Business Digest

REGION

Public meeting planned with Severstal officials

STEUBENVILLE — A public meeting with Severstal officials will be at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 in Room 2102 of Lecture Hall at Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville.

The session was arranged by state Rep. John Domenick of Smithfield, D-95th. Wilbur Winland, general manager of Severstal’s Wheeling plant, is to attend, and Doug Schrader, Severstal’s general manager of government relations, may attend if his schedule permits.

The steelmaker has idled operations in the Wheeling area as well as its Warren mill, which has about 1,200 workers laid off.

NATION

Pfizer, Merck to eliminate hundreds of jobs

NEW YORK — Fresh off major acquisitions of rivals, drug makers Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. are each planning to eliminate hundreds of jobs.

According to reports, Pfizer will eliminate nearly 1,200 jobs, including 680 in Pennsylvania, 400 in New Jersey, and 116 in Rockland County, N.Y. Meanwhile, Merck will cut 500 jobs in New Jersey.

Pfizer, which is based in New York, bought vaccine maker Wyeth for $68 billion in October, while Merck paid $41.1 billion for Schering-Plough Corp. in November. Both are planning to eliminate thousands more jobs.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports