Briefs: Last non-union JBS/Swift plant votes for UFCW

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More than 1,100 workers gained union representation with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 711 at the JBS/Swift beef plant in Hyrum, Utah.

The Hyrum plant has been in operation for over seventy years and became part of the JBS organization with their acquisition of Swift meatpacking almost two years ago. It had been the only JBS/Swift plant in the United States that did not have union representation, UFCW said.

The company has a beef plant in Grand Island.

EU ag ministers agree to reform subsidiesBRUSSELS, Belgium — European Union agriculture ministers agreed Thursday to further reforms of the bloc’s farm handout programs, to better compete in global markets and improve the chances of reaching a world trade deal.

It does not reduce the size of the program — $67 billion per year — which is fixed in the EU’s five-year budget, but ministers did agree to shift away from direct handouts to farmers by diverting cash to projects promoting rural development, food quality and environmental protection.

Handouts to bigger farm holdings will be reduced in an effort to protect and promote family farms. All subsidies will be cut, but operations that receive more than $380,000 annually will lose 14 percent by 2013.  Smaller operations will only lose 10 percent.

General Dynamics acquires AxleTech

General Dynamics Corp. said Wednesday it would acquire heavy duty component maker AxleTech International from private equity firm The Carlyle Group.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Troy, Mich.-based AxleTech makes axles, axle components, brakes and aftermarket parts for military vehicles, special trucks and off-highway machines. The company, which employs about 1,000 workers, will become part of General Dynamics’ Armament and Technical Products unit.  that unit has a plant in Lincoln that employs 135 people.

— From staff and wire reports