Post-Gazette "Letter to our readers"

(Received via Email):

A message to our readers

Over the past two weeks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette employees in several unions have walked off their jobs. During this time, certain facts about the Post-Gazette and its owners, the Block family, have been misrepresented. So, let’s take a look at the truth:

The last profitable year for the Post-Gazette was 2007 and over the past 17 years, the Post-Gazette has lost nearly $264 million.

 

In spite of those losses, 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.    

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.

At the end of September, four Post-Gazette unions rejected several
of the company’s proposals to rectify the healthcare situation. Our last of several offers included a 9% wage increase and inclusion into
Block Communications’ (BCI) healthcare plan which currently covers 2,600 BCI employees including other unions, staff and executives at the Post-Gazette.

We believe the Post-Gazette has maintained a significantly larger news staff than newspapers owned by major newspaper chains and private equity companies in similar sized cities.

The Post-Gazette ownership and leadership have done more to transition to a greener, low carbon e-delivery digital future; we believe that e-delivery and other digital delivery forms (advanced website and NewsSlide) are superior in many ways to print delivery.

Many of our employees have chosen to continue to work. For this we are thankful. We appreciate their dedication and willingness to continue to serve the Pittsburgh community. All employees who have walked off the job are welcome to return.

We appreciate your loyalty and support. Thank you.