Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Journalists Go On Strike

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom employees went on strike Tuesday, a day after the union representing them voted on Monday to authorize an unfair labor practice work stoppage against newspaper owner Block Communications.

The Post-Gazette stated in a story its website that the union said it began a strike at noon on Tuesday. It's unclear who wrote the story, as it had no byline and was published after noon when workers supposedly had begun the work stoppage.

A union release said a notice was sent to Post-Gazette management to demand the company end its declared labor impasse to contract negotiations, lift unilaterally imposed working conditions, reinstate terms of the most recent collectively and return to the bargaining table to reach a fair contract agreement with the 101 journalists the union represents.

“The workers who produce the Post-Gazette are taking a stand against the hostile and illegal treatment at the hands of John and Allan Block,”Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh President Zack Tanner said in a statement. “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.”

Post Gazette spokesperson Allison Latcheran told the Post-Gazette: “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."

The journalists' strike is the latest of labor woes for the P-G. On Oct. 6, a group of Teamsters, Pressmen, Mailers and Typographical union members went on strike protesting the lack of a health care coverage agreement.