IN BRIEF

NEW YORK

United will require stays for seats in coach

United Airlines said Friday it will start requiring minimum stays for nearly all domestic coach seats beginning in October. It is also raising its cheapest fares by as much as $90 one-way.

The second-largest U.S. carrier said the moves are among a number of changes, including flight and job cutbacks, it is making to combat record high fuel prices.

Starting Oct. 6, most of United's economy-class fares will require a one- to three-night or weekend-night minimum stay, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said. The policy does not apply to fliers in other classes.

United shares fell 95 cents, or 11.71 percent, Friday to close at $7.16 on the Nasdaq National Market.

WASHINGTON

U.S. steel pipe makers gain victory with ruling

U.S. steel pipe manufacturers, who have been battling a surge in imports from China, won a major victory Friday when the International Trade Commission cleared the way for the imposition of stiff penalty tariffs for the next five years.

The commission voted 5-0 that the U.S. industry was being harmed by the import of circular steel pipe. The decision marked the first time a U.S. industry has won a decision to impose tariffs on a Chinese product based on the argument that the Chinese government was unfairly subsidizing a Chinese industry.

The ruling means penalty tariffs ranging from 99 percent to 701 percent will be imposed on Chinese imports of circular welded pipe, a form of pipe used in a variety of construction jobs, such as home plumbing and sprinkler systems.

DETROIT

UAW president will join Atlantic City protest

The president of the United Auto Workers will take part in a protest march on behalf of casino workers in Atlantic City who have union representation but no contracts.

The Detroit News says Ron Gettelfinger will join AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in march today, along with four New Jersey U.S. House members and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

More than 5,000 dealers, slot technicians and other employees have won six union representation elections at four major Atlantic City casinos: Caesars, Trump Plaza, Bally's and Tropicana since March 2007.

But the UAW says no contracts have been signed and some of the casinos refuse to negotiate.

Boeing says tests on Dreamliner successful

Boeing Co. said tests on the 787 Dreamliner's power systems were successful, putting the plane on schedule for its initial flight in the fourth quarter and delivery to customers next year.

The so-called power-on process began June 11 for the Dreamliner, which will use more electricity than current models to help conserve fuel. Chicago-based Boeing's new carbon-composite aircraft has been pushed back at least 14 months from the original delivery target of last month, partly because vendors were unable to complete all the work they promised.

DES MOINES, Iowa

Winnebago Industries' profit slides 73 percent

Winnebago Industries said Friday its third-quarter profit skidded 73 percent as high gasoline prices, tighter credit and a soft economy drive motor homes sales lower industrywide.

The Forest City-based motor home manufacturer earned $3 million, or 10 cents a share, in the three months ended May 31 compared with a profit of $11.3 million, or 35 cents a share, a year ago.

Sales fell 39.7 percent to $139.7 million from $231.7 million.

Winnebago Industries shares fell $1.23, or 9.29 percent, Friday to close at $11.59 on the New York Stock Exchange.

WASHINGTON

Yahoo execs said to discuss centralization

Yahoo executives are discussing a plan to centralize numerous product groups such as its mail, search and home-page divisions into a global-product organization, a media report said Friday.

Susan Decker, president of Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo, is pushing the plan, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Decker has been trying to improve communication between Yahoo's product teams and overseas-sales groups, the Journal said, citing sources. Some details could be announced as soon as next week, the report said.

DETROIT

Ford will delay truck, make more factory cuts

Faced with a continuing plunge in pickup truck and sport utility vehicle sales, Ford Motor Co. on Friday tried to deal with the mess by delaying production of the new F-150 pickup truck and announcing further factory cuts.

Shortly after Ford's announcement, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it is reviewing ratings on Ford, Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. with the possibility of lowering them due to the deteriorating U.S. auto market. Also, Moody's Investors Service changed its ratings assessment for Ford and Chrysler from "stable" to "negative."

Lower credit ratings can boost a company's borrowing costs.

Dearborn-based Ford also said Friday that its loss on automotive operations will worsen in 2008 and that it will be difficult for the company to break even in 2009 as it had predicted just one month ago.

Ford shares fell 51 cents, or 0.81 percent, Friday to close at $5.81 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Wal-Mart hourly staff can't sue as group

Wal-Mart's hourly employees in Nevada, Delaware, South Dakota, and Alaska can't pursue group lawsuits claiming the company denied rest breaks and manipulated time cards to "shave" their pay, a judge ruled.

The workers, whose lawsuits were combined in federal court in Las Vegas, failed to prove that common issues predominated, ruling out class action treatment, U.S. District Judge Philip Pro said in a 35-page decision Friday.

"Plaintiffs have failed to show that common issues of law or fact predominate over questions affecting individual plaintiffs," Pro wrote. "Class treatment is not superior because these actions essentially will amount to minitrials for each class member and each instance of time shaving."

NEW YORK

Treasury prices higher as stocks head down

Treasury prices moved sharply higher Friday as investors fled the stock market on concerns about oil prices, and traders positioned their holdings ahead of next week's Federal Reserve rate-setting meeting.

The benchmark 10-year note rose 0.28 points to 97.63, and its yield fell to 4.17 percent from 4.21 percent late Thursday, according to BGCantor Market Data. Yields move opposite from prices.

The 30-year long bond rose 4.38 points to 94.41. Its yield fell to 4.73 percent from 4.76 percent.