Business news digest

REGION

Ford is on track to achieve employee cost cutting

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. says it is on target to reach its goal of cutting 15 percent of its salaried employee costs in North America.

Friday was the company’s self-imposed deadline to finish the cuts, which included an unspecified number of involuntary layoffs, normal attrition and leaving unfilled positions vacant, said spokeswoman Marcey Evans.

She would not say how many salaried and contractual workers lost their jobs. At the end of the first quarter, the company said its North American white-collar work force was 23,800, with the bulk of the jobs in the U.S.

Union contracts to expire for Verizon Inc. workers

NEW YORK — Union contracts covering about 65,000 workers at Verizon Communications Inc. expire Saturday night, but the threat of a strike appears small.

The phone company is in negotiations with the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for new contracts. Members of both unions have authorized a strike.

It is unlikely that a strike would break out immediately this weekend, since the parties normally continue to negotiate without a contract for a while. If a strike does happen, the main effect could be delayed installations and repairs of landlines and Internet connections.

From Vindicator wire reports