Five things to know today, as steelworkers gear for 'week of action for fair contracts

Happy Monday and we're getting your work week off to a strong start with what you need to know today: Contracts loom for steelworkers, a tech CEO who's helped companies make 100,000 hires spills what he looks for in a job applicant, a trio of locals are among the top small town colleges, the region's top home seller moves its Ohio operations into new digs and Pennsylvania's one of states with the highest effective property tax.

Union due for contract talks

Some 30,000 steelworkers whose contact is up Sept. 1 are rallying at about a dozen U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) and Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) sites as part of the United Steelworkers union’s “week of action for fair contracts,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Health care benefits and wages are primary concerns as the union seeks to negotiate a new three-year labor deal in a down market.

What does Don Charlton, founder and CEO of Strip District-based recruitment software firm Jazz, want to learn when he’s interviewing recruits for his company? “Whether the person is self-aware,” Charlton told The New York Times. “Think about somebody who's applying for a job. It’s actually a very arrogant thing to do.” He also wants to know their "decision framework" — why they want to make a career shift. Charlton’s company changed its name to Jazz from The Resumator in June. The six-year-old provider of tech-based recruiting platforms aimed at helping employers quickly find the best candidates for jobs has helped about 4,000 companies make 100,000 hires.

Small-town values in education

Three western Pennsylvania institutions of higher learning are among the top 50 small-town colleges. They are: Grove City College, No. 11; Allegheny College, No. 35; Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, No. 44. The 2015 ranking by BestColleges.com judged schools by criteria including acceptance, retention, graduation and enrollment rates. The list was led by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

New Cleveland home for Howard Hanna Ohio

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is expected to complete the move of its Ohio headquarters to Mayfield Heights, Crains Cleveland Business reported. Howard Hanna previously was based at the Galaxy Corporate Center. Pittsburgh-based Howard Hanna, the fourth-largest real estate company in the U.S. and No. 1 home seller in both Pennsylvania and Ohio, made its first acquisition in the Cleveland region 12 years ago and has grown steadily there, organically and through purchasing other companies

A taxing matter

Among states with the highest effective property tax on owner-occupied housing, Pennsylvania is No. 13 at 1.54 percent. The Tax Foundation’s formula was total real taxes paid divided by total home value. New Jersey had the highest effective rate at 2.38 percent. Hawaii was lowest at 0.28 percent. Founded in 1937, The Tax Foundation is an independent tax policy research organization.

Source: Pittsburgh Business News