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WASHINGTON_The top U.S. trade official linked the fate of a long-stalled U.S.-South Korean free trade agreement on Thursday to Seoul’s willingness to open its automobile market to American car makers.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told the U.S.-Korea Business Council in a speech that the ambitious trade deal could lead to American exports to South Korea rising by as much as $11 billion a year.

He said, however, that negotiators must deal "with the legacy of Korea’s long-closed market, especially with respect to autos."

"Our market is open to Korean autos," Kirk said. "All we are asking for is for our own auto companies to be able to compete on a level playing field in the Korean market."

The two countries signed an accord in 2007 to slash tariffs and other barriers to trade, but the deal has since languished and has yet to be ratified by lawmakers.

A big worry in the U.S. Congress has been about South Korea’s large surpluses in auto trade, especially as American auto companies suffer financially.

South Korea, one of Asia’s leading economies, has said the deal stands, even as the Obama administration conducts a review of the Bush administration agreement.

Kirk said trade officials are developing proposals that deal with U.S. worries about auto trade. "We believe that a level field is possible and within reach," Kirk said, without providing specific details.

Kirk acknowledged the frustration many U.S. companies that do business with South Korea are feeling about the stalled accord; he mentioned the recent initialing of a free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union.

South Korea and the U.S. did $84.8 billion in bilateral trade in 2008, making Washington South Korea’s fourth-biggest trading partner after China, the European Union and Japan.

South Korea’s trade with the 27-member EU amounted to $98.4 billion last year. The EU is the largest foreign investor in South Korea.

"I can tell you this: we are not standing still," Kirk said.

Kirk said he would be meeting with South Korea’s trade minister next week, and Obama would visit South Korea after he attends economic meetings in Singapore.

Kirk said his office is conducting a thorough review of the accord, "because in order to realize the full potential of this agreement, it is absolutely crucial that we get it right."

<<The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — 11/06/2009>>

CLEVELAND–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Now consumers can enjoy the clean, beautiful light of Reveal(R) bulbs with all the benefits of a GE CFL. GE’s Reveal CFL light bulbs are the latest member of the Reveal family of bulbs. Reveal CFL bulbs produce clean, beautiful light that makes colors “pop” and can transform a home from ordinary to extraordinary. Like all of the products in the Reveal family, originally introduced in 2001, the light from these bulbs not only makes blues appear bluer, whites appear whiter and reds appear redder, Reveal CFL bulbs also bring out colors and patterns that may go unnoticed under ordinary incandescent light.

Reveal CFL bulbs are twist-shaped and have a special patented phosphor to mimic the clean beautiful light that Reveal incandescent and Reveal halogen users are used to. But these new Reveal CFL light bulbs last eight times as long as and use up to 75 percent less energy than a standard incandescent Reveal bulb.

Consumers will appreciate the clean, beautiful light expected from Reveal(R) with the long life and energy savings expected from a GE compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). Reveal CFL bulbs are available in 40-, 60-, 75- and 100-watt equivalents. With instant-on capability, these bulbs are rated to last 5 years (8,000 hours). That’s 8 times longer than the standard incandescent equivalent.

Reveal CFL light bulbs are available at retailers nationwide. While retailers determine their own resale price, consumers may find Reveal CFL 10- and 13-watt bulbs in the $5.99 to $6.19 range, and Reveal CFL 20- and 26-watt bulbs in the $5.99 to $10.69 range.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and ecomagination^SM, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram(R), Profile(TM), GE(R), Hotpoint(R), SmartWater(TM), Reveal(R) and Energy Smart(R) consumer brands, and Entellisys(R), Tetra(R), Vio(R) and Immersion(R) commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6092814&lang=en

GE Consumer & Industrial

David Schuellerman, 216-266-9702

david.schuellerman@ge.com

Source: GE Consumer & Industrial

<<Business Wire — 11/06/2009>>

Next generation of popular BlackBerry smartphone adds Wi-Fi, external multimedia buttons and BlackBerry App World; visit www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530

to pre-register for BlackBerry Curve 8530 from Sprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today it will add the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone to the wireless industry’s best lineup of devices. Beginning today, customers can visit http://www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530 to pre-register for this next generation of the popular BlackBerry wireless device on America’s most dependable 3G network¹ with the affordability of Sprint’s Everything Data plans featuring Any Mobile, Anytime^SM. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone makes it even easier to enjoy music on-the-go with dedicated keys to skip to the next song on a playlist, pause or play. It comes preloaded with several multimedia applications including BlackBerry Media Sync, Sprint Music Store(TM), Sprint TV(TM) and Pandora(TM). It also boasts dedicated applications for a smoothly integrated social networking experience with Facebook^(R), MySpace(TM) and Flickr(TM). BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available in three color options - Black, Royal Purple and Red.

