Appeals court orders Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to restore union workers' health benefits
An appeals court ruling will require the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to restore union workers' health benefits and resume negotiating a new deal.
Disagreements over the change in healthcare from the workers' contract in 2017 led to the strike that began over two years ago.
The union says striking workers will meet in the coming days to discuss the court order and whether it might lead to the end of the strike.
"Members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh have stood and fought against the Post-Gazette's illegal union busting since October 2022 and today we have been given the victory that we've held the picket line waiting for so long," said Zack Tanner, striking interactive designer and Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh president. "Our win today is a major victory not just for us striking workers, but for all workers in Pittsburgh who want to stand up and fight."
"NewsGuild-CWA members have a saying: whatever it takes," said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. "Guild members have struck for 29 months knowing we were right and the company broke federal law. Today the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with us. We're thrilled and will continue doing our job holding power to account, especially when it's the boss."
The strike is already the longest in U.S. history.
In January of 2023, a National Labor Relations Board judge ordered the Post-Gazette back to the bargaining table saying the newspaper had been bargaining in bad faith since 2019 and prematurely declared an impasse.
