Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, and Roller Blinds by Hanover Direct/Domestications

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2010 - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of product: Roman shades, roll-up blinds and roller blinds

Units: About 495,000 Roman shades and 28,500 roller/roll-up blinds (about 90,000 Roman shades were recalled in October 2009).

Importer: Hanover Direct Inc., (also known as Domestications, The Company Store, and Company Kids) of Weehawken, N.J.

Hazards:

Roman Shades: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.

Roll-up Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the lifting loops slide off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

R oller Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the blind's continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord is not attached to the wall or the floor with the tension device provided and a child's neck becomes entangled in the free-standing loop.

Incidents/Injuries:

Roman Shades: CPSC received a new report of the death of a 22-month-old boy in Cedar Falls, Iowa who was found hanging by his neck from the outer pull cords of a Roman shade in May 2010. The outer pull cords were knotted at the bottom. He was rescued by his father but died later in the hospital. In March 2008, a 2-year-old boy from Ocean View, Delaware climbed up on a toy chest to look out of a window and became entangled in the inner cords of a Roman shade. His parents removed the cord. No permanent injuries were sustained. This incident prompted a previous recall.

Roll-Up Blinds: None reported.

Roller Blinds: None reported.

Description: This recall involves all styles of Roman shades with inner cords, all styles of

roll-up blinds, and roller blinds that do not have a tension device. A tension device is intended to be attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and installed into the wall or floor.

Sold at: Hanover Direct/Domestications, the Company Store/Company Kids; online at www.domestications.com and www.thecompanystore.com; and through catalog sales nationwide from January 1996 through October 2009 for between $20 and $579.

Manufactured in: China, United States, and other countries

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using all Roman shades with inner cords, all roll-up blinds, and all roller blinds that do not have a tension device, and contact the Window Covering Safety Council at (800) 506-4636 anytime for free repair kits or visit www.windowcoverings.org. Consumers who have roller blinds with a tension device should make sure the tension device is attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and is installed into the wall or floor.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Domestications or Hanover at (800) 453-1106 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET seven days a week, or visit the firm's websites at www.domestications.com or www.hanoverdirect.com.

Settlement of a Suit against Wal-Mart in California

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 10, 2010 - The United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Saundra B. Armstrong, has granted final approval to the settlement of a wage and hour class action suit against Wal-Mart in California, In re Wal-Mart Stores Wage and Hour Litigation, Case No. 02069SBA (Smith Case No. C-06-02069SBA and Ballard Case No. C-06-05411SBA). The settlement, which provides for a payment of between $43 million and $86 million (including claims, costs, and attorneys' fees), concludes more than four years of litigation concerning the payment of wages to California associates. In addition, as part of the settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to continue to maintain electronic systems that will protect the rights of workers.

"This settlement represents an extraordinary result for the members of this class, with up to $86 million being paid by Wal-Mart to resolve the claim that class members were underpaid approximately $12 million in vacation and other wages when their employment with Wal-Mart ended. The potential additional $74 million payment represents interest and statutorily imposed expenses that Wal-Mart may have faced had the matter proceeded to trial," said Louis Marlin of Marlin & Saltzman, one of the counsel for the class. "The case has been hard fought since it was filed four years ago, with Wal-Mart's lawyers presenting a vigorous defense. Marlin & Saltzman, along with our co-counsel, including Peter Hart, have fought hard for the class members."

"Our policy is to pay our associates in an accurate and timely manner. Our communications, processes and systems will help ensure that's the case," said Greg Rossiter, Wal-Mart spokesperson.

Caterpillar Announces Program to Offer Product Financing Options to Customers in India

The company and its dealers in India—TIPL and GMMCO— will work with leading banks and finance companies to support the sale of Caterpillar machinery and power systems to customers in India.


DELHI, India, Nov. 9, 2010 - As part of its commitment to enhance customer support, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) subsidiary Caterpillar India Private Limited announced today it has entered into agreements with its dealers in India and with key banks and Non Banking Financial Company's (NBFC's). The collaboration agreements will give customers in India new finance options for the purchase of Caterpillar machinery and power systems, which are being used to fuel growth and a wide range of development in India.

Caterpillar India and Indian Cat dealers GMMCO and TIPL have entered into agreements with the following key infrastructure focused banks – ICICI, HDFC Bank, NBFC's [Non Banking Finance Company] Tata Capital Services and Magma to support the sale of the full range of Caterpillar products sold in India.

"We are very pleased to have facilitated Caterpillar India's alliances with these leading banks and NBFC's in India," said Kent Adams, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation.

Caterpillar India and its dealers have signed Memorandums of Understanding with ICICI, HDFC Bank, Tata Capital and Magma whereby the Caterpillar dealers would apprise prospective Caterpillar customers about the financial solutions and loan advantages being offered by the Preferred Financiers to customers acquiring Caterpillar machinery and engines.

"This is another step that Caterpillar is taking to deepen its support of our customers in India," said Kevin Thieneman, Managing Director – Caterpillar Asia. "This program recognizes the unique demands of the marketplace in India, and will be tailored to give our customers the level of financing support they would expect from Caterpillar, the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives."

The Preferred Financiers will collaborate with Caterpillar India and its dealers to offer enhanced quote and credit approval turnaround, allied with competitive financial solutions to Caterpillar customers. This tie up will cover all eight dealer territories and benefit from the extensive network and coverage these selected Preferred Financiers provide across India.