Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 6, 1995 TAG: 9504060074
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Martinsville Nylon Employees Council, which lost a November organizing election at DuPont's Martinsville nylon plant, said Wednesday its remaining members can vote today to affiliate with the United Mine Workers. The result would be a "minority union" without bargaining rights, said Clinton Jennings, president of the council.
Jennings said about 60 employees in the work force of 500 can vote because they have continued paying dues to the council. If the affiliation occurs, others could join, he said.
Jennings said the group's purpose would be to "watchdog" DuPont, which Jennings' group contends is exerting undue control over the winning union, the Martinsville DuPont Employees Union, which is not affiliated with an international union.
The UMW is no stranger to DuPont workers. It rounded out the three-way November election, losing like the council to the employees' union. The UMW lost a recent bid to have the election reversed.
- Staff report
First Union settles loan complaint
First Union Mortgage Corp. will pay the government $6.3 million to settle claims that its employees wrote false loan forms, causing high losses to the Department of Veterans Affairs loan guarantee program.
The Department of Justice said the problems occurred from 1984 to 1986 in Colorado Springs, Col., and from 1987 to 1989 in Atlantic Beach, Fla.
The government charged that First Union Mortgage employees recorded false information about borrowers on applications and related forms necessary to obtain loans guaranteed by the VA.
"Critical credit information concerning such matters as the borrowers' income, debts ad number of dependents was misrepresented," the Department of Justice said. "Numerous loans went into default as a result of these false statements, causing the VA to lose several million dollars under its loan guarantee program."
David Scanzoni, spokesman for First Union Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., said: "For the last 2 1/2 years, we worked with the government to resolve this matter. During that time, we completed an extensive and thorough review of our loan files. We are pleased to have reached this negotiated settlement in order to put this matter behind us."
- Staff report
Citizen planners win state funding
Virginia has appropriated $200,000 to fund a third and final year of work by the New Century Council, a citizens' group plotting an economic strategy for the Roanoke and New River valleys and Alleghany Highlands.
Lawmakers made the appropriation final in their closing budget session, which began Wednesday and was to conclude today.
The council's work, which began in 1993, is funded through June 1996. The group's report is due out in June or July.
Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr., executive director, said more work will remain after the report comes out to ensure it is seen by the widest possible audience.
Lawmakers have allocated $600,000 for the council, which also received donations. The council has drafted 135 recommendations so far, Fitzpatrick said.
- Staff report
Va. jobless claims fewest in 2 years
Newly laid-off Virginians filed 25,877 claims for unemployment checks in February, the fewest for that month in two years, the Virginia Employment Commission said Wednesday.
A mild winter and strong economy contributed to a robust job market in which fewer people found themselves unemployed, the state said.
Virginia received 26,655 initial unemployment claims in February 1994 and 24,260 claims in February 1993. There were 38,706 claims in January.
- Staff report
Briefly ...
Thor Inc. general contractors and engineers in Roanoke has been awarded three contracts in Western Virginia: construction of Cloverdale Middle School, worth $7.4 million, with The Moseley McClintock Group as architect; the N&W Federal Credit Union addition for $2 million, Glenn Reynolds as architect, and Martinsville Middle School for $6.4 million, with Dewberry & Davis as architect.
Jamont Press Inc. of Roanoke has been named the test site in Virginia for a new line of coated paper made by Xerox Corp. The test involves using the paper on high-speed color and black-ink laser printers.
by CNB