Business briefs
USW workers ratify four-year labor pact with Alcoa
Alcoa employees at five plants have ratified a four-year labor agreement with the Pittsburgh-based aluminum maker. The contract covers about 1,700 members of the United Steelworkers who work at Alcoa facilities in Arkansas, Indiana, New York, Texas and Washington. The USW said the deal includes annual wage increases of more than 12%.
Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield hit with consumer alert
Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield drew a consumer alert from the Allegheny County Health Department for numerous health code violations, including food in unsound condition, cockroaches in a prep area, boric acid on the floor in the beer brewery area, mold on the slicer and a “black, mold like substance” in the ice machine. Operator Matt Hough declined comment Friday.
RIDC donates Duquesne building
The Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania has donated a former business center in Duquesne to the nonprofit Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh. The Business Innovation Center is on Library Place at Route 837. Urban League’s Family Support Center currently occupies about onethird of the building.
Colt will stop making AR-15
Colt, manufacturer of the AR-15 rifle, has announced it’s exiting the consumer rifle market as demand for high-powered, semi-automatic guns wanes. The company said there are too many AR-15s on the market to justify making more. Colt will manufacture other consumer guns, and it will continue to expand its network of dealers.
Utz has deal to buy Snyder
Snyder of Berlin, Somerset County’s snack-making mainstay, is in line for a new owner. Snyder of Berlin and five other potato chip brands will be shifted from $7.8 billion Chicago-based packaged foods conglomerate Conagra Brands to Hanover-based Utz Quality Foods.
Nurses staging strike in 3 states
Registered nurses staged a oneday strike against 12 Tenet facilities in Florida, California and Arizona on Friday, demanding better working conditions and higher wages. About 6,500 National Nurses United members walked out after working toward a first contract for a year in Arizona and under expired contracts for months in California and Florida, the union said. They plan to resume working Saturday.
Walmart to stop selling e-cigs
Walmart said it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam’s Clubs following a string of mysterious illnesses and deaths related to vaping. The nation’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., said it will complete its exit from e-cigarettes after selling through current inventory.