“BlackBerry Curve 8330 has been a tremendous success for Sprint. BlackBerry Curve 8530 continues that legacy with the addition of several important features that make it a winner for both entertainment and productivity,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint Senior Vice President of Product Development. “This is one device that can really do it all with the email, calendar and contact synchronization BlackBerry is known for as well as the latest multimedia and social media features. We are anxious to bring it to our customers who also appreciate the strength of our network, the affordability of our rate plans and our Ready Now customer service experience.”

Sprint’s BlackBerry Curve 8530 will offer BlackBerry App World(TM) for instant access to thousands of applications. Sprint has employed an open Internet approach, and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers, since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

Sprint’s affordable Everything Data plans now include Any Mobile, Anytime, a feature that removes restrictive calling-circles and provides unlimited calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless phone regardless of carrier, at no additional charge with Everything Data plans starting at $69.99 per month (all price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).

Sprint’s Simply Everything^SM offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $1,200 savings over two years versus a comparable AT&T iPhone^(R) plan². Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles³.

According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, Sprint tested as the most reliable network overall among US carriers in a 13-city performance test⁴.

Sprint is the first national carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Separate from its 3G investment, Sprint has announced plans to extend its 4G leadership by launching the next-generation service in numerous markets in 2009, including the recently launched markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore.

Sprint is also the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their BlackBerry Curve 8530, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

¹ Dependable” based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from January 2008 to July 2009. Not all services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network when 3G unavailable. Coverage may not be available everywhere. Customers should refer to sprint.com/coverage for details.

² Savings based on publicly available information comparing AT&T Nation Unlimited plus required iPhone data plan and optional unlimited text messaging totaling $149.99/month for AT&T as of publication date, excluding taxes, surcharges and fees. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

³ Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles. Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles.

⁴ The PC World tests took place in March and April 2009 in 13 major markets across the country. In each location, testers measured download speed, upload speed and reliability. In all, 5,443 individual tests from 283 testing locations were conducted for each provider’s 3G service. Testing was one minute in duration, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood.

Media Contact:

Sprint

Mark Elliott, 603-621-4511

Mark.J.Elliott@Sprint.com

Source: Sprint

<<Business Wire — 11/06/2009>>

NEW YORK, NY — (MARKET WIRE) — 11/05/09 — If the recession has proven anything, it’sthat American consumers are willing to pay a premium for healthy products.Due to its compelling image as an innovative yet accessible beverage thatis good tasting, good for you, and budget friendly, tea has remainedprofitable, with 2% annual gains in 2008 and 2009, according to "Tea andReady-to-Drink (RTD) Tea in the U.S.: Retail, Foodservice and ConsumerTrends," by leading market research publisher Packaged Facts.

Over the next several years, tea’s health halo will gradually return themarket to the double-digit gains it experienced prior to the recession,particularly as additional research solidifies tea’s healthful andfunctional properties. Packaged Facts estimates the U.S. market for teasold through retail and foodservice channels at $9 billion in 2009,forecasting a 5% increase in 2010. Steadily rising annual percentage gainsare projected through 2014, when growth will reach 10% and sales willexceed $12 billion.

Consumers also flocked to tea due to the high quality of the beverage. Manynew product introductions in the tea category include exotic flavored teas,tea and fruit infusions, and premium loose tea bags that are at theforefront of innovations in both the retail and foodservice arenas.

"Tea’s healthfulness is still, of course, the beverage’s primary appeal,but in the current market environment consumers are increasinglyrecognizing good quality, customized tea as a comforting, affordablepremium beverage splurge," says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts.

Additional factors driving overall market growth will be the greaterinvolvement of international beverage behemoths including Coca-Cola,PepsiCo and Nestle; a greater emphasis on tea in the foodservice channelvia expansion of specialty brews into restaurants of all kinds, as well ascoffee/tea chains a la Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee & Tea; hybrid teabeverages crossing over into competitive categories including sparklingwater, energy drinks and superfruit juices; and the additional penetrationof RTD teas into convenience channels including convenience stores andalternative outlets such as bookstores.

