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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Chrysler Expected To Formally Refuse Jeep Recall
June 18, 2013 10:14 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsIn one of the biggest-ever showdowns between an automaker and the government, Chrysler on Tuesday is expected to file papers explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of catching fire in rear-end collisions.
TX Governor Woos Disgruntled CT Gun Makers
June 18, 2013 10:12 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | CommentsTexas Gov. Rick Perry extolled the tax policies and regulatory climate of his state as he courted gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave Connecticut since the state passed new gun-control laws in response to the Newtown school massacre.
Lawmakers: Put Dangerous Chemical Site Info Online
June 18, 2013 10:10 am | by Will Weissert, Associated Press | CommentsThere are 16 fertilizer production sites in Texas like the one that exploded in West, but authorities aren't clear how many of those might be located near schools or other residential centers, top state officials said Monday. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy testified before the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee.
Lego To Expand Czech Facility To Meet Demand
June 18, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsDanish toymaker Lego says it will expand a factory in the Czech Republic and create some 800 jobs to meet growing regional demand for its popular building blocks. Carsten Rasmussen of Lego's European packing division did not reveal the size of the investment except to say it was "a large two-digit million euro figure."
EU Official: Trade Deal With U.S. A 'Game-Changer'
June 18, 2013 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe top official with the European Union's executive arm says a free trade deal with the United States would be a "game-changer" for the global economy. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the statement Monday ahead of a formal launch of the trade effort at the Group of Eight Summit in Northern Ireland.
U.S. Official: Solar Plane To Help Ground Energy Use
June 18, 2013 10:06 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | CommentsThe plane parked outside the airport looks more like a giant exotic insect or maybe an outsized toy. When it's in flight, there's no roar of engines. It's strangely quiet. And as it crisscrosses the U.S., the spindly plane doesn't use a drop of fuel. Day, and even night, it flies on the power of the sun.
Unsuccessful Job Applicants Seek Hiring Records
June 17, 2013 2:18 pm | by Kate Brumback, Associated Press | CommentsDocuments having to do with a state agency's involvement in recruiting and hiring workers for a private company should be available to the public, a lawyer for four unsuccessful applicants for jobs at a Georgia auto plant argued Monday.
Nuclear Weapons Plant To Improve Fire Safety
June 17, 2013 2:16 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsPantex, the country's only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly plant, has completed main construction on a $35M project that is designed to improve fire protection at the facility. The new construction comes after the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board raised safety concerns earlier this year.
Texas Gov. Courts CT Gun Makers On Tour
June 17, 2013 2:14 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsTexas Gov. Rick Perry has come to Connecticut in search of gun manufacturing and other jobs while talking up the importance of competition. Perry met privately with gun manufacturers and other businesses at a downtown Hartford restaurant on Monday. He told reporters it's part of his state's drive to compete for jobs.
2 Remain Hospitalized After LA Explosions
June 17, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsFederal investigators are at two chemical plants that were the sites of fatal explosions last week, and two people remain hospitalized. CF Industries Holdings Inc. spokeswoman Blythe Lamonica says a team from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was at the plant Sunday.
Hundreds Sickened In Bangladesh Garment Factory
June 17, 2013 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsSeveral hundred garment workers were sickened at their factory outside Bangladesh's capital on Sunday, apparently after drinking water there. Police official Mohammad Jahid said many of the workers were treated at various hospitals after the incident at East West Factory in Gazipur district.
Company Drops Plans For NV Solar Project
June 17, 2013 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA Chinese-backed company is dropping plans for a major solar project near the Colorado River resort town of Laughlin, Nev. ENN Mojave Energy LLC has informed Clark County officials that it's terminating its agreement to purchase 9,000 acres after it was unable to find customers for the power that would have been generated there.
Police: 1 Dead, 7 Hurt In 2nd LA Plant Blast
June 17, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA second blast in two days has killed a worker at a south Louisiana chemical plant, just miles from the site where two workers were killed a day earlier. The latest explosion also injured seven people, some severely, State Police Trooper Jared Sandifer said late Friday.
Chrysler Freezes Pension Plan For 8,000 Employees
June 17, 2013 10:09 am | by Sarah Skidmore, Associated Press | CommentsChrysler Group LLC said Friday that it is freezing the pensions of roughly 8,000 U.S. salaried employees at the end of the year. The U.S. automaker said it is making the move to stay in line with industry trends and to comply with IRS regulations. The Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company declined to detail the specifics of the IRS issue, but said it is currently in compliance.
Caterpillar To Begin WI Layoffs
June 17, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsCaterpillar Inc. says it is placing about 260 production employees at its South Milwaukee plant on indefinite layoff because of weaker demand for mining equipment. The layoffs represent about a third of the more than 800 workers represented by the Steelworkers union at the plant. The layoffs go into effect June 24.
