Busiest year for collective action in the history of NewsGuild-CWA

The NewsGuild-CWA President, Jon Schleuss, returned to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to provide an update on the strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Schleuss also discussed the busiest year for collective actions in the union’s history and how bargaining units like the Washington Post have utilized one and two-day strikes to their advantage in negotiations.

The NewsGuild was formed in 1933, and 2023 was the most active year for collective action the union has experienced. There were 36 strikes in 2023, including more than five in the last 30 days, not including a few ongoing strikes that began earlier this year or in 2022. Schleuss said that many strikes are due to employers not providing basic protections or benefits.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike has lasted more than 14 months. Beginning in the fall of 2022, employers resorted to bringing in scab workers, including the paper's current editor. The community and political leaders have rallied around the striking workers, refusing interviews with the Post-Gazette. The demands of the workers at the Post-Gazette have been simple as they only want the employers to bargain in good faith and provide affordable health insurance, Schleuss said. 

The NewsGuild generally operates their strikes on a single-day or two-day basis. The reason behind these shorter strikes has been to demonstrate the impact and importance of the work done by members. An example of this type of collective action was recently showcased by the Washington Post, with about 750 workers walking out on a one-day strike. Schleuss talked about the history of collective action at the Washington Post and the organization's increased level of union participation.

Play the show above to hear more about the NewsGuild’s strike and organization efforts.