Job Creation & Labor

NHK Seating Expanding TN Facility

rimmel — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:14:26 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say that automotive seat manufacturer NHK Seating of America Inc. plans to expand its facility in Murfreesboro, adding 94 jobs in the process.

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said Thursday that the company's expansion represents a $6.8 million investment in Rutherford County.

Fred Myers, plant manager of NHK's Murfreesboro facility, says the company is adding employees and capital equipment to support increasing production volume.

Auto Parts Supplier To Invest $40M In MI

rimmel — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:14:16 +0000

MARYSVILLE, Mich. (AP) — An auto industry parts supplier says it's investing $40 million to expand its Marysville facility and plans to add more than 350 jobs during the next three years.

The Times Herald of Port Huron reports (http://bwne.ws/1aeLDtX ) the announcement was made Thursday by SMR Automotive Systems.

Some Unions Now Angry About Health Care Overhaul

rimmel — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:14:06 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama pushed his health care overhaul plan through Congress, he counted labor unions among his strongest supporters.

But some union leaders have grown frustrated and angry about what they say are unexpected consequences of the new law — problems that they say could jeopardize the health benefits offered to millions of their members.

The issue could create a political headache next year for Democrats facing re-election if disgruntled union members believe the Obama administration and Congress aren't working to fix the problem.

Ford To End Auto Production In Australia In 2016

rimmel — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:14:23 +0000

SYDNEY (AP) — Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will close its two Australian auto plants, ending production in the country in 2016, amid soaring manufacturing costs and plummeting sales.

The closure of the U.S. automaker's plants in the state of Victoria will mean the loss of 1,200 jobs and will transform the company into an import-only brand in Australia. Ford began making cars in Australia in 1925 and is the third largest auto manufacturer in the country.

Learn From "Dirty Jobs"

rimmel — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:02:35 +0000

Mike Rowe discusses what he learned working at QVC, his grandfather's influence, and what "Dirty Jobs" accomplished. From selling lava lamps to hosting the hit "Dirty Jobs," Rowe talks about a necessary skill that allowed him to work in Hollywood.

German Co., Pepsi Open NY Yogurt Plant

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:08:48 +0000

BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP) — A second yogurt plant is about to open in a Genesee County business park.

Sen. Charles Schumer says the Muller Quaker Dairy plant will have a grand opening on June 3. The $206 million dollar plant is a joint venture of PepsiCo and Germany's Theo Muller company.

The 350,000-square-foot plant in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park near Batavia will make a variety of yogurt products. Officials say it will have about 150 to 180 employees to begin with and will boost the local dairy farm economy.

Indian Guest Workers Sue Company In MS, TX

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:05:41 +0000

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Dozens of Indian guest workers are suing an Alabama-based marine and fabrication company, claiming it financially exploited them and forced them to live in squalid conditions after bringing them to work at Gulf Coast shipyards after Hurricane Katrina.

Three federal lawsuits backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center were filed Tuesday in Mississippi and Texas on behalf of 83 people who worked for Signal International LLC after the 2005 storm slammed into the coast.

U.S. Auto Factories Cutting Back On Summer Downtime

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:25:40 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit automakers are largely forgoing the traditional two-week summer break at their factories and speeding up production to meet buyers' growing demand for new cars and trucks.

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday that 21 of its North American factories will shut for only one week this summer. That includes the Chicago plant that makes the Ford Explorer SUV and the Mexican plant that makes the Fusion sedan.

GM To Invest $44.5M In MI Cadillac Factory

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:22:21 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says it will invest $44.5 million at a Lansing, Mich., factory, creating 200 new jobs.

The automaker says it will build a 400,000-square-foot building next to the Lansing Grand River plant to assemble parts and put them in the right order for manufacturing.

The factory already employs more than 1,500 hourly and salaried workers who make the Cadillac ATS and CTS luxury sports sedans. It also will make the next generation Chevrolet Camaro in 2015.

Remington Plans $32M AR Expansion

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:14:30 +0000

LONOKE, Ark. (AP) — Remington Arms Company LLC says it will spend $32 million to expand the company's ammunition plant in Lonoke, Ark.

Remington says the expansion will include the construction of a new building. Work is expected to begin later this year and finish up by next spring.

Remington's Lonoke plant manager Jim Grahlmann says the expansion will help Remington meet a growing global demand for ammunition.

The Remington plant in Lonoke designs and makes ammunition products. It opened in 1969.

Does France Have The Right Plan To Revive Its Economy?

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:14:38 +0000

PARIS (AP) — The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest there is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

As the country's first-ever minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg has told the world's largest steelmaker it is not welcome in France; exchanged angry letters with the head of an American tire company he was supposedly wooing; and scuttled Yahoo's offer to buy the majority of a video-sharing website.

GM Giving Paid Internships To 110 HS Students

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:11:14 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is kicking the tires on a unique new internship program for Detroit-area high school students.

GM has hired 110 students for paid summer internships, the automaker said Monday in announcing the formation of the GM Student Corps, a program that combines service, education and mentoring.

Nebraska Company Reopens Iowa Manufacturer

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:10 +0000

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — A week after a northwest Iowa manufacturer shut down its factory, the laid-off workers were back on the job Monday thanks to a Nebraska company that stepped in and bought the business.

Thurston Manufacturing Co. of Thurston, Neb., moved swiftly to complete its purchase of Simonsen Iron Works of Spencer, Iowa, so it could rehire workers and keep the plant operating, Thurston co-owner Nick Jenson said.

GE Healthcare To Invest $17M In New SC Plant

rimmel — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:29:55 +0000

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — GE Healthcare is investing $17 million in a Florence plant that will turn helium gas into supercool liquid needed for medical imaging.

The company announced Monday it's building a 5,000-square-foot facility next to its existing magnetic resonance plant. GE expects 10 of the 50 jobs created to be permanent.

Problems Surface Over AZ's 2007 Immigration Law

rimmel — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:41:05 +0000

PHOENIX (AP) — The immigration debate in Arizona reached a boiling point in 2007 when the state passed a groundbreaking law targeting those often blamed with fueling the nation's border woes: Employers who hire immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

The law marked a bold step by a state into an area that had long been the domain of the federal government, and it paved the way for Arizona's landmark 2010 immigration law. It also represented a key moment in the immigration battles that continue today as Congress mulls a proposed overhaul of the immigration system.