Representing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom and full-time faculty at Point Park University | TNG-CWA Local 38061 | Support our strikersโ work:
@ThePUPNews
We're on strike for the health of ourselves, our families, our union siblings and the Pittsburgh community we strive to serve.ย
Can you chip in to help keep all our family fed and fighting?
John Robinson Block, the
@PittsburghPG
publisher who was behind the reprehensible editorial "Reason for Racism," will not allow this letter to the editor to appear in the newspaper. We offer it here.
Yesterday, dozens of our members shared this post, word for word, in a showing of solidarity with
@alexisjreports
. By Friday night, in our view, the Post-Gazetteโs retaliation began.
Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who donโt care about this city!!!!!
.... oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate. Whoops.
The newsroom workers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, voted on Monday to authorize an unfair labor practice strike against the company.
"Hey Allan, why won't you reach an agreement with your workers?"
"Oh fuck you" [/burger bag slap]
...
As they say, watch 'til the end.
This is
@PittsburghPG
co-owner Allan Block and his wife, Susan. So are we holding power to account today, or no?
In a huge victory for our members, a federal arbitrator has ruled that the Post-Gazette violated our contract by refusing to pay raises to our health care premiums for the last two years.
On the
@PittsburghPG
's assault of a striking worker at the South Side distribution center last night ๐
We'll have more info on how you all can support our hospitalized
@Teamsters
brother soon.
BIG NEWS: The
@PittsburghPG
has broken federal labor law so viciously for so long that the
@NLRB
has filed for an injunction that, if granted, would go a long way toward holding the Block family accountable and returning a caliber of news to Pittsburgh this community deserves.
We are thrilled that the NLRB announced itโs seeking an injunction against the
@postgazette
. The PG could've avoided this by simply agreeing to dignified terms with us & our striking union siblings
@cwaunion
& PPPWU at any point in the last 18 months..
๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ
A judge has ruled that the Post-Gazette did, in fact, violate the National Labor Relations Act by:
1) declaring an impasse in bargaining and
2) imposing conditions on employees in the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (that's us) in 2020
๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ
Thanks to
@AFLCIO
for sharing a few of our membersโ thoughts from the picket line about why we chose to strike! Each and every one of us is in this together ๐
Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who donโt care about this city!!!!!
.... oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate. Whoops.
#IStandWithAlexis
The newsroom workers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, on Tuesday began a strike against the company. More details:
We, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, rarely comment on decisions made by the editorial side of the Post-Gazette, but one-year out from condemning a racist editorial, we have to condemn another editorial decision, Steve Kelley's misogynistic cartoons.
Both
@Ashley__Murray
&
@lauren_llee
had published articles disappear, without explanation, from the PGโs website shortly after they tweeted support for Alexis. Ashley and Lauren were baffled, and queries to management were met with silence. To us, the cause and effect is clear.
Thereโs an easy way out of this quagmire: Top management must apologize to
@alexisjreports
, remove the ban they placed on her coverage and let talented, dedicated, loyal PG journalists do our lifeโs work to the benefit of our paper, our readers, our community, our democracy.
@PittsburghPG
28 former Post-Gazette journalists also wrote a letter to the editor denouncing the editorial. John Robinson Block will also not publish it.
The PG simply does not remove stories, ever, for any reason. It is a longstanding policy in journalism and at the PG that you do not remove published material; it is simply unethical to do so. But in this case, we believe that Ashleyโs and Laurenโs stories were purposely removed.
Today marks the 1-yr anniversary of the
@PittsburghPG
strike. That's one whole year of going to the mat for our rights & respect, for local news, and Pittsburgh.
We're proud to be fighting alongside our
@CWADistrict213
,
@Teamsters
& PPPWU union siblings. Together, we WILL win.
The PGโs latest assault on our union is possibly the worst yet because it strikes at the very heart of journalism: truth and transparency. Guild leaders are not entirely sure yet what is happening, but we are dedicated to finding out and correcting it.
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh has voted โNo Confidenceโ in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Executive Editor Keith Burris,ย Publisher John Robinson Block and owner Block Communications Inc.
