Hit to unions

The ironworkers’ union — desperate to regain market share from surging nonunion construction, and afraid of missing out on lucrative work at Hudson Yards and the Tappan Zee Bridge — has agreed to an unprecedented wage and benefit rollback, Crain’s New York Business reported. Union members voted to cut overall compensation by 15 percent, or about $14 an hour, and agreed to work-rule changes that could slash total project costs by up to 25 percent.

Paltry pasta

Global pasta sales have grown steadily over the past three years, to $28 billion last year, according to Euromonitor research. In Italy, however, sales have fallen steadily over that same time frame, from $3.9 billion to $3.4 billion, as its economy has sputtered.

Give it gas

Auto club AAA forecasts 30.7 million people will drive more than 50 miles for Memorial Day trips, 400,000 more than last year. AAA attributes the jump to cheaper average gas prices, which at $3.67 per gallon are 12 cents less than last year. Motorists will spend $144 million less on gas this weekend than a year ago, AAA reported.