Relief
September 10, 2010 4:15 am | by Lisa Brown, Associated Press Writer | CommentsST. LOUIS (AP) — If you've ever popped a tablet for a tummy ache, chances are it was made here. For decades, Tums has rolled off billions of antacid tablets from its red brick building at 320 S. Broadway, where 99.9 percent of the world's Tums supply is produced. September marks the 80th anniversary of Tums' production at the five-story plant that nearly stretches a city block across from Busch Stadium.
Large-Scale Agriculture Makes For Big Problems
September 10, 2010 4:13 am | by David Mercer, Associated Press Writer | CommentsCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — From the first days of the recent recall of 550 million eggs from two Iowa farms, one issue about large-scale agriculture has been clear: When something goes wrong on a big farm, it's going to be a big problem. It's a point even some supporters of industrialized farming acknowledge.
Manufacturers Of Cleaning Products Forced To Open Up
September 10, 2010 4:12 am | by Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Consumers curious — or concerned — about the chemicals in household cleaning products will get detailed rundowns under state plans to require manufacturers to detail their products' contents. The move to start enforcing a nearly 40-year-old state law and related regulations, apparently unique in the country, comes amid growing scrutiny of the chemicals that make up consumer goods.
Woman In Custody After Shooting At Kraft Plant
September 10, 2010 4:10 am | by Patrick Walters, Associated Press Writer | CommentsPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Minutes after a woman was suspended from her job at a Kraft Foods Inc. plant and was escorted out, she returned with a handgun and opened fire, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody, police said. The shootings occurred shortly after 8:30 p.
Harley Could Cut Wis. Jobs Despite Concessions
September 8, 2010 5:10 am | CommentsMILWAUKEE (AP) — Harley-Davidson could cut hundreds of jobs at its engine factory in Menomonee Falls, even if union members give the motorcycle maker the concessions it says it needs to remain competitive. The proposed contract given to union workers for consideration cuts 200 jobs by the end of 2012.
Kia Announces New CEO In Mood Lighting Shuffle
September 8, 2010 4:42 am | by Kelly Olsen, AP Business Writer | CommentsSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kia Motors promoted the chief of its overseas operations to the company's top executive job after his predecessor resigned following a global recall of more than 100,000 vehicles due to defective wiring. The new boss, Lee Hyoung-keun, will retain his current responsibilities while also overseeing domestic business, global corporate planning and production and labor-management relations, Kia spokesman Michael Choo said Wednesday.
