From wire reports
CHICAGO - United Airlines' flight attendants union on Monday assailed the carrier's plan to give 20 percent raises to as many as 600 professional and technical employees, just two months after pay cuts took effect for most workers.
United proposed the bonus-pay plan in a federal bankruptcy court filing Thursday, saying it needs to stop the exodus of its information services and computer programming employees to rival airlines and other employers.
The airline seeks to boost the workers' annual base pay by a total of 20 percent over six months in hopes of fending off what it says has been a serious "brain drain" of information services employees considered key to its Chapter 11 reorganization.
Mass. studying claims vs. Microsoft
WASHINGTON - Massachusetts is investigating whether Microsoft Corp. retaliated against a computer maker for promoting a rival operating system, a possible violation of the company's landmark settlement with the Bush administration and 18 other states.
Lawyers for the state told the judge in the antitrust case that they were investigating other complaints. Microsoft said it was complying fully with the settlement.
Mixed results for treasury securities
WASHINGTON - Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities were mixed in Monday's auction.
The Treasury Department sold $17 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.890 percent, up from 0.885 percent last week. An additional $18 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 0.940 percent, down from 0.950 percent.
The three-month rate was the highest since June 9, when the bills sold for 1.005 percent. The six-month rate was the lowest since June 23, when the rate was 0.840 percent.
Grocer investigated for false documents
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Following weekend raids on the headquarters of Ahold, the Dutch public prosecutor's office said Monday it has begun a criminal investigation into the global grocery retailer for allegedly falsifying documents and publishing incorrect information in its annual reports.
Ahold said in a statement that its head offices in the Netherlands had been raided, and that it had "given its full cooperation" to investigators. The Dutch offices of Ahold's accountant, Deloitte & Touche, also were raided.
The probe by the prosecutor was a widening of the investigation begun in April, two months after Ahold shocked financial markets by announcing it had massively overstated earnings in 2001 and 2002.
Fenway Partners to buy helmet maker
Fenway Partners Inc., a Boston buyout firm, said it bought Riddell Sports Group Inc. for about $100 million to help the maker of football helmets and athletic uniforms expand product offerings and acquire companies.
