Labor unrest at Ford’s (F) auto supplier plant in India has prompted the company to shut down its Oakville, Ontario, plant for the week, which employs 3,000 workers in two shifts. The closure would cost Ford 5,000 vehicles. The idled employees would get 65% of regular pay from a combination of funding from the company and employment insurance.  The strike at Rico Auto Industries in the state of Haryana in India turned violent after an employee died recently during a protest. It has triggered a shortage of transmission parts to the Canadian plant. The plant produces Edge SUV, the Flex and Lincoln MKT seven-passenger vehicle and the Lincoln MKX.  Last week, labor trouble had erupted at some of Ford’s plants when some members of United Auto Workers (UAW) declined to ratify the modifications to its 2007 labor contract. The modifications include banning strikes over wages or ...

Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons Inc. (THI) reported an 8% drop in fourth-quarter profit due to lackluster sales in the U.S., but shares soared on Friday as the company boosted its dividend payout by 11%.

In the latest quarter, the company earned 69.1 million Canadian dollars ($54.8 million), or 38 Canadian cents (30 cents). The results include a charge of 8 Canadian cents per share related to the closure of 11 underperforming restaurants in New England. Analysts on average were looking for a profit of 38 cents per share.

Although the Oakville, Ontario-based company warned that its American operations would continue to weigh on its performance in 2009, it said its Canadian business remained strong. Tim Hortons also raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to 10 Canadian cents per share and said it will start buying back $200 million in stock in March.

Shares of the company

…

There are a variety of media reports this weekend exploring the issue of thieves who are absconding with beer kegs and taking them to scrap metal yards where they can receive upwards of $50 for an empty keg. One report discussed how some manhole covers have even disappeared.