Members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, TNG-CWA Local 38061, are urging the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to adhere to an injunction from the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. The court’s ruling requires the restoration of healthcare benefits, which were previously removed from newsroom workers in violation of federal law. This demand comes amid ongoing labor disputes that have seen workers striking for over 29 months.
In response to the court’s decision, the Post-Gazette announced plans to appeal and filed a motion to limit the ruling’s scope. The company aims to exclude employees who crossed picket lines from receiving the restored healthcare benefits specified for all “employees in the bargaining unit.” Strikers persist in their call for equitable healthcare for all employees within this unit.
Ed Blazina, a transportation reporter involved in the strike, stated, “We’ve asked the company to put the healthcare plan in place as of April 1st for everybody. The PG wants the court to allow them to only put it in for the folks on strike—not for the people who are still working. But we will fight for every worker in our bargaining unit, whether they’re on strike or not, to get the dignified healthcare we all deserve.”
The union’s demands also include that the company re-engage in bargaining talks and provide an updated proposal, a process that has been stagnant since 2020. The court’s mandate requires submitting bargaining progress reports to the National Labor Relations Board’s Region 6 and negotiating over wage, hour, and employment term changes.
Post-injunction, the company has made multiple requests perceived as irrelevant by the union, a tactic seen as delaying compliance with the court’s directives. The striking workers express readiness to negotiate once the mandated healthcare plan is reinstated.
Striking members continue to advocate for a comprehensive suite of strike demands, including healthcare restoration, revival of their union contract, guaranteed paid time off, secured wages, a guaranteed workweek, rights to contest company actions, and compensation for wage loss and increased healthcare expenses.
Rob Joesbury, an associate sports editor on strike, clarified their objectives: “Our goal is unchanged. Not only do we want our health care. We want a full contract. That is the end goal.”
In 2020, the Post-Gazette unilaterally voided the union contract, citing stalled negotiations. This action was ruled unlawful by an administrative law judge and the National Labor Relations Board, citing bad faith bargaining and illegal worker surveillance by the company.