#noPGwithoutME
#NoConfidence
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh stands with the production, distribution and advertising workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as they commence a strike in response to the termination of their health care coverage and failed negotiations with the Post-Gazette.
Did you know on-duty
@PghPolice
have been lining up to lie to striking
@PittsburghPG
workers about where we can picket, helping private security get papers out, and generally being publicly funded strikebreakers?
We know the history of police & labor disputes, & want you to too.
We went on strike because the Blocks went too far when they forced people off their health care. Weโre staying on strike because we have each othersโ backs. That includes you.
They need shown what happens when they disrespect us, our work, & Pittsburgh.
When the
@PittsburghPG
sent us regular reports it owes us, we expected to see OT. We were beyond disappointed to see people pocketing raises, bonuses & promotions off crossing our picket line.
Weโre talking about
@JMackeyPG
, Mark Belko, Anya Litvak,
@mwhiteburgh
&
@AnthroAbbyRN
.
After a legal fight that began in 2018 when
@PittsburghPG
refused to abide by our collectively bargained contact & pay a 5% health care cost increase, Pittsburgh NewsGuild members have begun receiving reimbursement checks, with over $100k due to members!
In December 2019 a federal arbitrator ruled that the Post-Gazette had illegally refused to pay increases in our health care premiums. The PG has been fighting that decision in court for two years. Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled in our favor! ๐
In December 2019 a federal arbitrator ruled that the Post-Gazette had illegally refused to pay increases in our health care premiums. The PG has been fighting that decision in court for two years. Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled in our favor! ๐
In a huge victory for our members, a federal arbitrator has ruled that the Post-Gazette violated our contract by refusing to pay raises to our health care premiums for the last two years.
Striking is hard. And yet thereโs been so much to celebrate the past several weeks, we found ourselves struggling to keep track. We had to check our notes, make a timeline, and โ of course โ a /thread on the state of our strike to share with you all.
The
@PittsburghPG
lies in this updated story.
Our pickets are legal. And if the paper wants to restore credibility, it can stop lying & seeking violence on workers striking for a better PG.
We welcome all who want to *stop* assisting this ongoing harm.
We condemn the
@pittsburghpg
for using artificial intelligence to create an illustration that ran in Sundayโs paper. Itโs a dangerous precedent and another slap in the face as the companyโs latest attempt to slash workersโ rights:
Itโs come to our attention that
@PittsburghPG
criticized our strike w/ what would be a $25k ad in Sunday's paper. Our members โ united by a belief that this attack is no more than a distraction โ have released the following joint statement:
lol, stay mad
We just stopped by the
@JohnFetterman
rally next door to the North Shore picket line to pass out some flyers about our strike and how the community can help us.
Thanks to everyone for their time and support!
On Friday,
@PittsburghPG
leadership refused to meet us at the bargaining table, despite our formal request to negotiate. So we called to remind them.
Most didnโt pick up, but company chairman Allan Block did. And then he got scared! ๐ป
After much consideration, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh has decided to release some of the eyewitness accounts of the incident involving PG Publisher John Robinson Block that transpired on the night of Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 in the paper's newsroom.
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh is outside UPMC headquarters at the U.S. Steel Building right now to urge UPMC to stop advertising in a scab newspaper that stripped its workers of health insurance.
Why would you read what a scab has to say about this? Abby crossed a picket line to take her job at the
@PittsburghPG
after the Blocks illegally cut off health care.
Do not click this or any other PG links until our demands are met.
Instead:
This flew a bit under the radar with the excitement of
#Duquesne
Pittsburgh area athletics officials โ an AD, 2 head coaches and a former player โ about the
#Dartmouth
men's basketball team unionizing and the potential trickle down effects it has.
Today's divisive, hurtful & false narrative in the
@PittsburghPG
is more proof that our allegations of systemic racism are accurate. The facts speak for themselves despite this gaslighting. Not one word of reconciliation or remorse at a time when there is a reckoning nationally.
The
@PittsburghPG
is desperate to scab us all! The company is now posting the jobs of striking editorial workers. Itโs part of the escalating disrespect of its staff & community.
