ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997 TAG: 9701030074
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
UPS rates going up; labor, fuel cost cited
ATLANTA - You'll soon be shelling out more green for deliveries from Big Brown.
United Parcel Service said Thursday it will raise fees about 3.9 percent for air service and as much as 4.3 percent for ground deliveries as of Feb. 1. The shipper cited higher labor and fuel costs.
UPS isn't alone. Federal Express, UPS' main competitor, has announced plans to add a 2 percent surcharge Feb. 3 to cover increased fuel costs. Airborne Express and DHL Worldwide Express say they are considering increasing rates as well.
UPS said overnight, second-day and three-day domestic air service will go up about 3.9 percent for both businesses and residential customers. Increases for ground shipments will average 3.4 percent for business and 4.3 percent for residential customers.
Spokesman Ken Sternad said delivering to residences costs more: ``The packages tend to be smaller, and they tend to be single-package deliveries.''
The cost to send a 4-pound package overnight by UPS from Atlanta to Washington, a 543-mile trip, will increase from $22 to $22.75. The same package delivered by FedEx will increase from $27.25 to about $27.80.
-Associated Press
Hearing-loss claims back in NS' lap
CINCINNATI - A federal appeals court has reinstated claims by eight ex-employees of the former Norfolk & Western Railway Co. that they suffered hearing loss because of exposure to excessive noise levels.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday reversed a lower court's 1994 ruling in favor of the railroad. The case now goes back to U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich in Cleveland.
The plaintiffs all worked in northeastern Ohio and retired from N&W in the 1980s. In 1982, N&W merged with Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Corp.
The railroad said the former employees had settled all claims against N&W when they signed their resignation and release agreement. But the plaintiffs said they were unaware of their hearing loss until after they had left the railroad.
-Associated Press
HSN to shut down 3 Florida outlets
St. Petersburg, Florida - HSN Inc. said Thursday its Home Shopping Network unit will close three outlet stores in Orlando, Fla., as it completes a shift in the types of merchandise it sells.
HSN, the No. 2 television shopping network behind QVC Inc., will close its HSN Liquidation Center and two HSN Outlet stores in Pine Hill and South Orlando. The company will continue to operate four outlet stores in the Tampa Bay area.
-Bloomberg Business News
Briefly
* Bearings Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, which distributes industrial parts in Roanoke under the name Dixie Bearings Inc., has changed its name to Applied Industrial Technologies.
* Paul B. Williams of Virginia and Copy Van Inc., formerly Alco Office Products companies, now are doing business in the Roanoke and Lynchburg markets under the name IKON Office Solutions. IKON, based in Valley Forge, Pa., sells and leases duplication, copying and fax equipment.
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