Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Newsroom Now On Strike

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom employees who are members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh union are officially on strike, reports the Pittsburgh Business Journal. The strike by newsroom employees is the first in at least 30 years.

The Newspaper Guild issued a notice to management that should they refuse to end an impasse to contract negotiations, the strike would commence at 12 p.m. on Tuesday. The Guild sent out an announcement shortly after the noon deadline saying that the Post-Gazette "failed to meet those demands."

The Guild said its members are conducting a "daylong action" outside of the Post-Gazette headquarters on the North Shore.

“We, the workers, are standing together today, ready to fight to win back our contract and work toward signing a new collective bargaining agreement that preserves the Post-Gazette for the Pittsburgh region,” said Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh President Zack Tanner.

A spokesperson for the Post-Gazette provided the following statement after the commencement of the strike: "The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will continue to serve the Pittsburgh community, our readers and advertisers, despite any work stoppage. We currently await the ruling by the National Labor Relations Board regarding the Newspaper Guild’s claim of unfair labor practices by the Post-Gazette and are confident that the company will prevail. Over the past three years, Guild employees’ top wage scales have increased 8%. For the workers from the production, distribution and advertising unions currently on strike over health care, the Post-Gazette has offered several proposals, one of which included a 9% wage increase and enrollment in the company’s health care plan, which currently covers 2,600 Block Communications employees, including several unions, company executives and staff at the PG. None of these solutions were accepted. We welcome our employees back at any time."

Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council, also released a statement regarding the strike: "It is a sad day in Pittsburgh when the people who write, produce and distribute what once was a great newspaper are forced to walk off the job, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has left their employees no other choice. The News Guild's decision to join other striking Post-Gazette workers today reflects the solidarity that remains at the heart of our labor movement, and shows that we are united in our demand for fair pay, affordable health care and basic dignity and respect for all Post-Gazette workers. We continue to urge customers to show their support by canceling their subscriptions, and we will stand with the Post-Gazette workers for as long as it takes to make management come back to the table and do the right thing."

The newsroom strike now coincides with a strike by the Post-Gazette's production, distribution and advertising union members.