Employee-Paid

The union contract between longshoremen and the companies that operate six grain terminals in the Pacific Northwest expires Sunday, threatening to disrupt shipments of wheat, corn and soybeans to Asia as the weight of last year's violent protests in Longview, Wash., bears down on negotiations.

The recession has damaged the health of older employees; however, these effects can be lessened by receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits early, according to a study authored by Wellesley College.

The prospects of finding a part-time job in retailing for the winter holidays are looking a lot rosier than last year, according to a survey of 14 major store chains.

The military health insurance plan Tricare says Walgreen Co.'s drugstore chain, the largest in the U.S., will not be part of the network where plan members can get their prescriptions filled.

Walgreen, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, said Thursday that its August sales fell 4.5 percent to $5.85 billion, partly because it was not a part of the Express Scripts pharmacy network. Its fourth-quarter revenue also missed Wall Street's view.

Drugstore operator Rite Aid Corp. said Wednesday that its sales improved in August on greater sales of non-pharmacy items like food, magazines, and cosmetics.

The Federal Trade Commission says it is mailing refund checks to 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries who were overcharged for drugs because a CVS Caremark Corp. business understated the price of the products.

The NHL's collective bargaining talks are on hold until Friday.