Striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette employees and supporters rally outside paper to mark 1 year on strike
Striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom and production employees and their supporters rallied outside the newspaper's offices Friday to mark one year since the newspaper strike began.
Rally on the North Shore: Watch the video above.
At its peak, nearly 200 people gathered on North Shore Drive to speak out in a gathering that lasted more than 90 minutes.
The union says the P-G is continuing to fight court and National Labor Relations Board rulings that the paper violated labor law and bargained in bad faith.
The employees say they haven't had an across-the-board pay increase since 2006 and have seen cuts in health care benefits.
"This crew -- you won a Pulitzer, the Super Bowl of journalism. Did you get a raise?" Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman asked the crowd, which shouted "no" in response.
"It sucks," Fetterman said. "It sucks and it's not fair."
Fetterman was among a large number of elected officials who stood with the strikers Friday.
"Give these guys a fair deal. These people work hard for their wealth; they've made the paper a lot of money. And they are the heart and soul of this newspaper. Reach them in good faith, give them a fair contract," said U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17th District.
"I want to talk about the people who forced us out. The people that hoard power and hoard wealth and put us on the street, fighting for a fair say in our workplace, affordable health care and fair wages," Zack Tanner, Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh president, told the crowd.
"The Blocks (the family that owns the paper), who've refused since 2017 to bargain in good faith, who imposed unfair and illegal working conditions on those who work in the newsroom and who cut out the health care of our production union brothers and sisters," Natalie Deluba, a striking Post-Gazette employee, said to the gathering.
In response to a request for comment on the rally, a spokesperson for the newspaper emailed a statement to Pittsburgh's Action News 4.
It did not comment on the complaints of the striking employees but praised the work of those who have crossed the picket lines.
"We are optimistic that a resolution to the current work stoppage will be found soon and appreciate the Herculean efforts of our employees who continue to work. It's because of them that we were named Pennsylvania's News Organization of the Year for the second year in a row."
The newly elected national president of the Communications Workers of America came to Pittsburgh to join the labor rally.
"They need to restore your health care benefits and get back to the damn table and bargain a good contract for all of you," said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. "Anything that I can do (I will do to) let those in this country know that you all have been on strike for a year and you deserve, damn it, a contract, a fair contract."
"I'll be back again and again. I was here as lieutenant governor. I was here as a candidate for the Senate, and now I'm a United States senator, but I'm still John that stands with all of you right now and always will," Fetterman said.
"Do we give up fights? We know how to win righteous rights. Are you guys going to win this fight? Let's go. Solidarity," Deluzio called out to the crowd.
"It was 365 days ago that the Block family and the Post-Gazette forced us out onto the street. It was two years ago that the company decided not to honor the collective bargaining agreement with the Newspaper Guild anymore and make us work under their thumb," Tanner said.
The unions say the P-G is continuing to fight a judge's ruling it violated federal law by unilaterally imposing working conditions, as well as fighting an NLRB ruling on an unfair labor practices complaint that the paper bargained in bad faith.
Kitsy Higgins, an advertising account representative who is striking, has been on the picket line weekly with colleagues for the last 12 months.
“There's been pressure to have to try to figure out where money can come and how to be able to stay on the picket line,” Higgins said. “Unnerving with how the negotiations are going. You know, you're always hoping to hear something good. You're hoping that there's momentum happening for the negotiation.”
Striking P-G reporter Andrew Goldstein with The Newspaper Guild told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 there are no current bargaining sessions planned. He said the Guild is ready to go back to the table but believes the owners are “dragging their feet” to meet.
