Twin River guards may receive OT

Lawyers representing the Twin River slot parlor in its federal bankruptcy case have an agreement with a labor lawyer that could open the way for 56 security guards to receive overtime pay.

The lawyers have agreed to ask U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Arthur N. Votolato to free the state Department of Labor and Training to issue a ruling in the pay dispute.

The workers filed a claim in March 2008 with the Department of Labor and Training seeking overtime pay for working on Sundays at the slot parlor.

Unfortunately for the workers, federal bankruptcy filings put most related legal matters on hold, including the security workers’ case. The Department of Labor and Training had held a hearing on the claim, but had yet to issue a ruling when UTGR filed for bankruptcy June 23.

Votolato is expected to review the request Tuesday when Twin River’s lawyers return to court for a hearing in the bankruptcy case.

–– Paul Grimaldi

Carcieri named to wind coalition

Governor Carcieri has been named vice chairman of the Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, a bipartisan group that is promoting wind power.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, chairman of the coalition of 28 state governors, announced the appointment Monday morning.

“Governor Carcieri has been an effective advocate for coastal and offshore wind development and a leader in developing Rhode Island’s wind resources, including the first offshore wind project in North America that will provide 15 percent of all electricity used in Rhode Island,” Culver said in a statement.

That project — the development of two wind farms off the Rhode Island coast by New Jersey-based Deepwater Wind — was proposed a year ago and has progressed steadily since. In June, Carcieri signed into law a bill that requires Rhode Island’s largest electric utility to enter into long-term contracts to purchase renewable energy. That same month, Deepwater agreed to lease land at the Quonset Business Park to assemble wind turbines and stage its projects.

— Alex Kuffner

AT&T to hold job fairs

AT&T plans to hold two job fairs on Wednesday — one in Dedham, Mass., the other in Waltham, Mass. — to help fill more than 100 openings in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The job openings, in AT&T’s wireless business segment, include positions in retail sales, small-business sales and sales management, the company said in a statement Monday. Steve Krom, vice president and general manager for AT&T New England, said. One fair will be at the Hilton Dedham, 25 Allied Drive, Dedham, the other at the Doubletree Guest Suites, 550 Winter St., Waltham. Both will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Additional information can be found at www.att.jobs

— Neil Downing

R.I. gas prices continue to fall

Rhode Island fuel prices were down across the board on Monday compared with the same point a week ago, according to the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources.

The average price of regular, self-serve gasoline dropped 6 cents, to about $2.58 a gallon, according to the agency’s survey.

Similar results emerged from a separate survey by the motor club AAA Southern New England. AAA said that gasoline prices in Rhode Island fell for self-serve, regular gas to $2.58 a gallon, down 5 cents from last week and 11 cents in the last month. The average price of gas has now fallen for four straight weeks, AAA said on Monday.

The average price of diesel fell 1 cent, to about $2.65 a gallon, and the average price of home heating oil in Rhode Island fell 9 cents, to about $2.47 a gallon, the state survey showed.

— Neil Downing

Commodities

Dollar: In trading against major currencies yesterday in New York, the dollar ended at 89.73 Japanese yen, from Friday’s close of 89.90 yen. The euro closed at 3:30 p.m. at $1.4591, from $1.4665.

Metals: Gold for current delivery closed at $992.50 a troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, from Friday’s close of $990.20. Silver closed at $16.173 an ounce, from $16.038.

Fuels: November light, sweet crude oil rose 82 cents to $66.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. October heating oil gained $1.38 cents to $1.6909 a gallon.

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