In brief: Truck drivers at L.A. seaports go on strike
LOS ANGELES – Truck drivers who haul goods from docks at the nation’s busiest seaport complex walked off the job Monday in a dispute over their earnings and employment status, but port officials said the impact on international commerce appeared to be minimal.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the primary West Coast gateway for hundreds of billions of dollars of annual trade, much of it with Asia.
Earlier this year, tough contract negotiations involving dockworkers who move containers on and off oceangoing ships nearly closed the twin ports, along with more than two dozen others on the West Coast.
The ongoing dispute between truckers and trucking companies that resurfaced Monday was nowhere near as disruptive. Spokesmen for both ports said cargo containers were moving freely despite scattered picket lines.
About 16,000 truckers work the two ports, and several hundred from four companies were taking part of the job action, Teamsters union spokeswoman Barb Maynard said.
Harmful bacteria found in frozen shrimp
Random tests of frozen shrimp collected from around the country showed harmful bacteria, the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports said Monday.
Sixty percent of the raw samples tested positive for one or more types of bacteria (salmonella, vibrio, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli or listeria) and seven of the samples tested positive for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA. MRSA is difficult to treat because it’s resistant to many antibiotics.
Consumer Reports said it tested 342 samples of frozen shrimp, 284 raw and 58 cooked, from 27 cities across the country. About 94 percent of shrimp is imported.
Eleven samples of raw shrimp had antibiotic residues, Consumer Reports said.
The Food and Drug Administration, which inspects samples of imported shrimp for drugs and chemicals, has not approved the use of antibiotics in shrimp, raising health concerns by the advocacy group.
The FDA last year tested less than 1 percent of imported shrimp, according to Consumer Reports.
Burger King sales jump with new promotions
NEW YORK – The home of the Whopper enjoyed its biggest sales jump in nearly a decade in the U.S. and Canada during the first quarter, boosted by a pricier new flavor of its signature burger and an ongoing two for $5 promotion.
Burger King’s sales rose 6.9 percent at established locations in the U.S. and Canada, parent company Restaurant Brands International said Monday. The company, which also owns Tim Hortons doughnut chain, declined to say whether the increase at Burger King was driven by higher average spending or an uptick in customer traffic, which is a key indicator of health.
Mylan N.V. rejects Teva buyout offer
NEW YORK – Mylan N.V. rejected Teva Pharmaceuticals’ $40.1 billion buyout offer, saying the cash-and-stock proposal undervalues the company.
Mylan said it won’t think about starting talks unless Teva offers more than $100 per share, far above its current offer of $82 per share. After the rejection, Teva said it is committed to completing the deal and that a sale to Teva is Mylan’s best option.