"Tea and Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Tea in the U.S." examines the market for teaacross the retail and foodservice spectrum, including ready-to-drink tea,leaf (bagged and loose) tea, and instant tea. The report provideshistorical sales figures and projections through 2014, in addition toexamining market drivers and trends. An exclusive feature of this report iscustom survey data from Packaged Facts’ February 2009 online poll of 2,600U.S. adults, which was conducted to measure purchasing patterns, attitudesand demographics specific to tea and other functional foods and beverages.For further information, please visit:http://www.packagedfacts.com/redirect.asp?progid=76258&productid=1939949

About Packaged Facts - Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com,publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics,including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics,pet products and services, and financial products. Packaged Facts alsooffers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit:www.packagedfacts.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine

Contact:Jenn TekinPackagedfacts.com(240) 747-3015jtekin@packagedfacts.com

<< — 11/06/2009>>

Nov. 5–If you mix a little bit of rock n’ roll with a few country tunes rolled into some gospel you get Pure & Simple Bluegrass.

Thursday, the six-member band will showcase their varied bluegrass tunes at the National Peanut Festival. Travis Perry, one of the band’s vocalists, said they plan to perform more than a few songs for festival goers, but the concert will also include magic and comedy time.

"We use the traditional bluegrass instruments playing non-traditional songs," Perry said. "If you’re doing a Lynyrd Skynyrd song with a banjo, mandolin, dobro and fiddle, those are instruments you typically wouldn’t expect to hear in a Lynyrd Skynyrd song. We even do some Chuck Berry stuff and some Eagles stuff."

Pure & Simple Bluegrass will perform twice on Thursday, first at 2 p.m. at the Ameris Arena as part of senior citizen’s day at the National Peanut Festival. The first performance will include gospel songs and traditional blue grass music. The second performance will be at 7 p.m. at the amphitheater, which Perry said will include a slightly different show with southern rock, country and bluegrass music all mixed together.

"We really do a high energy show and that includes magic, comedy and music," Perry said. "Back in the older days the earlier groups of bluegrass they did some comedy. They incorporated more entertaining aspects with their shows."

Perry said the band, which formed in 2003, has three CDs, an all gospel album, a traditional bluegrass album and their most recent dubbed Over the Edge. The band rehearses every Tuesday at Perry’s Bluegrass Shop in Dothan.

Perry said the band returns Thursday to the National Peanut Festival for the fourth time, but for the first time at an evening concert at the amphitheater.

Pure and Simple Bluegrass includes Perry, who plays the dobro, Steve Kirkland on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, John Corbin on the acoustic upright bass, Greg Whigham plays the banjo, Mike Hutto on lead guitar and vocals and Ronnie Retherford on the mandolin.

To see more of The Dothan Eagle or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dothaneagle.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Dothan Eagle, Ala.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

<< — 11/06/2009>>

MONTREAL, Nov. 5 /CNW Telbec/ - GLV Inc. ("GLV"; ticker symbols GLV.A, GLV.B / TSX) announces an amendment to the conditions of its voluntary takeover bid (the "Offer"), launched on October 13, 2009, to acquire up to 100% of the shares of Christ Water Technology AG ("CWT"). Pursuant to this amendment, the minimum acceptance threshold for shares to be tendered into the Offer has been reduced from 90% to 75% of CWT’s outstanding shares. The amendment to the required minimum threshold condition has been approved by the Austrian Takeover Commission.

GLV considers the offered price of (euro)3.35 per CWT share to be fair and reasonable considering the restructuring and market challenges faced by CWT. As communicated to the Austrian Takeover Commission, GLV’s management hereby confirms that the offered price as well as the tender period will in no way be altered. CWT’s shareholders have until November 17, 4:00 p.m. (Vienna time) to tender their shares into the Offer. After that date, the Offer will lapse if, notably, the 75% minimum tender threshold condition has not been met.

CWT’s largest shareholder, WAB Privatstiftung, which holds approximately 27% of the shares of CWT, has already tendered its shares into the Offer, as of October 15, 2009. Additionally on October 23, 2009, the Management and Supervisory Boards of CWT issued a statement recommending that CWT’s shareholders tender their shares into GLV’s Offer.

