NLRB injunction could help resolve Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Strike

Zack Tanner, President of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh — a Local with The NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America — joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the announcement from Region 6 of the National Labor Relations Board that they would begin the process for seeking Injunctive Relief following the decision to dissolve by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 205.

The NLRB Region 6 in Pittsburgh recently announced they are looking to get court-order injunctions against the employers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Tanner talked about what an injunction could do to help resolve the strike. He hopes the Board has seen the lack of effort from the ownership group and how a court injunction could restart talks. Tanner said the union members feel they’re in a good position after 17 months on strike.

Tanner discussed the recent news about Teamsters Local 205 being forced to dissolve and giving up their right to work with the Post-Gazette after they lost so many members due to the 17-month strike. Local 205, formerly Teamsters Local 211 before combining with Local 205 a decade ago, was responsible for driving delivery vehicles for the Post-Gazette. He explained the history of their involvement with the paper and how sad it is to see the Teamsters not being a part of the paper anymore. Tanner said members still on strike were disappointed by the Teamsters decision but took it in stride and are looking forward to the next steps.

Finally, Tanner said that the Teamsters' decision could have triggered the NLRB’s Region 6 to consider legal action. A 10J Injunctive Relief authorizes the NLRB to seek temporary injunctions against employers and unions in federal district courts to stop unfair labor practices while the case is litigated. He explained that this type of injunction is essentially an emergency order and would be the second injunction by the NLRB in 2024. Tanner talked about potential remedies from the decisions of a possible court case and how union members would be impacted.

For more on the strike and recent updates from Tanner, listen to the show above.