THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230563
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Bell Atlantic Corp. said members of its main union ratified a new three-year contract by an overwhelming majority. The company reached a preliminary agreement with the Communications Workers of America last month, ending six months of bitter negotiations. Under the agreement, 34,400 workers will receive a 10.6 percent wage increase over three years, a $1,500 ratification bonus, and improved health benefits and pensions. Bell Atlantic is the last of the seven regional phone companies to reach terms with the union. The CWA members at Bell Atlantic, who do telemarketing and repair phones, worked without a contract since Aug. 5. (Bloomberg Business News) R.R. Donnelley to build printing plant in Roanoke
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. will spend more than $60 million to build a new book printing plant near Roanoke. The facility will print short-run multicolor books in small quantities for consumer book publishers. Grounbreaking will be held in March with construction of the 300,000 square-foot plant.Roanoke County will provide $2.5 million worth of improvements to the industrial park where Donnelley is building the 400,000-square-foot plant and give 90 acres to the company. The state agreed to provide and additional $460,000 for site improvements. The Chicago-based printing company expects to open the plant in 1997 and employ 175 people by 1998. Donnelley also has two printing plants in Lynchburg and one in Harrisonburg. (AP) Engineers union reaches agreement with railroads
After 15 months of talks, the nation's freight railroads, including Norfolk Southern Corp., reached agreement Thursday with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers on a new 5-year contract. The agreement, covering wage, benefit and work rule issues, must be approved by the union's rank-and-file members. It is the second agreement the railroads, bargaining through the National Carriers' Conference Committee, have reached with the 13 unions representing railroad employees. Between this and a December accord with the United Transportation Union, four out of 10 unions unionized railroad employees would be under contract. (Staff) Dreadnought get contract to activate freighter
Dreadnought Marine Inc. won a contract from Farrell Lines to activate the freighter Cape Catawba. New York-based Farrell Lines operates the ship under contract from the U.S. Maritime Administration. The ship is part of the Ready Reserve Force anchored in the James River Reserve Fleet off Fort Eustis. It is being activated for sea trials and will be deactivated by Dreadnought and returned to the James River after the trials. The contract is worth $1.1 million to Norfolk-based Dreadnought, which will do the work at Norfolk International Terminal's Pier 3. Dreadnought employs more than 300 workers. (Staff) by CNB