<< About GLV Inc. ————– >>

GLV is a leading global provider of technological solutions used in water treatment, recycling and purification, as well as in pulp and paper production. The Water Treatment Group (also known worldwide as "Eimco Water Technologies") specializes in the design and international marketing of solutions and high-performance, economical and eco-friendly processes for the treatment and recycling of municipal and industrial wastewater and water used in various industrial processes. It also offers water intake screening solutions for power stations, refineries and desalination plants. With its extensive technological portfolio, the group is positioned to provide comprehensive solutions for the filtration, clarification, treatment and purification of water that will either be returned into the environment, or be re-used in various industrial processes or for domestic purposes. The Pulp and Paper Group specializes in the design and global marketing of equipment and systems used in various stages of pulp and paper production, notably chemical pulping, pulp preparation and sheet formation and finishing. This group ranks among the foremost players in its industry and is a recognized leader in rebuilding, upgrading and optimization services for existing equipment, as well as the sale of spare parts. It also stands apart for the superior performance of several of its key products and technologies, notably in terms of energy savings. GLV is present in some 30 countries and has approximately 1,500 employees.

<< — 11/06/2009>>

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Fitch Ratings upgrades the rating on outstanding economic recovery bonds (ERBs) of the State of California to ‘A’ from ‘BBB’. The Rating Outlook is Stable.

The upgrade to ‘A’ of outstanding ERBs, consisting of various series 2004 and series 2008 bonds, puts the bonds’ rating on par with $3.4 billion in series 2009 ERBs, initially rated ‘A’ with a Stable Outlook on Oct. 20, 2009 by Fitch. The closing of the series 2009 ERB sale took place today; issuance of the series 2009 bonds restructures the future debt service profile of all outstanding ERBs through maturity to ensure adequate coverage by pledged revenues. For further information, please see Fitch’s release dated Oct. 20, 2009, available on Fitch’s web site at ‘www.fitchratings.com’.

Additional information is available at ‘www.fitchratings.com’.

ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY’S PUBLIC WEBSITE ‘WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM’. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH’S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE ‘CODE OF CONDUCT’ SECTION OF THIS SITE.

Fitch Ratings, New York

Douglas Offerman, 212-908-0889

Laura Porter, 212-908-0575

Richard Raphael, 212-908-0507

or

Media Relations:

Cindy Stoller, 212-908-0526

Email: cindy.stoller@fitchratings.com

Source: Fitch Ratings

<<Business Wire — 11/06/2009>>

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The United Steelworkers (USW) called today’s order by the U.S. Department of Commerce for proposed anti-dumping tariffs on China pipe imports known as oil country tubular goods (OCTG), an overdue message for thousands of American laid off workers that trade laws are being enforced.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/DC12982LOGO)

According to documents, the OCTG trade case is the largest in U.S. history against China imports valued at $2.6 billion in 2008. The U.S. government order confirms overall, China’s practice of dumping OCTG . This is the fifth pipe and tube products dumping case since June 2007.

USW President Leo W. Gerard cited today’s Commerce Dept. anti-dumping margins for OCTG China exporters as promising to U.S. producers with nearly half its workforce on layoff status caused by the huge inventory of dumped China pipe imports. "China’s government and exporters are being told we are fed up with their cheating on our fair trade laws and penalties for these transgressions are long overdue."

The China-wide tariff margin announced by the Commerce Dept. is 99.14 percent. However, Gerard was critical of the ‘zero’ tariff margin affixed to Jiangsu Changbao Steel Tube Co. - one of China’s largest OCTG exporters. "We question why Changbao was singled out as if they were the only one among 75 other pipe exporters who were considered not in violation. We plan to challenge this finding as the case proceeds in our government’s investigation."

He adds: "Consistent and swift U.S. trade law enforcement must be the standard with our trading partners if we are to retain good jobs and rebuild our economic manufacturing capacity." The USW president said nearly half of the domestic industry’s 6,000 workers are now laid off. "China’s dumped and subsidized OCTG pipe imports are a threat to working families and the future of a critical product used in our nation’s energy extraction industry."

Seven domestic OCTG producers and the USW filed an antidumping and countervailing duty trade case against China imports with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on April 8 of this year. OCTG represents welded and seamless steel pipes that are used to extract oil or gas from a drill well.

USW Vice President Tom Conway, who handles labor agreement negotiations with the pipe companies, said the U.S. government investigation in the OCTG trade cases, ‘gives reason to believe there will be a callback of laid-off American pipe workers who can share in the recovery of this industry once the unfairly-traded Chinese import inventory is de-stocked."

In September, the Commerce Dept. found China OCTG exporters benefited from massive government subsidization and announced countervailing duty margins ranging from 11 to 31 percent. According to the USW, the increase in Chinese imports of OCTG are made worse by the global recession that increases the impact on good jobs in the steel and pipe manufacturing sector.

