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Unite Viewpoint

Quebecor Fails to Reach Accord On $1 Billion Bankruptcy Loan

This from Bloomberg..... Quebecor Fails to Reach Accord on $1 Billion Bankruptcy Loan By Tiffany Kary March 7 (Bloomberg) -- Quebecor World (USA) Inc., the bankrupt printer of Time and Cosmopolitan magazines, failed to negotiate new terms for a $1 billion loan needed to finance operations in bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Peck in Manhattan said today he would give Quebecor another 30 days before hearing its request for the ``debtor-in-possession'' or DIP loan. Such loans are routinely used by bankrupt companies.

``Parties will need some additional time to conclude what appear to be constructive although at this point inconclusive negotiations,'' Peck said in court. Under the bankruptcy code, a 45-day window is usually the limit for approval of a final loan agreement after an interim loan is approved. Quebecor, which filed for bankruptcy in both Canada and the U.S. on Jan. 21, won interim approval Jan. 23 to borrow $750 million under the loan, made by a group of investors through lead arrangers Credit Suisse Group and Morgan Stanley. Quebecor's noteholders and unsecured creditors said they wanted the loan revised, because its original draft gives the lenders too much power as well as undetermined fees.

The lenders said the agreement was the best possible arrangement amid tightening credit markets. The case is In re Quebecor World (USA) Inc., 08-10152, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). To contact the reporter on this story: Tiffany Kary in New York bankruptcy court at tkary@bloomberg.net.

Published Mar 09 2008, 05:18 AM by Tony Burke
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About Tony Burke

Tony Burke is an Assistant General Secretary at the UK and Ireland's biggest trade union, Unite the Union. Unite was formed on 1st May, 2007 by a merger of Amicus and TGWU. He heads up the Unite GPM sector, leading a team of experienced full time National and Regional Officers covering the Print, Paper, Packaging, Newspapers, Publishing and Media industries. Tony was Deputy General Secretary of the print, paper and media union the GPMU until it merged, with the skills and professional union Amicus in 2004. Tony is a member of the General Council and Executive Committee of the TUC and also a number of senior committee’s of the global union Union Network International (UNI) Graphical; a member of the Executive Committee of the European Chemical, Energy and Mineworkers Federation; the chair of the TUC's Organising Academy Board; a member of the board of Vision In Print And Packaging and a trade union appointed member of the board of COGENT - the sector skills council for the Chemical, Oil, Pharmaceutical, Energy and Nuclear Industries. He is also a member of the Board Of Management of The Peoples Press Printing Society. This blog will contain news from Unite, graphical, paper and media unions throughout Europe and the world and news and comment on industrial relations issues important to Unite members, managers and our industries. Feel free to comment on the issues that are posted here.