• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 18, 2024

A bitter labor dispute has entered a new phase with a filing by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

The action demands that the paper negotiate in good faith, and says that it has so far failed to do so, the NewsGuild union says. The last contract expired in 2017.  

“PPG bargained with no intention of reaching agreement by insisting upon proposals that would leave the NewsGuild and the Editorial Unit employees with substantially fewer rights and less protection than provided by law without a contract; and by prematurely declaring impasse," the filing argues. 

The strike came about after the Post-Gazette “unilaterally cut off the health care of its production, advertising, and distribution workers by refusing to pay a $19-per-week increase in health care costs,” the NewsGuild alleged in a statement this week.

The workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 14842 and 14827 and PPPWU local unions, went on strike in October 2022,

The paper won one seeming victory in April when the Teamsters agreed to return to work after their 18-month strike and to dissolve.  

It could be that the Post-Gazette made a satisfactory offer. But fear of job loss could also figure into it: numerous other newspapers throughout the country are reducing print and delivering papers via the post office.  

The failure of newspapers is reason enough to settle the current case. But the Post-Gazette is also the setting within the controlling Block family over a potential sale of Block Communications.  

One family member, Allan Block, said he is trying to stop a fire sale that could lead to hundreds of job losses in the local Toledo and Pittsburgh communities, as well as the potential shutdown of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade. 

If a sale is indeed possible, surely the Post-Gazette will have to settle this labor dispute first.