Will you join us in rejecting this anti-worker, anti-journalism behavior?
Rob Rogers is a true talent we were honored to know as a colleague and friend. He deserved much better treatment.
Here is our statement on
@Rob_Rogers
being fired from the
@PittsburghPG
:
Weโre rallying next Friday on North Shore Drive outside the Post-Gazette offices to mark one year on strike. Join us in demanding the company return to the bargaining table and stop breaking the law.
The owners of
@PittsburghPG
would rather pay scab drivers & "security" to (potentially) run over us
@newsguild
,
@CWAUnion
&
@Teamsters
than let us keep our healthcare plans & bargain.
Whose side are you on?
This is a testament to the hard work the entire PG staff does on a daily basis. We couldnโt be more proud of the reporting we did on an incredibly difficult day for Pittsburgh.
Our friends at the newsroom union of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, following their coverage of the horrible synagogue shooting, have bought lunch for us at the L.A. Times in solidarity with all the tragedies our journalists have been covering. ๐ฆ Here's the letter they wrote us:
Today marks 11 months on strike
@PittsburghPG
. While the company continues to embarrass itself, we โ w/ you โ have piled up wins both in the courts & the streets. Weโre closer than ever to what weโve been working toward โ dignified working conditions that better serve Pittsburgh.
A year ago today, a judge ruled that
@pittsburghPG
broke labor law by imposing working conditions & bargaining in bad faith. We already knew the PG would rather bust the union than follow the law. Like so much of what we fight for, this is not just our problem.
For the first time in 2 years, we met
@PittsburghPG
reps at the bargaining table this AM. We hoped they were there in good faith. They werenโt. What they offered undermines all of us as workers and a community.
But a union town fights back, doesnโt it?
The Post-Gazette has illegally and unilaterally imposed working conditions onto the Guild and today we need your help.
By signing this quick and easy form, you can tell John Block and Allan Block that the Guild wants to return to the bargaining table.
On Tuesday afternoon, newsroom workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, began a strike against the company with a daylong action outside the PG newsroom on the North Shore.
This afternoon our members took their picket line to the U.S. Steel building Downtown to show
@PittsburghPG
advertiser
@UPMC
that the workers demand attention.
#noPGwithoutMe
The 120+ who partied on the Block wedding reception had a lovely time. Until our demands to take care of each other are met, it will be like this ๐โ
To back us up, cancel your
@PittsburghPG
: & start your free
@ThePUPNews
sub:
On Monday, the Guild sent a notice to PG management to demand that the company end its illegal impasse in contract negotiations, lift the unilaterally imposed working conditions and reinstate the terms of the previous bargained contract, and return to the bargaining table.
โWe, 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,โ said Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh President Zack Tanner.
Weโre reposting
@alexisjreports
โs tweet word for word in a showing of solidarity. If you want to use the image and words, copy and paste them and tag
#IStandWithAlexis
.
Today, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh is joining the
@newsguild
and NewsGuild-CWA president Jon Schleuss (
@gaufre
) in calling for the resignation of Post-Gazette Executive Editor Keith Burris and Managing Editor Karen Kane.
Itโs a somber morning on Devonshire St. as our funeral procession marches to mourn the death of local journalism at the hands of John Block.
#ShameOnTheBlocks
#NoPGwithoutMe
The
@Steelers
need to drop their
@PittsburghPG
sponsorship. We believe they can, and that doing so would be in line with the legacy of the team & this town.
Why would they want to promote a brand that slashes healthcare & siccs cops on its workers?
Tomorrow marks a year on strike.
Join us at 1 p.m. outside the
@PittsburghPG
to honor the solidarity of striking workers, our supporters and to tell the Blocks to stop breaking the law.
Tell us you're coming here:
An update: The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board has determined that the
@PittsburghPG
violated federal law by refusing to pay a 2018 increase in the health care costs of our Guild members.
#PGGuildStrong
This is not just a job to us. It is a calling.
In these trying times, we believe local, quality journalism is more important than ever.
