NATION/WORLD UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, January 23, 1997
7A
French bank employees release senior executives
The Associated Press
PARIS — Employees protesting a government plan to cut jobs at their troubled bank released their president and seven other senior executives yesterday after holding them for six days.
But labor organizers pledged to continue occupying the downtown Paris headquarters of Credit Foncier de France until the government ends plans to cut about 1,500 jobs.
"The struggle and the occupation will continue," union representative Jean-Claude Mabourde said.
About 500 employees have occupied the bank since Friday.
pank president Jerome Meusson-
nier thanked his captors after his
release.
"We rejoice at this gesture, which shows good sense and responsibility," Meussonnier said. "This will facilitate the resumption of normal dialogue."
The government had demanded the release of the executives before any negotiations on altering its plan to streamline Credit Foncier. The plan would eliminate about half of Credit Foncier's 3,300 jobs.
"The ball is now in their camp." Mabourda said.
Finance Minister Jean Arthuis promised that all means would be placed at the disposition of the government-appointed mediator, Philippe Rouvillois, to find a solution that was in the interest of the
employees.
Justice Minister Jacques Toubon said yesterday that he was scandalized by the protest, and accused union leaders of having irresponsible positions.
"The government plan must be followed, and we must do what we can so that the human consequences are reduced as much as possible," Toubon said on French radio.
Workers in other industries have blocked their managers inside plants, but until now the actions had been short-lived.
With unemployment at 12.7 percent, French wokers have bitterly protested moves to streamline companies.
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With the Bosnia Peace Implementation Force withdrawing, the United States is committing 8,500
Defense Secretary-designate William Cohen made the Clinton administration's position clear during his televised confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the panel, said he was convinced Bosnia would not be ready to govern itself by mid-1998.
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In a warning to European allies, President Clinton's choice for defense secretary said yesterday the U.S. troop commitment to Bosnia would end after 18 months.
"This is a signal and a very strong message for our European friends," Cohen said. "We are not going to be there. This is going to end at that point."
Confirmation hearing affirms Clinton's position on Bosnia
Any continued peace operation would be Europe's responsibility.
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Committee members of both parties voiced concern about the possibility of a prolonged U.S. troop commitment.
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troops to a follow-up force. After 18 months, Cohen said, the administration will press European allies to take the lead in rebuilding Bosnia.
"The definition of an exit strategy is elusive," Cohen said. But he said, "Here, setting a timeline is important because it's telling our European friends that we are not going to make an unlimited commitment to that region."
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Cohen said he would review the troop deployment every six months and that he expected the size of the 8,500-member force to decrease during the next six months to a year.
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"We are not going to be there. This is going to end at that point."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the U.S. commitment comes from the European allies' refusal to keep their troops in Bosnia without a U.S. presence.
when the follow-up force is scheduled to withdraw.
William Cohen DefenseSecretarydesignate
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ABC ordered to pay Food Lion
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GREENSBORO, N.C. — A jury yesterday ordered ABC and two producers to pay Food Lion more than $5.5 million for lying to get food-handling jobs and hiding cameras in their wigs for an exposure on unsanitary practices at the supermarket chain.
While Food Lion disputed the allegations in the 1992 PrimeTime Live report, it was ABC's news gathering methods that were at issue in the federal trial. The jury had earlier found the network committed fraud, trespassing and breach of loyalty.
The Associated Press
But in the closely-watched case that opened a new line of legal attack against the media — and put
Lawyer calls decision irrational, emotional
"It's punishing the messenger, plain and simple."
undercover reporting itself on trial — Food Lion got far less than the $52.5 million to $1.9 billion in punitive damages it sought.
Bruce Sanford First Amendment lawyer
Bruce Sanford, a First Amendment lawyer in Washington, called the Food Lion verdict emotional, irrational and unconstitutional and said it would force journalists to think twice before doing investigative pieces.
"We weren't in there trying to handcuff the media," explained Gregory Mack, foreman of the jury that deliberated the damages for six days. "We would not have gotten the story if the media had not gone in."
"It's punishing the messenger, plain and simple," Sanford said.
The jury, in the second multimillion-dollar verdict against ABC in as many months, ordered the network to pay $4 million and its employees an additional $1.5 million. ABC said it would appeal.
The PrimeTime Live report, narrated by Diane Sawyer, accused Food Lion of selling rat-gnawed cheese, expired meat and old chicken that had been washed in bleach to stop its smell. Food Lion denied the allegations and said it had lost more than $1 billion in sales and stock value because of the report.
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