BRIEFCASE SHARES RISE AGAIN FOR UNITED ONLINE.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Shares of United Online reached a 52-week high Thursday, gaining $3.16, or 8.3 percent, to close at $41.36 on the Nasdaq market.

United shares were trading at about $9 a year ago. The Westlake Village company continues to churn profits as it woos Internet users to its high- speed dial-up service.

Ampco keeps jobs at Boise Airport 

Los Angeles-based Ampco System Parking was awarded a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract renewal with Boise (Idaho) Airport, the company announced Thursday.

Ampco will provide parking, shuttle and ground transportation management at the airport.

Ampco System Parking operates more than 1,700 lots and garages in 29 states, including parking facilities for major international airports at Los Angeles, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Stockholders OK Cathay, GBC deal

Officials at Cathay Bancorp Inc. and GBC Bancorp announced Thursday that they received approval from their stockholders for the pending merger of the two Los Angeles-based entities.

At separate special meetings Wednesday, both sets of shareholders approved the May 6 agreement.

Pending regulatory approvals, GBC Bancorp will be merged into Cathay Bancorp, General Bank will be merged into Cathay Bank, and Cathay Bancorp's name will be changed to Cathay General Bancorp.

Cathay Bancorp's stockholders also approved an amendment to its certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 25 million to 100 million.

According to a joint statement, officials of Cathay Bancorp and GBC Bancorp are working to complete the pending merger as promptly as possible.

Cathay Bancorp has received regulatory approval from the California commissioner of financial institutions and the Federal Reserve Board, but the application before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is still pending.

Burger King starts watching waists

DES MOINES, Iowa - Burger King is adding three lowfat chicken sandwiches to its menu, a spokesman announced Thursday, a day after news that the Miami-based chain's archrival is testing a health-oriented Happy Meal.

Each of the new Burger King sandwiches contains five grams of fat and less than 360 calories. By comparison, the brand's flagship Whopper hamburger weighs in with 770 calories and 45 grams of fat.

Burger King also is rolling out a chicken sandwich combo meal that allows patrons to substitute a small garden salad and bottled water for French fries and a soft drink.

Big 3, UAW close anti-foreign ranks

DETROIT - The United Auto Workers wrapped up tentative labor contracts with the Big Three automakers Thursday after two months of talks in which a common but unprecedented theme emerged: Labor and management took a joint stand against foreign competitors.

The agreements were announced more than three days after previous labor pacts expired.

Before wrapping up talks with General Motors, the UAW earlier this week reached tentative agreements, also for four years, with Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group and supplier Visteon Corp.