Striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette celebrated the news Wednesday that their strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress, has surpassed the 1,000-subscriber mark.
The PUP was unveiled on Oct. 20, the third day of newsroom workers’ strike against the PG. Newsroom workers walked out on Oct. 18, joining distribution, production and advertising workers who began a strike on Oct. 6.
Since its inception, the PUP has expanded to include not only news about the strike but also community news — ranging from politics and crime to transportation and the environment — and sports news.
On Wednesday, PUP editors, reporters and photographers got together for another “story club” meeting at strike headquarters in the United Steelworkers building. Those journalists discussed some past projects that they had each struggled with and brainstormed ideas on future improvements.
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh plans to use strike HQ to host a holiday party for striking workers Thursday. Workers will enjoy food and drink, plus one another’s company, before a long weekend expected to be quiet on the strike front.
Those events followed yet another bargaining session on Tuesday rendered fruitless by the Post-Gazette’s bad-faith bargaining and its union-busting lawyer, Richard Lowe. Lowe has rejected all proposals brought by the guild to end the strike while making no counteroffers.
During a lunch break in bargaining, striking workers rallied with some of their allies from labor unions, political circles and the community.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey also tweeted his support and said he would join workers’ solidarity pledge to not talk to the Post-Gazette until the strike ends.
Gainey was represented at Tuesday’s rally by Maria Montaño, his press secretary, who spoke in support of workers and also joined the pledge.
Gainey and Montaño joined hundreds who have pledged the same:
- To refuse to speak to the Post-Gazette until striking workers’ demands are met.
- To speak with the striking worker-run Pittsburgh Union Progress instead.
- To ask their community to join them in canceling their Post-Gazette subscriptions until the strike ends.
- To urge folks to subscribe to the Union Progress.
Alex is a digital news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike.