In addition to the USW as co-petitioner, the seven producers of the OCTG petition are: U.S. Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa.; Maverick Tube Corp., Hickman, Ark.; Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, Pueblo, Colo.; TMK IPSCO, Downers Grove, Ill.; V&M Star, LLP, Houston, Tx.; V&M TCA, Houston, Tx.; and Wheatland Tube Corp., Beachwood, Oh.

Roger Schagrin, trade counsel for the USW at Schagrin Associates of Washington, DC, said today’s Commerce Dept. order allows the U.S. to begin collecting a bond that will go into an escrow fund for all future OCTG imports. The next step in the trade cases will be an ITC public hearing on Dec. 1. A final anti-subsidy or countervailing duty determination will be made by the Commerce Dept. later this month, with a first ITC injury determination in early January, while the dumping portion of the trade case will be finalized in Spring 2010.

Contact: Gary Hubbard 202-778-4384; 202-256-8125

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

<< — 11/06/2009>>

Call On Italian Government to Hold Company Responsible for Actions

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A delegation of labor representatives and consumer protection advocates joined hundreds of protesters outside the Embassy of Italy in Washington today to call on the Italian government to hold Fiat/Chrysler accountable for waging an attack on thousands of good-paying jobs in the U.S. carhaul industry by shifting work to cut-rate, inexperienced companies to transport new vehicles.

Representatives from the Teamsters Union, the Australian Services Union and Consumer Action delivered a letter from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the presidents of the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies. In the letter, Hoffa expressed concern that billions in taxpayer dollars on both sides of the Atlantic are not being used to establish a sustainable recovery at Fiat/Chrysler, and calls on the Italian government to hold Fiat/Chrysler and its chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, accountable for the company’s actions.

"Fiat management is seeking to transform the auto transport industry from one that provides stable jobs that support drivers and their families into a cut-throat, low-cost, low-quality segment of its supply chain," Hoffa wrote. "In the United States, Fiat/Chrysler has recently embarked on an effort that transforms how automobiles are delivered to dealer showrooms. The results are disturbing from the perspective of both business and consumers."

The delegation also gave embassy representatives a copy of the report "Damaged When Delivered? How Bailed-Out Auto Giants are Ripping Off American Consumers," a revealing look at the risks to vehicles and consumers when car companies use cut-rate and inexperienced carhaul drivers to transport new automobiles.

"Not only is Fiat/Chrysler attempting to destroy thousands of good jobs in the carhaul industry, but they are contracting to brokers that hire improperly trained workers. These inexperienced drivers are securing new vehicles in such a manner that the automobiles are at risk of being damaged while being transported to the dealerships," said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Automobile Transporters Industry Division. "The consumer is not only getting a product that is not in the same condition it was when it came of the line, but may in fact be at risk of injury due to the damage inflicted on these automobiles by inexperienced carhaul drivers."

Demonstrators at the protest expressed their solidarity with Fiat workers in Italy, who are likewise fighting for their rights, pay and against mass layoffs.

"I also want to express the Teamsters Union’s solidarity in these trying times with our brothers and sisters in Italy who work at Fiat and along its supply chain," Hoffa wrote. "We share your concern for the 12,000 workers currently laid-off at Fiat."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

<< — 11/06/2009>>

Nov. 5–TOKYO — Japan’s largest Net shopping mall operator Rakuten Inc. said Thursday it has agreed to invest 3 billion yen in bitWallet Inc., the operator of the Edy electronic money service, to turn it into a subsidiary.

Under the accord, Rakuten will purchase new shares to be floated next month by bitWallet and acquire an equity stake of more than 50 percent in it, it said.

Rakuten "will seek to strengthen the Edy-related business by gaining access to consumers who have actively taken advantage of the Edy service," it said, noting that the Edy is presently utilized at some 160,000 locations.

Rakuten, using its own large customer base, will seek to bolster the frequency, with which the electronic money is used for online payments, it said.

In addition, Rakuten will step up collaboration with Sony Corp., other members of the Sony group as well as business allies of bitWallet, it said.

The Sony group is currently the biggest shareholder of bitWallet, with Sony holding a stake of 12.76 percent and its subsidiary Sony Finance International Inc. owning 20.75 percent as of the end of September.

To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com

Copyright (c) 2009, Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

<< — 11/06/2009>>