STATE
PITTSBURGH — The new owners of H.J. Heinz have offered buyouts to all 775 workers in Pittsburgh, where the ketchup-and-food giant has been based for decades, but says the move doesn't signal a plan to move the company's headquarters.
Instead, Heinz officials say the buyout is being offered because the new owners Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital — a Brazilian investment firm — recognize the company's new culture might not be “the perfect fit” for longtime Pittsburgh-based employees. The offers, which begin at six months' severance pay and increase depending on years of service, were sent out last week to all Pittsburgh employees.
Heinz officials say any workers who quit will be replaced, leaving it with the same number of Pittsburgh employees.
WASHINGTON — Sorry, Leetsdale. It turns out the Oakdale area is a better place for a presidential visit.The White House this morning announced revised plans for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's Wednesday visit to Pittsburgh. The pair will visit the Community College of Allegheny West Hills Center near Oakdale — technically, in North Fayette township — where they plan to discuss the importance of job-driven skills.The community college, 15 miles south of Leetsdale, was able to better accommodate the visit, according to a White House official. Mr. Obama last visited in January when he traveled to U.S. Steel's Irvin plant in West Mifflin to sign an order establishing a new plan for retirement savings.