Bob Batz Jr., Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (TNG) member and Interim Editor of Pittsburgh Union Progress, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential end of the 24-month strike by NGP members at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Batz provided a history of the now 24-month strike that began on Oct. 18, 2022, including recent court rulings that found the Post-Gazette has been breaking federal labor law in numerous ways. Last month, the National Labor Relations Board Region 6 office in Pittsburgh filed a request in U.S. District Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania for a temporary injunction that would essentially end the strike. If the court grants the injunction, Guild members will return to work, receive lost wages and benefits and management will be forced to come back to the bargaining table.
On Sept. 25, TNG will host a town hall event at the United Steelworkers Union Hall in downtown Pittsburgh. Batz explained that the forum will allow the public to learn more about the Guild’s path to victory and discuss its members’ shared vision for the Post-Gazette once they win the strike. Members also want to find out what people want from the Post-Gazette and their thoughts on what should be brought over from the Pittsburgh Union Progress (strike paper).
Additionally, Batz spoke about the upcoming Newsapalooza event, set to take place on Sept. 27 and 28 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He said Newsapalooza is meant to be a fundraiser and a launching point for Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovations Next Generation Newsroom, which aims to fill gaps in local reporting and serve readers through Pittsburgh Media Partnership outlets. They will discuss the state of local news, including the strike, as panels and speakers will discuss funding for struggling news outlets and how to cover local news.
For more on the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh strike, please listen to the show above.