The Kroger Co. and the union representing about 8,500 workers at 70 stores in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana exchanged contract proposals Friday in hopes of reaching an agreement before the current contract expires Oct. 9.

Negotiators, who bargained primarily over health care and pension matters, will review the proposals and meet again Sept. 16, according to a union spokesman.

Pension payments up for Sara Lee

Sara Lee Corp. Friday said that it expects to contribute roughly $236 million to its pension plans for the fiscal year ending July 3, compared with $112 million in fiscal 2004.

The Chicago-based food and clothing company also said in its annual report that its projected obligation for its defined benefit plans exceeded plan assets by $1.54 billion at the end of fiscal 2004.

New York Stock Exchange-listed Sara Lee shares closed Friday at $22.83, up 29 cents, or 1.3 percent.

The brands of Sara Lee, which has a division based in Blue Ash and a plant on Spring Grove Avenue, include Hillshire Farm sausage, Kahn’s, Aoste, Justin Bridou, Nobre, Zwan, Hanes, Wonderbra and Playtex.

Multi-Color wins packaging award

The heat-transfer labels created by Cincinnati’s Multi-Color Corp. for Procter & Gamble Co.’s Folgers AromaSeal plastic canister received a gold and diamond award at the 17th annual DuPont Award for Innovation in Packaging.

The competition, honoring innovation in food processing and packaging, recognized 22 innovations from 36 countries. The Folgers AromaSeal canister was one of only three packages to receive the diamond award.

Digital phone offer adds Hamilton

Time Warner Cable is expanding the roll-out of its digital phone service to Hamilton. Since launching telephone service via the Internet in June in Greater Cincinnati, the cable provider has offered service in Loveland, Milford, West Chester and Indian Hill.

Existing Time Warner Cable customers pay $39.95 a month for unlimited local and long distance service. Customers who don’t have cable or high-speed Internet service pay $44.95.

AT&T wins deal for network services

AT&T has won a $3 million networking services contract from Vector Security Inc., an electronic security provider with operations in Blue Ash. Under the three-year agreement, AT&T will also implement Internet-based phone services at a number of Vector’s 22 U.S. sites.

General Cable, union reach deal

Highland Heights-based General Cable Corp. said Friday it reached a one-year contract agreement with Local 2155, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The union, which represents 187 workers at its Bonham, Texas plant, had been on strike since Aug. 29. The workers are slated to return to work Tuesday.