More information on todayโs ad we put out in the
@PittsburghPG
:
Three years ago today, theย
@PittsburghPG
unilaterally and illegally imposed working conditions on theย
@PGHGuild
in a clear attempt to break our union. It didn't work. Now, we are closer than ever to getting justice for our members despite the PG's brazen efforts to crush us.
Weโre demanding that management reverse their recent actions and rescind the ban and allow these Black journalists to cover the most monumental civil rights movement in more than 50 years.
Announcing the creation of our strike publication: The Pittsburgh Union Progress.
Check out , and follow
@ThePUPNews
on Twitter and @ pghunionprogress on Instagram for more!
About 25
@PghPolice
came down to break the
@PittsburghPG
strike picket line tonight outside the company's distribution center at 1600 W Carson St. One officer batoned a woman to the ground as the truck drove thru. More photos, videos and
@WPXI
coverage in the morning.
@JortsTheCat
Good point, Jorts! I wanted to let you, Jean, and all your non-feline friends know that if they want to support striking Post-Gazette workers, they can do so by donating to our strike solidarity fund.
This week will mark 100 days of our strike against the Post-Gazette. Join us Downtown outside the City-County Building on Saturday at noon to show the Blocks we're still out here โ together.
A few of us stopped by a 7-Eleven on the North Side this morning to remind people not to buy the Post-Gazette until our demands are met and the strike ends โ
Day 3 of the Newspaper Guild strike against the Post-Gazette featured:
- Our largest picket line yet
- The unveiling of our CWA Pittsburgh Striker Fund to aid the strikers
- A show of solidarity from a host of local lawmakers
Every day, we grow stronger.
Nila Payton, an administrative assistant at UPMC shared a message of solidarity with striking P-G workers at their rally downtown Saturday.
@PGHGuild
@ThePUPNews
@CWAUnion
@Teamsters
โThese companies can do better by their workers, and they can do better by our city.โ
Hope you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend! Thanks to you,
@PittsburghPG
co-owner Allan Block likely didn't.
In just 2 weeks, you called him 100+ times to demand a fair contract for striking workers! His personal phone became practically unusable.
He knows what can fix this.
We are thrilled to report that
@CWAUnion
can now send $300K to workers striking 6+ months โ like us & our
@PittsburghPG
siblings
@CWADistrict213
. Striking is brave and difficult, and financial support is crucial to staying out and winning now and in the future.
We strongly disagree with
@PittsburghPG
management's decision to deny our grievance over the paper's use of an AI-generated illustration last month.
It's just another sign of the company's continued efforts to undermine union work and local journalism.
Us and our
@PittsburghPG
union siblings
@CWADistrict213
&
@Teamsters
have been striking for 4+ months now โ for each other, Pittsburgh, and news this community deserves.
Today we're telling our story as we ask for your support.
Please watch & visit โ
Post-Gazette unions were notified today that the company plans to cut the Friday print edition from their already diminished printing schedule. This will leave the readers of Pittsburgh with only two days of print per week.
Weโre outside at
@cspan
asking this institution of journalism to remove
@PittsburghPG
โs Allan Block from its board of directors. Heโs interfered in coverage around J6 and repeatedly violated labor laws.
Today the Supreme Court of PA overturned
@PittsburghPG
's injunction against picketing the scab printing press
@ButlerEagle
.
Like all their lawsuits, this one showed how entitled the Blocks feel to controlling who can be where, say what, & stand up for each other โ at all times.
We were happy to support our fellow striker, Ed Blazina, yesterday in & outside of court.
We're saddened that the Blocks, Stan Wischnowski & the
@PittsburghPG
tried to criminalize a reporter.
But we're not surprised. We won, and not for the last time. โ
@RyanDeto
We're committed to fighting for genuine community news. Helping the Blocks enrich themselves is what helps build monopoly control of local media.
One way to help fight that is by chipping into our strike solidarity fund:
Happy Labor Day, Pittsburgh! Strikers are ready to march in today's parade. While you're downtown, visit our table across from
@steelworkers
HQ to get a
@ThePUPNews
t-shirt, pick up a yard sign or button and donate to support our fight.