As November turned to December, striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers remained on the picket line, bundled up against the cold.
On Thursday, staying warm got a little bit easier.
Workers on the picket line fired up a propane-powered heater outside the PG’s North Shore newsroom and gathered around it on the sidewalk.
The heater was taken to the line by Don McConnell, president of CWA Local 14827, the union that represents advertising workers at the PG.
The welcome warmth came on the 45th day of the newsroom workers’ strike against the PG and the 57th day of the distribution, production and advertising strike.
Also on Thursday, the PG strike was one of two featured in a Poynter article about newspapers attempting to hire so-called scab workers amid labor disputes.
The article by Angela Fu discusses the strikes at the PG and at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram — where workers walked out Monday. It also delves into those two papers posting job listings for roles held by striking workers.
At least eight jobs at the Post-Gazette are listed, according to Poynter.
“I understand the media job availability around the country is tight,” Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh president and PG interactive designer Zack Tanner told Poynter. “But taking these positions and even applying for these jobs seriously is really undermining the striking workers’ efforts to secure health care, secure fair wages and secure a contract.”
PG workers and the company are scheduled to meet Dec. 6 for their third negotiation session since the strikes began in October. The first two sessions yielded no progress, as PG representatives rebuffed attempts to bargain in good faith and continued to offer the same contract that the unions declined in 2020.
Alex is a digital news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike.
