Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.law From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: law Tue, Jun 2 1992 Date: Tue, 2 Jun 92 05:20:35 EDT Message-ID: 06-02 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update June 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COURT RULES IN WASTE CASES: An Alabama law that aims to cut out-of-state waste was declared unconstitutional Monday by the Supreme Court. The law heavily taxes out-of-state hazardous waste shipped to the nation's largest waste dump. Also, the court struck down a Michigan law that barred private landfill operators from accepting solid waste generated anywhere but in the county where the disposal sites are located. (For more, see special Court package below.) KEY ISSUES STILL UNRESOLVED: AT&T, the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers met for negotiations late into Monday night and plan to meet again Tuesday morning. CWA President Morton Bahr said several key issues are yet to be resolved. Bahr said that he is "more pessimistic today about achieving a settlement in the near term than I was on Saturday." MILKEN APPEARS IN COURT: Michael Milken, who is serving a 10-year sentence for securities fraud, was in court Monday trying to get his sentence reduced and agreed to testify against long-time friend Alan Rosenthal. Rosenthal, Milken's closest aide at Drexel Burnham Lambert, is charged with helping Milken carry out an alleged scheme to give illegal benefits to one of Drexel's largest clients, David Solomon. LAWYERS WANT SENTENCE REDUCED: Lawyers for Michael Milken are hoping that his agreement Monday to testify against former Drexel Burnham Lambert aide Alan Rosenthal will help in their effort to get Milken's 10-year prison sentence reduced. Milken, serving time for securities fraud, appeared in court Monday to testify against Rosenthal and said, "I obviously hope I get a reduction in my sentence." EMISSIONS RULES ARE FOCUS: A technology sharing consortium of the Big Three U.S. automakers, expected to be announced next week, is likely to focus on new emissions rules in California. The newest joint research effort is expected to be aimed at finding ways the carmakers can meet strict California clean air standards that take effect the next few years. Other states are expected to adopt similar rules. FBI WANTS PHONE COS. TO HELP: The FBI is having trouble keeping up with criminals and telephone technology, so it wants phone companies to make it easier for them to tap lines. The FBI wants phone companies to change technology that is stopping it from tapping lines that use call forwarding. Phone firms are rapidly installing systems that send calls in ones and zeros, the language only computers understand. JUICE CONTENTS IN QUESTION: The Center for Science in the Public Interest charged Monday that fruit juice manufacturers are passing off apple and grape juices as more expensive kiwi, papaya, raspberry and cherry juices. The charge comes as the FDA is writing regulations on how much food companies are required to disclose on labels. LABOR DEPT. RULE ATTACKED: A Labor Department rule that says businesses must pay salaried employees overtime in some cases is coming under fire from industry. The rule says if salaried employees lose pay when they take an afternoon off, they are entitled to overtime pay when they work extra hours. The objection is the rule does not differentiate between executives and lower-level salaried employees. NINE-YEAR STRIKE ENDS: United Auto Workers members voted unanimously Monday to accept a contract offer that ends a strike that began in 1983 at the Ohio Crankshaft Division of Park Ohio Industries in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio. Members of UAW Local 91 voted to accept terms of a new agreement which provides over $8.5 million in retiree benefits and gives all strikers the right to return to work with full seniority. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON COURT: COURT REJECTS TRIBUNE ATTEMPT: An attempt by the Chicago Tribune Co. to avoid bargaining with a union the newspaper accused of racial bias was rejected Monday by the Supreme Court. The NLRB had ordered the Tribune to bargain with the union as the official representative of the workers. "Even a union which practices some unlawful discrimination may be the best one available in the opinion of the workers," the board said. STATES DO NOT GOVERN ADS: The Supreme Court justices, by a 5-3 vote Monday, ruled that the federal government, not states, are responsible for banning deceptive airline ads. The justices said Congress' deregulation of the airlines pre-empts states from enforcing laws to protect consumers. COURT LETS BELL RULING STAND: A ruling that said Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. is shielded from racketeering allegations by a doctrine designed to protect the independence of agencies that set public utility rates, was allowed to stand Monday by the Supreme Court. Northwestern was accused of bribing public officials to win a phone rate hike. (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. 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