Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Strikers Face Third Holiday Season on Strike

 
Members of CWA Local 38061 Ed Blazina (left) and John Santa (right) hold the picket line through their third holiday season on strike in their fight for justice at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Photo credit: Alex McCann, Pittsburgh Union Progress, member of CWA Local 38061.)

Proving CWA to be one of the hardest-fighting unions, striking CWAers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette are waging the longest-running strike in America and facing a third holiday season fighting for a fair deal and the newspaper Pittsburgh deserves.

“We have parents who have told their kids, ‘This’ll be over soon. We’ll be able to have a normal Christmas next year.’ And that obviously is not the case because we have an employer that will not bargain in good faith,” said striking photojournalist Steve Mellon.

CWA members with Locals 14842, 14827, and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh-CWA (TNG-CWA Local 38061) first walked out on strike in October 2022, after the company unilaterally cut off the healthcare of its production, advertising, and distribution workers. Since beginning their strike, the workers have had numerous victories in court, proving the just nature of their cause. By standing strong, CWA strikers are holding their employer to account as the Post-Gazette faces a federal injunction.

“As we begin our third holiday season on strike, I am most grateful for the time I get to spend with my wife, Jill, and my son, Jack,” said John Santa, a striking page designer and copy editor. “We have sacrificed a lot to remain on strike, and I will forever be in awe of the love I receive on a daily basis from my little family. Each day I wake up and work alongside my union siblings to fight for the dignity and fair treatment we deserve from our employer; I am reminded of how critical our cause is. I am proud to show my son that this cause is just. I want him to know I stood on the right side of history.”

Donations to the Striker Fund allow striking workers to cover rent, utilities, car repairs, and unexpected bills while they continue to fight. Strikers have a big fundraising goal: $50,000 to get through a third holiday season in this fight. Help them make it happen with a donation at https://cwa.org/ppgholiday.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.