Risk/Compliance: Page 201

Workers Sue XPO Logistics Over Misclassifying Drivers As Independent Contractors

Three trucking company subsidiaries of XPO Logistics Inc. were sued in California on Monday for allegedly misclassifying their drivers as independent contractors.

The class-action lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, argues that drivers for XPO subsidiaries Pacer Cartage Inc., Harbor Rail Transport and PDS Transportation Inc. failed to pay minimum wage, provide meal breaks and rest breaks and reimburse business expenses, among other allegations.

Supreme Court Allows Slave Labor Suit To Continue Against Nestle, ADM And Cargill

The three companies deny the allegations that they knew their cocoa suppliers in Ivory Coast were using underage and forced workers.

The suits state that such children are trafficked from countries neighboring the Ivory Coast, sold to plantation owners by brokers and smugglers, and forced to work under conditions of physical violence without pay. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, 47 percent of the total U.S. imports of cocoa beans come from the Ivory Coast.

Grower Shippers Sue Quaker City Produce Over Non-Payment

The lawsuit alleges that Quaker City failed to pay the plaintiffs — produce suppliers to Quaker City — for the perishable agricultural commodities that the firm purchased from the produce shippers.

Quaker City Produce, will close its doors on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, 17 days after the death of company patriarch Jimmy Storey, according to The Produce News.

Justice Department Signals New Stance On Food Safety Enforcement

The Department of Justice is signaling that whatever standard the food industry thought it needed to meet for food safety, the bar is higher according to Andrew Lankler, partner at law firm Baker Botts.

CP believes it is unfortunate that the company must take the very serious step of writing to the Department of Justice but ultimately concluded the unprecedented action of major competitors organizing to block a new entrant from enhancing competition to the U.S. merited the attention of the antitrust authorities.

Investors Sue Chipotle Over Misleading Health Information

The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of investors who acquired Chipotle shares from February 2015 to January 2016.

Chipotle restaurant 56378df8a0187

Dematic Considers Moving Grand Rapids, Mich. Facility To Mexico

The company has 1,200 employees in Grand Rapids is considering closing its plant in the city and moving 300 manufacturing jobs to Mexico.

Dematic Corp., a global supplier of integrated automated technology, software and services to optimize the supply chain, has agreed to acquire Reddwerks Corp., provider of warehouse execution software (WES) that gives customers real-time decision engines to optimize material and information flow in the supply chain.

Campbell Soup Co. Reverses Stance: Will Support Mandatory GMO Labels

Campbell Soup Co.

With 92 percent of Americans supporting the labeling of GMO foods, Campbell believes now is the time for the federal government to act quickly to implement a federal solution.

Campbell is optimistic a federal solution can be established in a reasonable amount of time if all the interested stakeholders cooperate. However, if that is not the case, Campbell is prepared to label all of its U.S. products for the presence of ingredients that were derived from GMOs, not just those required by pending legislation in Vermont.

Software & Technology

Warehouse Barcode Scanners Pick Up Speed

From “rings” that workers wear on their hands to modified smartphones, companies are testing alternatives to the “brick on a stick” scanners that have been the industry standard for decades.

James Bonner, general manager of Exel Logistics, a unit of Deutsche Post DHL, said his employees make roughly 3,000 scans each during a 7.5-hour shift. He said that in a three-month test of Zebra’s new device his employees had 10 percent to 20 percent improvement in picking rates—or the speed of assembling orders—in part because they no longer had to push buttons.

New Dietary Guidelines Encourage Healthy Eating Patterns To Prevent Chronic Diseases

The newly released 8th edition of the Dietary Guidelines reflects advancements in scientific understanding about healthy eating choices and health outcomes over a lifetime.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the nation’s trusted resource for evidence-based nutrition recommendations and serves to provide the general public, as well as policy makers and health professionals with the information they need to help the public make informed choices about their diets at home, school, work and in their communities.

Ocean Ports & Carriers

Study: Trans-Pacific Trade Pact To Favor Japan, Vietnam And Malaysia

Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia are set to get a big economic boost from a sweeping Pacific trade agreement concluded in October, while the U.S. and other North American countries would see much smaller gains from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

If the Pacific agreement is enacted, Vietnam would get the biggest percentage boost to its economy—about 10 percent by 2030—as its textiles and apparel industry gets new preferential access to the U.S. and other major markets. Japan would see extra economic growth of 2.7 percent by 2030 while the U.S. could expect additional economic growth of 0.4 percent by 2030, according to the study, released by the World Bank.

Wegmans Recalls Chicken Products That Missed Inspections

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

The recalled products were shipped to distribution and retail locations in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The chicken items were produced on Jan. 3, 2016. The following products are subject to recall: Approximately 1-pound, vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Italian Flavored Chicken Breast Cutlet” with a use-by date of 1/24/2016; Approximately 1-pound, vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Brown Sugar Barbecue Seasoned Chicken Breast Cutlet” with a use-by date of 1/15/2016; 3-pound, vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Garlic & Fennel Whole Chicken Roaster” with a use-by date of 1/13/2016; and 1-pound, vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wokery Sherry Chicken 27482” with use-by date of 1/13/2016.

CV International Acquires M & S Shipping Ltd.

CV International (CVI), a Norfolk, Va.-based freight forwarder and customs broker, has acquired M & S Shipping, Ltd., a Virginia Beach, Va.-based freight forwarder that also provides refrigerated transportation services.

CV International (CVI), a Norfolk, Va.-based freight forwarder and customs broker, has acquired M & S Shipping, Ltd., a Virginia Beach, Va.-based freight forwarder that also provides refrigerated transportation services.

Page 201 of 434