Business news digest

REGION

Comprehensive Logistics workers to vote on pact

AUSTINTOWN — Comprehensive Logistics workers in the Lansing, Mich., area are slated to vote on a new contract Saturday, the Lansing State Journal said. If the contract is turned down, members of United Steelworkers Local 2-921 will vote on whether to authorize a strike, union local President Joe Crim told the newspaper. He declined to discuss details of the contract offer.

A strike authorization does not mean a walkout is imminent, though it gives the union permission to call one if approved. Comprehensive Logistics is based in Austintown and hauls parts for General Motors Corp.’s operations, including the Lansing Grand River assembly plant, and for Ford Motor Co., Crum said.

NATION

Agreement reached on retiree health care

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co., the United Auto Workers union and lawyers representing retired workers have reached a legal agreement to shift retiree health care costs from the company to a union-administered trust fund.

The company revealed the agreement Friday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Ford also says that it issued two notes Wednesday totaling $6.3 billion that will help fund the trust. The trust will take responsibility for the company’s roughly $23.7 billion retiree health care obligation as soon as Dec. 31, 2009.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports