THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 21, 1995 TAG: 9509210505
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Newport News Shipbuilding on Tuesday laid off about 200 blue-collar workers, some with more than two decades of service. The workers - 189 in the pipe department and 10 security guards - will leave their jobs in November, a yard spokeswoman said. ``There's not enough work right now,'' she said. It's the second cut to the pipe department in less than four months. The shipyard has been reducing its payroll to match its workload in recent years. The yard currently employs about 19,200, down from 21,170 in April 1994. Local 8888 of the United Steelworkers of America, which represents most of the laid-off workers, may challenge the layoffs because the company disregarded employee seniority, a union official said. (Knight-Ridder Financial News) New tobacco regulations draw suit from industry
Smokeless-tobacco producers and distributors have filed a lawsuit attempting to stop new industry regulations by the federal government. A petition filed in U.S. District Court in Greensboro said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's plans to regulate cigarette sales was ``arbitrary'' and ``capricious'' as well as unconstitutional. The nine plaintiffs in Tuesday's request said the FDA's plans ``unlawfully seek to penalize and restrict smokeless tobacco manufacturers, distributors and retailers.'' On Aug. 10, President Clinton told FDA Commissioner David Keesler to draft sweeping regulations on the sales, promotion and distribution of cigarettes. (AP) Trade deficit sets record for second straight month
The U.S. trade deficit jumped to a record monthly high of $11.50 billion in July, reflecting a big drop in American exports such as aircraft and a big rise in imports of German luxury cars. The Commerce Department said the deficit in goods and services increased by 1.9 percent from a revised June level of $11.28 billion. It marked the second straight month a new record has been set in the monthly series on goods and services, which the government began in 1992. Imports of goods and services declined during the month, dropping 1.7 percent to $74.59 billion. But this drop was surpassed by a 2.3 percent decline in exports, which fell to $63.09 billion. The deficit is the difference between imports and exports. (AP) by CNB