Cablevision sues Brooklyn local; other business briefs

LONG ISLAND

Cablevision sues Brooklyn local

Cablevision Systems Corp. filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing a labor union of making defamatory claims about the speed and quality of its Internet service in Brooklyn. The suit, filed in state Supreme Court in Nassau County, accuses Communications Workers of America District 1 and Local 1109 of falsely asserting that the Bethpage company's service was 25 percent slower in Brooklyn compared to the Bronx. The union, which represents some Cablevision workers in Brooklyn, did not respond to requests for comment. Cablevision, which owns Newsday, is not seeking damages but asking for the court to order the union to stop defaming the company. In June, Cablevision workers in the Bronx voted against joining Communications Workers of America. -- JOE RYAN< />

Postal Service to hire 150 on LI

For Long Island's job seekers, it could be a belated holiday gift: the U.S. Postal Service will be hiring roughly 150 new employees locally to replace workers retiring at the end of 2012. The open positions are for letter carriers and truck drivers. Salaries start at $21 an hour for truck drivers, and $22.50 per hour for letter carriers. Those interested can apply online at usps.com/employment, or attend the USPS job fair at Roosevelt Field mall Thursday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Post Office representatives will set up a booth on the mall's upper level, near the food court. The window to apply for the jobs closes Jan. 3. -- LISA DU

NATION

Judge to rule on tobacco apology

A federal judge will soon decide whether your next tank of gas or bottle of soda comes with a free apology from the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel. A recent ruling ordering a multimedia blitz stating that the nation's largest tobacco companies lied about the dangers of smoking left open the possibility that retailers could be required to post large displays with the mea culpas. Retail trade groups are upset about the possibility the displays would commandeer their most valuable selling space and imply their own guilt by association.

Buffett company sells railroads

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's company has sold two short-line railroads it recently discovered it owned to satisfy regulators who might have reviewed Berkshire Hathaway's 2010 acquisition of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. Berkshire told the Transportation Department's Surface Transportation Board earlier this month that it had completed the sale of both short-line railroads ahead of schedule. If Berkshire had reported owning those railroads when it bought BNSF, the Surface Transportation Board would have had to scrutinize the deal. Berkshire first disclosed owning the railroads to the Surface Transportation Board in September. Buffett did not immediately respond to a message about the short-line railroads Wednesday, but officials at Berkshire's BNSF and MidAmerican subsidiaries confirmed that the railroad sales were completed.

Gloomy post-Christmas retail

Bargain-hungry Americans will need to go on a post-Christmas spending binge to salvage this holiday shopping season. U.S. holiday sales so far this year have grown at the weakest pace since 2008, when the nation was in a deep recession. The final week of December can account for about 15 percent of the month's sales, and the day after Christmas is typically one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Stores, which don't typically talk about their plans for sales and other promotions during the season, are known for offering discounts of up to 70 percent after the holiday. Still, a powerful winter storm, which pounded the nation's midsection and the northeast on Wednesday could hurt post-Christmas shopping. The storm is bringing high winds and heavy snow that disrupted holiday travel. -- AP