Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business Briefs /2005/08/06/

[ FAST FACTS HAWAII ]

UH CREDIT UNION
CELEBRATES
50TH BIRTHDAY

COURTESY OF UHFCU

CORRECTION

Friday, August 12, 2005

» The University of Hawaii Federal Credit union has $294 million in assets. A photo caption on page C6 Saturday gave an incorrect figure.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

Since its beginning as a grassroots organization that stored assets in a cash can in a file drawer, the University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union has grown into a full-fledged nonprofit financial services firm. The credit union now has $234 million in assets, 23,000 members and provides auto and home-equity loans, individual retirement accounts and mortgages. The credit union, pictured at its former offices, below, and more recently, above, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Monday with food, prizes and live entertainment at its main branch at 2019 S. King St. Membership in the credit union is open to UH system students, employees and their families.

HAWAII
5 Easy Music Center workers to lose jobs

Five of 12 employees will lose their jobs in the sale of Servco Pacific Inc.'s Easy Music Center to a family partnership led by Peter Dods, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The sale of the business at 1108 Keeaumoku St. is expected to close Sept. 27. Affected employees will continue to receive full wages and benefits from Servco Pacific for 60 days from the July 29 date of Servco's notice.

Dods, son of retired First Hawaiian Bank CEO Walter Dods, heads up the company buying the center, Easy Music Investments Inc.

NATION
Feds investigating DaimlerChrysler

WASHINGTON » The Justice Department is investigating whether DaimlerChrysler AG paid bribes to foreign officials with the knowledge of its senior executives, the automaker disclosed in its latest financial filings.

The criminal investigation is tied to an inquiry opened last year by the Securities and Exchange Commission after an employee fired by the automaker said he was dismissed for complaining that the company was using secret bank accounts to bribe government officials.

DaimlerChrysler said it was cooperating with the investigations by "voluntarily sharing with the DOJ and the SEC information from its own internal investigation of payments from certain accounts" and complying with subpoenas from both federal agencies.

Hooters Air adds more flights

Hooters Air is spreading its wings.

The airline affiliated with the Hooters restaurant chain said yesterday it will expand flights from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport to four destinations: Columbus, Ohio; Gary, Ind.; Rockford, Ill.; and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa.

The flights begin Oct. 28. Introductory fares available through Sept. 5 start at $79 one-way, taxes and fees not included.

As much as a mode of transportation, Hooters Air is a promotion for the restaurants.

Two Hooters girls in tank tops and shorts serve food and drinks on each flight. Ticket agents put boarding passes into jackets that are mini restaurant menus. Safety procedure cards display a Hooters girl giving a salute while wearing a captain's hat.

Qwest workers authorize strike

Workers at Qwest Communications Inc., the No. 4 U.S. local telephone company, voted 91 percent in favor of authorizing a strike if a new labor agreement with the company can't be reached by Aug. 14, when the old contract expires.

The Communications Workers of America represents about 25,000 employees of Denver-based Qwest in 13 western U.S. states, the union said. Contract talks with the company continued yesterday, the statement said.

Qwest, which has had net losses in four of the last five years, is suffering because local-phone clients are shutting off lines and choosing services from cable and telephone competitors.

UH CREDIT UNION CELEBRATES 50TH BIRTHDAY