The Third Circuit Court has dismissed the final appeal made by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, mandating the restoration of health care benefits to striking workers, including those who have crossed the picket line. Last month, the court had initially ordered the Post-Gazette to reinstate health care for all Guild bargaining unit employees, but the company appealed this ruling in two separate attempts.
On March 27, the Post-Gazette sought permission to deny the health care plan to those who crossed the picket line, preferring to restore it solely for those on strike. A subsequent appeal on April 7 aimed to have the injunction reheard in its entirety. Both appeals were rejected, with the court not offering any explanation, indicating no compelling legal questions were presented by the Post-Gazette.
Zack Tanner, president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh-CWA Local 38061, commented on the court’s decision: “The Post-Gazette’s attempts to evade its responsibility have exhausted the courts and exhausted every legal delay tactic, while our strikers’ determination and solidarity have only grown.” He urged the Post-Gazette to immediately restore health care for all bargaining unit members, warning of potential contempt of court consequences if the decision is not adhered to.
The outstanding strike sees newsroom workers fighting for various demands, which include dignified health care and the restoration of their union contract. The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members have been on strike since October 2022.
The conflict began in 2020 when the company unilaterally scrapped the union contract. At the time, both an administrative law judge and the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., concluded that the company had breached federal labor law by bargaining in bad faith and illegally monitoring its workers.
The Board instructed the Post-Gazette to compensate workers for wage and vacation reductions and to reinstate all the bargained rights removed five years ago. The Third Circuit Court is poised to rule on enforcing the full order. While rare, enforcement orders are customarily granted at the Circuit Court level.
