Bake sale makes sweet return to assist striking workers and celebrate solidarity

The show of solidarity was so sweet the first time, strikers and their supporters are going for another round, this time with a holiday theme and a future cookbook.

United Steelworkers Local 3657’s fundraising and organizing committees along with USW District 10 will sponsor ’Tis the Season for Solidarity bake sale Dec. 19 from noon to 6 p.m. at USW headquarters, 60 Blvd. of the Allies, Downtown. Proceeds will go to the Pittsburgh Striker Fund, which gives financial assistance to the union members who have been on strike from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for nearly 14 months.  

The fundraiser follows the Solidarity Is Sweet bake sale the unions hosted in March at USW, which raised more than $4,600 for the striker fund.

“We’re excited to roll out the dough and have a really strong event,” said Allison Petonic, one of the fundraiser’s organizers, a member of USW Local 3657, an at-large member of the Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild and TNG-CWA Local 32035 and a technician on staff with the USW.

The sale will not only raise money but also show community and labor support.

“We know that the strike continues and the Post-Gazette owners have not shown any significant movement in the right direction,” said Laura Tompkins, co-chair of the organizing committee of USW Local 3657, the staff union for the international USW. “We’ve been inspired by the newsroom staff that continues to maintain the strike. Going into the holidays, we wanted to recognize that solidarity and support.”

As with the March event, the sale is open to baked goods of any kind, such as cookies, cakes, pies, muffins, breads, brownies — any treat you can think of. Gift baskets will also be raffled off.

Organizers are asking for volunteers to sign up to bake and also work the sale.  

Those bakers and also the supporters who can’t make something for this event can contribute dessert recipes to the “Seasoned With Solidarity Cookbook,” planned for early next year.  

“Expanding [the bake sale] into collecting recipes for a dessert cookbook is very exciting, and I think that will be a wonderful reminder of the creativity of our members, both in the Steelworkers and the striking news workers union,” said Tompkins.

“I think it’s great when people show up for other working people here in Pittsburgh and find creative outlets to show our solidarity,” she said.

Petonic is also confident supporters will rise to the occasion to raise some dough.

“We know we can do it again and know it is important to really stick with [the PG strikers] so we can be successful again,” she said. “That will mean the labor community and community members come together and bake and volunteer. They made all the difference before, and we are ready to do it again. We’ve found that when your creativity can shine, your solidarity is the brightest.”