News workers who have been on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette feel closer than ever to getting back to work there, and so some of them are inviting their supporters and other friends to talk about what that near future might look like.
“One day soon, we will win this strike. That means returning to work at the Post-Gazette and continuing to provide the essential local news coverage Pittsburgh deserves,” wrote Ed Blazina, who is the first vice president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh that represents journalists.
He also writes a lot for the digital strike “paper” and asked in his invitation, “What do you love about our strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress? What would you like to see us take back to the Post-Gazette to make it a successful and reputable paper again?”
The journalists and workers in now four other unions went on strike in October 2022 and recently got the positive news that the National Labor Relations Board filed in U.S. District Court a request for an injunction that could get them back to work and back to the bargaining table.
The community town hall is “your chance to learn more from strikers about our path to victory and discuss our shared vision for what the PG can be once we win the strike.”
The gathering is set for 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the first-floor conference room of the United Steelworkers Building at 60 Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown. RSVP by clicking here.
“We believe this cooperation is the only way to restore the type of news coverage the Pittsburgh area wants and deserves,” writes Blazina, who with his fellow strikers began telephoning and texting on Wednesday to invite supporters to the town hall. “We continue to appreciate your support for our monumental effort and know we never could have hung on without your help.”
The future of local journalism is a big issue that many in the community care about, and bringing the public into those conversations is the crux of the first Newsapalooza celebration of local news that Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovation is holding on Sept. 27-28. Most of the speakers, panels and a party are happening at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Downtown, that Friday. Robert Costa, CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent, will open the day with a keynote. For details and tickets, visit https://www.nextgenerationnewsroom.org/news/party-with-the-people-who-make—and-break—news.
The Pittsburgh Union Progress is one of about 30 outlets in this region that belong to the Pittsburgh Media Partnership, many of which have published and shared profiles of community doers in the run-up to Newsapalooza. The PUP published the first one and is sharing several others (see links at the bottom of our story or search “Newsapalooza” on our site).
Newsapalooza is meant to be a fundraiser and a launching point for Point Park’s Next Generation Newsroom, which aims to fill gaps in local reporting and serve readers through the PMP outlets.
There are fewer paid journalists than ever, the organizers note. “At risk is democracy, informed communities and a shared awareness. For decades, journalists celebrated Pittsburgh at its best and protected it when needed. Now, we need to protect this vital civic function.”
The PUP is the publication of the striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
