P-G Press Release: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and News Guild negotiations continue

Pittsburgh, PA -- [Thursday, Nov. 17] representatives from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the union for the NewsGuild met for negotiations. In this second meeting of the week, a little progress was made and the federal mediator asked both parties for their next availability to continue discussions. The company proposed next week, however the union indicated it was not available until December 6. The company looks forward to returning to the bargaining table.

In the meantime, the striking unions seem more interested in pursuing intimidation tactics than engaging in bargaining. Recent activities by union members have included trespassing on the property of Post-Gazette executives as well as contacting the Post-Gazette’s contractors and customers with the goal of intimidation. In addition, there have been multiple incidents of tire slashing, window breaking, threats of violence, physically striking vehicles, throwing projectiles at vehicles, blocking throughways, threats of arson, stalking and verbal harassment. Evidence of these actions have been submitted to police and the courts, as appropriate.

We feel that it’s important that the public is aware of these unlawful actions as well as the following additional facts. First, the federal government has filed legal complaints against several of the unions because they engaged in bad faith bargaining with the Post-Gazette. The unions’ bad faith spanned several years of bargaining with the Post-Gazette. And second, the unions, not the company, were the cause of some of our employees losing their healthcare coverage. The unions refused to sign a healthcare labor contract authorizing increased contributions to a union healthcare fund despite agreeing to the increased contributions. Two years ago, the unions signed the same healthcare labor contract authorizing increased contributions to the healthcare fund.

In a message to readers published last month, the Post-Gazette noted that the last profitable year for the Post-Gazette was 2007 and over the past 17 years, the Post-Gazette has lost nearly $264 million. Even with the company’s negative financial results, top wage scales for Post-Gazette employees in the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh have increased 8% over the past three years. The Block family, after 95 years, remains committed to Pittsburgh, embracing the belief that high quality, independent journalism is critical to an environment that attracts and retains businesses and helps a region to thrive.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has served the Pittsburgh community, its readers and advertisers as the region’s indispensable source of news, advertising and information for more than two centuries.

Contact: Allison Latcheran Friday, November 18, 2022 alatcheran@post-gazette.com