Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 2, 1995 TAG: 9511020075
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DETROIT - Hourly workers went on strike Wednesday at a Chrysler Corp. plant that makes windshields and window glass for most of the automaker's cars and trucks.
The walkout at McGraw Glass Division in Detroit by about 1,000 members of United Auto Workers Local 227 could quickly force production shutdowns at Chrysler assembly plants. Under Chrysler's ``just-in-time'' supply system, components are produced and shipped as they are needed by the assembly plants. That means the plants will have to stop building vehicles when they exhaust the supply on hand. In some cases, that could occur in hours.
The talks recessed late Wednesday but were to resume today. A UAW spokesman said the walkout was caused by unresolved grievances over health and safety.
- Associated Press
Circuit City sued; racial bias alleged
WASHINGTON - A group of current and former employees filed lawsuits Tuesday alleging that the Circuit City chain of retail electronics stores discriminated against blacks in its promotions and told its managers to ``watch the mix'' of whites and blacks hired.
The suits against Circuit City Stores Inc. of Richmond, Va., were filed by the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md. They allege that black employees were passed over for promotion and store managers were told not to have more blacks working in the stores than the percentage of black patrons shopping in them.
Circuit City's chief executive officer, Richard Sharp, in a written statement denied that the company has any discriminatory hiring or promotion policies.
One of the suits is a class-action lawsuit that alleges discrimination against at least 10 employees in Richmond. It also accuses the company of systematically destroying job applications completed by blacks.
- Associated Press
SEC investigates newsman, promoter
WASHINGTON - The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating stock market reporter Dan Dorfman and his relationship with a stock promoter, a source said Wednesday.
Dorfman took a leave of absence Friday from Money magazine after Business Week said he and stock promoter Donald Kessler were being investigated by the U.S. attorney's office in New York.
The magazine, which cited unnamed sources, said the two were suspected of insider trading, wire and mail fraud and other securities violations. The report said Kessler is a regular source of tips for Dorfman. Both have denied wrongdoing.
- Associated Press
Car sales down as model year starts
DETROIT - Major automakers suffered sales declines as they launched the 1996 model year. Reports Wednesday showed combined U.S. sales in October were about 6 percent lower than a year ago. The estimate doesn't include Ford and five European companies that report later in the week.
Both General Motors and Chrysler said sales were down about 3 percent.
The major Japanese companies also reported declines. Honda was off 1 percent; Nissan, 17.8 percent; Toyota, 10.1 percent; and Mazda and Mitsubishi, more than 30 percent.
Analyst David Healy of Burnham Securities said price probably is a major contributor to the sales decline.
- Associated Press
by CNB