Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'factory'

Report: Factory Orders Drop To 61-Year Low

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:35:00 EST

Orders from factories fell for the 13th month in a row in December, as demand for goods dropped to the lowest level since January 1948, according to a report issued Friday.

Toyota Suspends Plans For Miss. Prius Factory

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

Toyota has announced it is suspending plans to produce Prius hybrids near Tupelo, Miss. The plant was slated to open in 2010.

Shift In Chinese Labor Force Marks Poor Economy

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:05:00 EST

The tide of migrant Chinese workers is starting to show a permanent shift toward inland, non-factory jobs as the flagging economy continues to force manufacturing shutdowns. An influx of new, skilled labor combined with dwindling numbers of jobs is forcing laborers to return home.

Fears of Unrest Prompt Bailout Of China Exporters

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:15:00 EST

The current economic crisis signals a shift in China's role as factory to the world. As American consumers buy less of China's exports, many factories and companies in the industrial city of Dongguan are seeing sales fall off and production lines close.

Laid-off Chicago Workers Continue Sit-In

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST

It is a day four of a sit-in by more than 200 laid-off workers at Republic Windows and Doors, a Chicago factory that closed its doors Friday. Negotiations continue to get those workers jobs back or at least vacation and severance pay.

Chicago Factory Workers Protest To Keep Jobs

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Workers at a Chicago factory are staging a sit-in to protest a swift shut down that has left them without severance and vacation pay. Leaders say they've been trying to get Republic Windows' creditor, the Bank of America, to reinstate the company's line of credit and save hundreds of jobs.

Consumer Spending, Factory Orders Drop Steeply

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:02:00 EST

Americans cut back on their spending in October by the largest amount since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Meanwhile, orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods plunged by the largest amount in two years.

Vietnamese Workers Fear U.S. Spending Slowdown

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:22:00 EST

As the economic crisis continues, the possibility that U.S. consumers will spend less next year than they did this year is causing worldwide concern. In Vietnam, which exports a large share of its products to the U.S., garment factory workers are already worried about their jobs.

Like U.S. Firms, French Automaker Stalls

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:33:00 EST

The slowing economy is hitting Renault and other European automakers, forcing them to slash production. In the French car racing town of Le Mans, the temporary shutdown at the Renault factory has many worried about the future.

Boeing Production Workers Return To Their Jobs

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Boeing's commercial aircraft workers are heading back to factory floors. The union and company executives agreed on a contract that ended the costly two-month walkout. In the end, Boeing and the union forged a compromise on the thorny issue of hiring non-union contract workers. The machinists union also won raises of 15 percent over four years, as well as bonuses.

Janesville, Wisc. Braces For GM Plant Closing

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The diminished market for SUVs and the soured economy have forced General Motors to close its factory in Janesville, Wisc., sooner than expected. The loss of the plant, by Christmas, will have ripple effects that Janesville officials will need to address. Brian Bull of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

The Upside Of 'Factory Girl' Life In China

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Author Leslie Chang followed two girls from their rural homes in China to a city called Dongguan, where they became "factory girls." Life in these makeshift cities can actually be quite exciting and lucrative for these young hard-working ladies.

Shining A Light On The NSA's 'Shadow Factory'

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:47:00 EDT

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the National Security Agency stepped up its efforts to collect intelligence domestically by filtering millions of conversations and e-mail messages. In his new book, The Shadow Factor, journalist James Bamford reveals that the ultra-secret agency has half a million people on its watch lists.

Learning How Stuff Works From The 'Factory Floor'

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:04:00 EDT

Marshall Brain, an engineer-turned-TV-host, takes viewers behind the scenes to see what goes into producing common consumer products — from tennis balls, to escalators, to frozen pizza. His show "Factory Floor" airs on The National Geographic Channel.

Economy Forces GM To Slow Corvette Production

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:38:00 EDT

General Motors has announced that it is slowing production of its iconic sports car. It cites the bad economy for the move. GM will shut down for a week, the factory in Bowling Green, Ky., where the Corvette is made. When it reopens, workers will turn out only 15 Corvettes and hour. That's down about three cars from the current production schedule.

iPhone Buyer Gets Bonus Photo Of Factory Worker

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

There must have been a giddy moment in a Chinese factory that makes iPhones. A British customer bought a phone from the factory and found that it had already been used. Three pictures on the phone show a smiling factory worker. She's wearing a pink striped outfit and white gloves with yellow fingertips. The customer posted the photos on a Web site. The hundreds of comments include: "She is so fired."

Suicide Bombers Hit Pakistani Arms Factory

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Suicide bombers have killed 67 people at Pakistan's largest arms factory. One of the country's deadliest terror attacks is adding to the turmoil that's threatening to tear apart the ruling coalition now that Pervez Musharraf has quit as president. Steve Inskeep discusses the situation with retired Gen. Talat Masood, a defense and political analysts in Islamabad.

Some Economies Suffer As Beijing Cleans Up Air

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EDT

In an effort to curb air pollution for the Olympics, more than 250 factories in Beijing and nearby towns like Tangshan have been shuttered temporarily. Some factory workers are on vacation for the first time in 20 years.

Toyota Shifts Production For More Hybrids

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Toyota announced yesterday that they'll take a factory slated to make SUV's and instead use it to make Prius hybrids. They also said they'll consolidate the manufacturing of various gas guzzling SUVs, which have plummeted in popularity recently.

Jazz For A Summer Rental Car

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:10:00 EDT

The summer sun is frying the concrete kingdom. Sweltering heat is parboiling millions of psyches around you. It's probably time to flee the city, but like many urbanites, you don't own a car. Book a rental and bring these five songs and crank the factory-installed stereo in your getaway car.

Chrysler Announces Shutdown In St. Louis

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Chrysler plans to shut down a minivan plant in St. Louis, Mo., which will affect about 2,400 factory workers. New sales figures are due out Wednesday, and they are expected to show an industry reeling from a swift change in consumer preferences. Dustin Dwyer reports from Michigan Radio.

Obama Courts the Working-Class Vote

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Some political observers say that for Sen. Barack Obama to be elected president, he must first connect with and win over white, working-class voters. The AFL-CIO is launching a campaign to reintroduce Obama to union members in small meetings and on factory floors.

FEMA Trailer Supplier Reacts to Health Threat

Thu, 29 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

At the Ohio factory that made "Emergency Living Units" for Hurricane Katrina survivors, workers and company officials talk about dealing with formaldehyde. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want all residents of FEMA-issued trailers to move out, citing fear of toxic fumes.

Finding Hope in Hip-Hop

Thu, 22 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Laura Hall used to hate the hip-hop music her husband listened to. But when she had to quit school and take a factory job to support her family, Hall started to hear the songs in a new way. Now she says hip-hop is a source of inspiration for her.

Search for Victims Turns Up a Quake Survivor

Fri, 16 May 2008 14:56:00 EDT

Four days after a powerful earthquake struck China's Sichuan province, survivors are still being located, freed from rubble by rescue teams. Days after the quake, a search party found and rescued a survivor in a devastated village in Sichuan. But getting the man out of a collapsed factory was no simple matter.