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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 29/04/2026

Today, the incoming ownership of @post-gazette.com received the following open letter from city, county, state, and federal elected officials welcoming the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism to Pittsburgh, and urging strong staffing and good-faith bargaining.

" 4/29/2026

Attn: Stewart Bainum Jr., Chair, Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism

CC: Bob Cohn, President & CEO; Audrey Cooper, Editor-in-Chief; Andre Jones, Chief People Officer; Monique Jones, VP Editorial & Business Development;

Dear Mr. Bainum,

The undersigned are writing to warmly welcome you to Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.

The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism’s purchase of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has helped to preserve an historic institution responsible for recording much of this region’s history, dating back to 1786, as well as its future.

An independent press is paramount, both for an informed populace to fully participate in democracy, and for the overall health of our communities. Although we fully anticipate days in which your workers’ critical coverage scrutinizes us closely, as public figures, we embrace those days. It’s part of our responsibility to the public we serve.

That same responsibility extends to informing you of some basic foundations for success here."

"It is crucial that the Post-Gazette remain a union paper, that you bargain in good faith with the members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, and strive to maintain as robust of a staff as possible, providing the caliber of in-depth local coverage our communities deserve.

Should you fall short of that standard, the PG will struggle, and we will all be worse off for it. Because we are invested in your success, we are invested in labor peace at the Post-Gazette.

The sacrifices made to reinstate workers’ contract at the PG extended beyond those who struck for three-plus years. Many neighbors scraped together money they didn’t have to keep those workers housed and fed. Some Pittsburghers resolutely walked picket lines. Plenty did both.

Currently, you have so much good will. Having salvaged the PG from the consequences of bad business practices of the past, that good will is well-earned. We simply implore you to understand that so much of that good will is attached to the well-being of those workers, who fought for their neighbors, who in turn see themselves in the workers’ fight."

"Any path forward that separates the future of the Post-Gazette from the dignity of its workers will misread this city entirely. In Pittsburgh, solidarity is a shared ethic, not just a sentiment that we profess, but a commitment that we practice.

We want to see you benefit from that same commitment from our communities well into the future. That trust is precious. And in a union town, it’s invaluable."

"Wishing you a warm Pittsburgh welcome,

Congressman Chris Deluzio
Congresswoman Summer L. Lee

Jay Costa, Pennsylvania State Senate, District 43
Lindsey Williams, Pennsylvania State Senate, District 38

Aerion Abney, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 19
Jessica Benham, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 36
Dan Goughnour, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 35
Emily Kinkead, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 20
Jen Mazzocco, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 42
Arvind Venkat, Pennsylvania General Assembly, District 30

Aaron Adams, Allegheny County Council, District 9
Jordan Botta, Allegheny County Council, District 13
Lissa Geiger Shulman, Allegheny County Council, District 3
Dan Grzybek, Allegheny County Council, District 5
Bethany Hallam, Allegheny County Councilmember At-Large
Alex Rose, Allegheny County Councilmember At-Large

Deb Gross, Pittsburgh City Council, District 7
Barb Warwick, Pittsburgh City Council, District 5
Khari Mosley, Pittsburgh City Council, District 9"

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 14/04/2026

We are very, very glad that the PG is surviving! We’re eager to turn over a new leaf with new owners who value journalism, and respect Pittsburgh. We’re also concerned by the new ownership's public statements regarding job cuts.

Black copy on a white background from a Post-Gazette article published today reads:

The Post-Gazette newsroom currently stands around 100. The new iteration of the PG going forward might need to start out smaller, Mr. Bainum said.

“The Post-Gazette’s current business model does not support the size of the current newsroom,” he said. “We’re going to have to thoughtfully address that.

“We’re learning as we go, so we certainly don’t have all the answers,” he said.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 09/04/2026

We’ve been VERY encouraged by your support in all its forms the past few months, and years. If you can, will you contribute to our pursuit of a worker- and community-owned news co-op today? OurPaperNow.org

Steve Mellon, wearing a denim button-down, kneels in the middle of the aisle at 1Hood's Blaxk Box Theater Wednesday night as he listens to a town hall attendee. Much of the seated crowd is turned away from him toward the participant, unseen.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 09/04/2026

If you missed it, we’ll be announcing another soon. But you don’t have to wait to join this collaboration of union journalists and community members who refuse to sit around and plead for a savior. Simply visit OurPaperNow.org to evolve this project together.

