Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.law From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: law Fri, Apr 17 1992 Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 05:42:11 EDT Message-ID: 04-17 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update April 17-19, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network WORKERS SUE EXXON OVER HEALTH: Workers who say they've suffered after their exposure to harsh cleansers and oil fumes during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup are suing. The first of several lawsuits filed in federal and state courts against Exxon Corp., Exxon Shipping Co. and Exxon Pipeline Co., along with two contractors that helped clean up the 11 million-gallon spill, is expected to go to trial in May. (For more, see special Spill package below.) STATES TRY TO LURE BMW: A battle is on between two states for a new BMW factory. The South Carolina Senate unanimously passed a resolution Thursday to provide a $35 million incentive package for German auto group BMW to build its first U.S. car assembly plant in the state. Nebraska also is offering incentives to BMW, which is also looking at Spain, Portugal and Czechoslovakia as possible sites. WOMEN MUST SIGN CONSENT FORMS: All women who want to be included in studies on silicone gel breast implants must sign consent forms. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler Thursday announced the guidelines for who can receive the implants and stressed that they are being made available under test conditions to study their safety. A moratorium was placed on their use in January. SAFETY IS KEY TO STUDIES: FDA Commissioner David Kessler, in announcing that silicone gel breast implants will be available to some women under test conditions, said the main purpose of the studies is "to acquire, once and for all, the information necessary to establish the safety of these devices." Availability will be limited to all reconstruction patients and a few women wanting larger breasts. CATERPILLAR RECALLS WORKERS: Caterpillar Inc. Thursday decided to recall all 12,600 members of the United Auto Workers union who ended a five-month strike Tuesday. Wednesday, Caterpillar barred the workers form returning to work, saying it would let them know how many workers would be rehired. The heavy equipment maker said rather than cut workers, it will trim 1,350 jobs through attrition. NEW KIDS CLAIMS, SUIT DROPPED: Greg McPherson, the ex-New Kids on the Block manager who said the group lip-synced some vocals, said Wednesday he is dropping the claims and a $21 million lawsuit. "The allegations I made regarding New Kids on the Block lip-syncing were untrue," he said. McPherson said the dispute is resolved, but wouldn't say whether his retraction resulted from an out-of-court settlement. 2 LIVE CREW CONTROVERSY RETURNS: Omaha City Councilman Steve Exon has called for prosecution of stores that let teens buy "Sports Weekend" and other recordings by 2 Live Crew. Luther Campbell, leader of the band, has scheduled in response an appearance Friday in an Omaha record store to protest Exon's initiative. CENSORSHIP FILM IN QUESTION: A censorship battle is being fought in court over the British documentary "Banned in the U.S.A." an award-winning program about censorship. Rev. Donald Wildmon, who is interviewed in the film, filed suit in Mississippi, claiming his contract with the filmmakers gives him a say over where the film can be shown. A Manhattan federal judge will hear a countersuit April 24. WAGE NEGOTIATIONS STALL: There is a difference of opinion about the state of contract negotiations between USAir and the Air Line Pilots Association over wage concessions. USAir says negotiations have hit an impasse and has asked the National Mediation Board to release both parties from the talks. The union says talks are recessed for the Easter holiday, but scheduled to resume Tuesday. TELEMARKETER GETS PRISON TERM: Clint Riedeman, 23, of St. Cloud, Fla., was sentenced Thursday in Orlando, Fla., to six years in prison on 52 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He was the president of National Telegroup Inc., which did telemarketing under the name Frontier Financial Services. The firm defrauded 29,000 customers of $1.4 million, a U.S. District Court ruled. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON SPILL: WORKERS SUE FOR TREATMENT COSTS: David Driver, who was a supervisor during efforts to clean up oil spill in Alaska in 1989 from the Exxon Valdez, says workers are having to sue to get money to pay for medical treatments. The workers say they have suffered health problems as a result of exposure to powerful cleaners and oil fumes. Driver says while they are suing, they do not have enough money to pay for treatments. EXXON SAYS OSHA STANDARDS MET: A spokesman for Exxon, Bill Smith, declined to discuss the court cases except to say, "Exxon and its contractors complied with all applicable state and federal safety regulations, including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards." Workers say they have suffered skin lesions, neurological disorders, respiratory problems and other side effects. PEOPLE NEED EQUAL TREATMENT: David Driver says that if enormous efforts can be made to save animals affected by the oil spill, the same efforts should be made to help the people who helped the animals. "All I'm trying to do is stir up enough interest and support to get people who know what they're doing to check it out," he said. (End of package.) Business Law Editor: Jason P. Smith. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM