September 17, 1996

Ford Motor Co and United Automobile Workers union reach agreement on new national labor contract that union hopes will be acceptable to General Motors and Chrysler as well; contract reached with Ford would last three years; Ford guarantees that number of UAW workers in its factories would remain at least at 95 percent of current total, with Ford hiring new workers if necessary to replace retirees; in exchange, Ford wins right to pay permanently lower wages in any new auto parts businesses it might enter; Ford has reportedly agreed to sharp increase in pension benefits, a $2,000 bonus for all workers and 3 percent raise in each of second and third years of contract; analysts say accord will put GM in tough spot: it may not be able to afford to guarantee to keep employment at 95 percent of current levels, but it might not want to risk strike this autumn, when it plans to introduce 15 new models (M)

Ohio Edison Co says it will buy Centerior Energy Corp in $1.61 billion stock swap to create nation's 11th-largest investor-owned utility, serving 2.1 million customers in Ohio and western Pennsylvania; two companies say they will form holding company called First Energy Corp; they estimate they will save about $1 billion during next 10 years, in part by eliminating about 900 jobs; they currently employ total of 11,000 workers; this is latest in series of mergers as utilities seek to cut costs and widen their service areas in preparation for deregulation and increased competition (M)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission took what a spokeswoman described as an ''infrequent'' step yesterday when it suspended a physician's license to use radioactive materials. The doctor, Shashi K. Agarwal, had been licensed to use the materials only when monitored by a radiation safety officer, but was caught violating that rule in April, the spokeswoman, Diane Screnci, said. Radioactive isotopes of thalium, barium and other elements are used in nuclear medicine to permit examiners to observe certain tissues and organs. Dr. Agarwal's license to practice medicine was not affected.

Intuit Inc says it will sell its electronic bill-payment processing business to its main competitor in that field, Checkfree Corp, for $227.6 million in stock; says it intends to focus on its core software businesses, while expanding its services over Internet; Intuit also announces widening losses for its fiscal fourth quarter ended July 31; including charges, net loss in quarter grew to $22 million, from $1.4 million in year earlier; graph (M)

Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI, in one of more unusual captive breeding programs for endangered species, is breeding population of American burying beetles for release at Nantucket Island, Mass, sanctuary; United States Fish and Wildlife Service hopes to re-establish species, named for adults' practice of burying bird or small mammal carcass as food supply for larvae, on island; drawings; photo (M)