Striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stood in the snow and the cold again Wednesday as they carried on their fight for a new contract and different health care coverage.
The winter weather that arrived in Pittsburgh a day earlier continued — and so did the workers.
Those on the picket line Wednesday afternoon were warmed in more ways than one thanks to some food and drink that a few of their current and former colleagues brought.
PG education reporter and Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh unit chair Andrew Goldstein purchased pizzas from Aiello’s Pizza for lunch.
Then PG sports copy editor Randy Stoernell joined the picket line and brought hot chocolate.
And former PG movie editor Barbara Vancheri stopped by again — having done so earlier in the strike as well — to bring some cookies from the nearby Carnegie Science Center.
Away from the picket line, striking PG workers finalized preparation for their second contract bargaining session with the company since the strike began.
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh’s bargaining committee met earlier this week with the company’s representatives for the first time in more than two years.
Guild members said the PG — represented by lawyer Richard Lowe and PG human resources manager Carolyn Rice — did not bargain in good faith Monday, but union members remained hopeful that will change.
“I’m hopeful things will change before Thursday,” Guild President Zack Tanner told the Pittsburgh Union Progress after Monday’s session. “It takes two sides to do that, though.”
Striking PG workers are also putting the finishing touches on plans to rally outside PG Publisher John Robinson Block’s wedding reception Saturday if the PG does not bargain in good faith Thursday.
Alex is a digital news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike.
