Pittsburgh Brewing negotiating

A court hearing on whether bankrupt Pittsburgh Brewing can reject its labor agreement has been put on hold indefinitely while the company and IUE/Communications Workers of America go back to the bargaining table. The company is seeking a 5 percent pay cut and other concessions from its 160 union workers, saying it can't successfully reorganize without the savings. Union workers unanimously rejected the proposal, prompting the company to seek court permission to reject the contract. A hearing on that motion had been scheduled for today.

Duquesne Light sale protested

Local consumer advocacy group Citizen Power Inc. has joined with Washington, D.C.-based Public Citizen Inc. in a motion opposing the sale of Duquesne Light Co. to a consortium led by Australian investment bank Macquarie. The motion, filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, contends the sale would not be in the public interest and calls for a hearing.

Bechtel consolidating

Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. is consolidating its operations in Schenectady, N.Y., a cost-saving move that will mean the transfer of about 250 engineering and other jobs over the next 12 months to the company's facilities in Wilkins, where it currently employs about 550. The engineering and construction firm will keep about 70 people in Schenectady, while the rest of the staff will be offered transfers to Wilkins, spokesman James Dillon said.

Iron Workers set deadline

The Iron Workers Local No. 3 has set a cut-off date of Oct. 20 for applications to the union's current apprenticeship program. After struggling to find apprentices to work for a starting hourly wage of $15.50, the union has received hundreds of applications following a new marketing campaign launched last month. Applications are available at www.iwlocal3.com or by calling 866-297-4341.

Crab Shacks sold

Two Joe's Crab Shack restaurants in the Pittsburgh area will be sold as part of a $192 million deal for 120 chain sites. Houston-based Landry's Restaurants is selling the restaurants to private equity group J.H. Whitney Capital Partners. In the third quarter, the restaurant company reported sales in established Joe's Crab Shack sites fell 8 percent.

Harrah's gets better offer

Harrah's Entertainment Inc., one of three bidders for a Pittsburgh slots license, reportedly received a sweetened buyout bid amounting to more than $15.5 billion. New York-based Apollo Management Group and Texas Pacific Group, based in Fort Worth, Texas, submitted the increased bid this week to the Harrah's Entertainment board, according the New York Times. The board had previously rejected an initial cash offer of $15.05 billion. Harrah's shares fell 5 cents to $76.34 yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange.

IGate subsidiary earnings

IGate Global Solutions, the Indian subsidiary of Oakdale-based IGate Corp., said its second quarter profits nearly doubled. The software and services unit said it earned $2.2 million in the quarter ending Sept. 30, up from $1.2 million the year before. Quarterly sales rose to $43.8 million from $34.2 million in the same quarter last year.

AT&T-BellSouth OK'ed

The Justice Department, saying it saw no potential adverse impact on competition, yesterday gave its unconditional approval to AT&T Inc.'s buyout of BellSouth Corp., creating a coast-to-coast behemoth that would be the largest U.S. provider of telephone, wireless and broadband Internet services. The decision cheered company executives, but outraged consumer advocates and two members of the Federal Communications Commission. The five members scheduled a vote today on whether the $78.5 billion deal should go forward, but that could be pushed back.

Also in business...

Lawrenceville-based robotics firm RE2 said it received an undisclosed amount from Kuchera Defense Systems, a Windber, Pa.-based electronics manufacturer, to produce a specialized robotic sensoring system for unmanned vehicles. ... South Side-based Iron and Glass Bancorp reported third-quarter net income of $984,743 or 88 cents a share, vs. $953,549 or 86 cents a share, a year ago.