The strike daily Dec. 14: Striking Post-Gazette workers wake up early, then talk writing

Striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers got up a little earlier than usual Wednesday before another day full of picketing and planning.

A contingent of striking workers arrived on the picket line outside the PG’s North Shore newsroom early Wednesday morning — early enough to see the sun rise over the city.

Newsroom workers from the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh picketed for a couple of hours before they were relieved by their typographical union colleagues who work in the PG’s advertising department.

Advertising, distribution and production workers at the PG walked off the job in the early-morning hours of Oct. 6, and newsroom workers joined them Oct. 18.

Later Wednesday, striking journalists met at PG strike headquarters for their weekly “story club” meeting. Reporters, editors and photographers got together to discuss some of their favorite pieces of writing before diving headfirst into planning for future Pittsburgh Union Progress projects.

And the workers’ strike solidarity pledge was signed by two more members of Pittsburgh City Council.

Deb Gross and Bobby Wilson joined fellow councilors Erika Strassburger and Barbara Warwick in agreeing to talk to the Union Progress, not the PG, until the strike is resolved.

Those who sign the pledge are also promising to ask their fellow community members to join them in canceling their PG subscriptions until the strike ends, and instead subscribe to the Union Progress.

Striking workers unveiled an initial list of pledge signers last week. Hundreds of elected officials, community leaders, organizations and members of the public have already signed their names.