Chevy’s Plug-in Car

Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors (from left), Bob Lutz, vice chairman, and Fritz Henderson, president and chief operating officer, yesterday unveiled Chevrolet’s Volt in Detroit. The car is designed to run 40 miles on a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at a standard electrical outlet. After that, the batteries will be recharged by a small gasoline engine that allows the car to travel hundreds more miles. GM hasn’t announced the Volt’s pricing, but it’s expected to cost between $30,000 and $40,000. The Volt is due in U.S. showrooms by November 2010. (photo cutline) VIRGINIA

Union to face trial on Smithfield Foods’ claims

A jury will consider Smithfield Foods Inc.’s racketeering and extortion allegations against a union that has orchestrated boycotts and protests in an attempt to organize workers at its hog slaughterhouse, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne rejected the United Food and Commercial Workers International’s motion for a ruling that the union did nothing illegal, leaving the matter on the docket for trial starting Oct. 20.

The judge also rejected three of the defenses the union wanted to use in the case, which he said centers on whether the union advocated a sham election and demanded company neutrality to gain representation without the support of a majority of the workers at Smithfield’s plant in Tar Heel, N.C.

Payne also had difficulty understanding the company’s theory of how the union’s campaign violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, which originally was designed to fight organized crime.

In its lawsuit, Smithfield claims the union used economic threats – including product boycotts, e-mail campaigns and interference in the company’s contractual relationships – in an attempt to force the company to unionize the Tar Heel plant, which employs about 5,000 workers.

5,000 Norfolk Southern engineers getting raise

NORFOLK – Norfolk Southern Railway’s 5,000 engineers are getting a 19 percent raise under a new six-year labor agreement.

The Norfolk-based railroad says in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing yesterday that the agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen runs from 2009 through 2014. Norfolk Southern says engineers’ wages increase about 3.2 percent annually.

Canadian tech firms seek trade deals in Va.

Representatives from more than 20 Canadian technology firms are in Hampton Roads through tomorrow to scout out partnership and trade prospects in the mid-Atlantic region.

The Canadian delegation, made up of modeling, simulation and gaming companies, also will attend a technology conference in Virginia Beach.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership will present a workshop about doing business in Virginia.

The mission was organized by the Canadian Embassy’s trade commissioner’s office.

Canada is Virginia’s biggest trade partner, with Virginia business exports totaling $2.76 billion last year.

THE NATION

U.S. expands coupon program for digital TV

WASHINGTON – The government has expanded a coupon program meant to ease the transition to digital television broadcasting to cover nursing-home residents and users of post office boxes.

The government is providing two $40 coupons per household that can be used to buy converter boxes, but people who live in nursing homes or whose mailing address is a post office box have not been eligible.

The Commerce Department said yesterday that has changed.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which runs the coupon program, has been particularly concerned about nursing homes. The agency has said they “constitute a vulnerable community that may rely on free, over-the-air television to a greater degree than other members of the public.”

The agency will allow nursing-home residents to receive one coupon. The new rule allows for a family member or representative from the nursing home to apply for the coupon on the resident’s behalf.

Applicants who use a post office box will be able to request two coupons through the normal application process. They will be required to provide their physical residence in addition to their post office box number.

After Feb. 17, all full-power TV stations in the U.S. are required to stop broadcasting their old analog signals. Anyone who gets programming through an antenna and does not have a newer-model digital TV set will need to buy a box that converts the digital signal to analog.

Dell says corporate spending is weakening

SAN FRANCISCO – Dell Inc. said corporate spending on technology is weakening further.

By most measures, the technology sector has been chugging along fine, which is why Dell’s announcement caused uncertainty about whether the problem is specific to Dell or indicates broader problems in the market.

The revelation caused Dell’s shares to fall $2.01, 11 percent, to $15.98 – their lowest level since September 2001.

Investors were worried that the technology sector, which has held up well and in some cases grown despite the economic turbulence, is due for a downturn.

ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO

MEMO: Excerpted from BUSINESS BRIEFS

Originally published by Staff and Wire Reports.

(c) 2008 Richmond Times – Dispatch. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.