Weekly Recap of Business News

Comcast unveils call center in Plymouth

Comcast Corp. is bringing jobs to the South Shore with a call center that the cable company unveiled in Plymouth. Comcast has been busy building the call center out of a warehouse that it inherited from Adelphia when it acquired that bankrupt company’s cable franchises in Massachusetts last year. So far, about 100 people work there, including some former Adelphia employees, and 230 others are expected to be hired eventually for the center.

Home health care aides to join union

Thousands of home health car aides in Massachusetts will join the Service Employees International Union Local 1199 after a successful unionization vote. The vote affects up to 22,000 personal care attendants who are paid through the state’s Medicaid program. The union launched an organizing campaign after the Legislature passed a bill last year that extends collective-bargaining rights to home health care aides.

Boston Beer shares tumble on sour note

Investors soured on The Boston Beer Co.’s stock, pouring shares down the drain after the maker of Sam Adams lowered its earnings guidance for the year, largely because of rising ingredient costs and an excise tax dispute with the federal government. Shares fell by 25 percent on the day the change became public. The South Boston- based company also successfully completed a review of its proposed acquisition of an old brewery in Pennsylvania, all but guaranteeing that its previous plan to build a new brewery in Freetown will be scrapped.

DiMasi energy bill on fast track

House Speaker Sal DiMasi’s energy bill is on the fast track now that he has the support of Senate President Therese Murray and Gov. Deval Patrick. The revised bill, among other things, would provide tax deductions for people who buy hybrid cars and tax credits for businesses that use solar-powered heating systems, and increase the amount of renewable energy-fueled power plants in the region. With the Senate’s support, the bill could potentially be sent to Patrick’s desk before lawmakers adjourn from formal sessions for the year on Nov. 21.

(c) 2007 Patriot Ledger, The; Quincy, Mass.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.