Tanisha Thomas, left, and Ed Blazina, right, holding a blue posterboard of community feedback notes, look off to the side during the reportback portion of Wednesday's town hall.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 09/04/2026

We were stoked to see nearly 100 people at our town hall last night, share our vision for a multi-stakeholder daily news co-op, and hear what you all need in one for the future of journalism in Pittsburgh. The desire for local, representative news we all own was clear! OurPaperNow.org

Dozens of seated town hall attendees sit at 1Hood's Blaxk Box Theater Wednesday night. Most are looking off to the left of the frame.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 23/03/2026

What would truly equitable, worker-centered journalism look like for Pittsburgh? Hear from speakers who believe something better is possible, and join a group conversation about what it could look like. RSVP: tinyurl.com/PAPER-town-hall #Pittsburgh #PittsburghNews #LocalNews #OurPAPERNow

Gold text announces "A Cooperative Pittsburgh News Town Hall." Details below: April 8, 6:30 PM, The Blaxk Box Theater, 460 Melwood Ave.

White text reads: "Contact the Pittsburgh Alliance for People-Empowered Reporting at ourpapernow.org." Below: "RSVP" and the link tinyurl.com/paper-town-hall.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 27/01/2026

What if our local news was run by workers, and neighbors — accountable to our own working-class problems — instead of being both-sides-ing millionaire pet projects? We teamed up w/ our community and formed PAPER to do just that. Can you donate to support today? OurPaperNow.org

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 18/11/2025

This comes on the heels of last week's 3rd Circuit court of appeals order that affirms the National Labor Relations Board order that says that the Post-Gazette must reinstate our contract that they illegally ripped up over five years ago. www.unionprogress.com/2025/11/11/t...

A group of people holding up their fists behind a sign that reads "Third Circuit ruled in our favor! We won!"

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 18/11/2025

Yesterday, on day 1,126 of our unfair labor practice strike, our return to work notice was sent to @post-gazette.com ownership. “Every single step of the way, we have told the company and decision makers within it that this is what would happen.” www.unionprogress.com/2025/11/17/p...

From left to right, a man in a red sweater and his hands in his pocket, another man with long hair and a long beard in a grey shirt holding his hands up, a final man kneeling and holding a laptop.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 10/11/2025

Can you help us finish this fight and cover bills that’ve piled up over more than 3 years on strike? Donations go directly to striking workers’ families to cover essentials like rent, groceries and emergency expenses: www.unionprogress.com/donate/

Red text over a white background reading "Post-Gazette striker win 3-year strike!"

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 10/11/2025

The order affirms what we’ve said all along: The PG’s lawless union-busting cannot stand. We made sure it didn’t. We’re taking back what they stole from us. We won this strike. Unlike the many previous rulings in our favor against the PG, the 3rd Circuit has enforcement power.

Post-Gazette Strikers Win Three-Year Strike
U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to Restore Workers’ Rights

On Monday, the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to repeal more than five years of worker rights violations and to compensate the workers who were impacted by those violations. The order, which enforces a September 2024 ruling from the National Labor Relations Board, reflects the longstanding demands of Post-Gazette workers. They have been on strike since October 2022. The Post-Gazette must now comply with the Court’s order. Strikers look forward to ending the strike and returning to work.

“Ever since Post-Gazette management ripped apart our contract in 2020, our union of journalists has been standing and fighting the lawless union-busting that we’ve been subjected to every step of the way,” said Andrew Goldstein, striking education reporter and Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh president. “When we walked out on strike in October 2022 it wasn’t just for us and our rights as workers, we were fighting for fair treatment for the future journalists in Pittsburgh and beyond. Today’s victory vindicates our fight and shows that NewsGuild workers will never back down no matter how long it takes.”

Though the paper has continuously flouted federal labor law for the better part of a decade, the combination of its workers’ strike and a circuit court ruling corners the union-busting operation. The Supreme Court, in practice, does not accept appeals of this kind. And Post-Gazette corporate brass, and attorneys, have long maintained that they would win on appeal in circuit court.

Instead, striking Post-Gazette workers — members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh-CWA — are ready to return to work on the terms they have demanded throughout their three-year strike. Those include a restoration of the health care plan the company illegally took away without bargaining in July of 2020. The contract coverage was rep…

At the same time, the Post-Gazette eliminated the guarantee of a 40-hour work week, gutted the collectively bargained short-term disability plan, took away some workers’ paid time off as well as the right to fight discipline from managers, among other issues. The imposed health care plan effectively cut workers’ wages by thousands of dollars annually by shifting costs to the employees.

“The Blocks shameless attempts at union busting failed again,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “What the Blocks — and all owners like them — need to understand is that they cannot break the law. We are stronger, braver and more principled than any boss can possibly imagine. The NewsGuild stands ready to support every journalist and all of our members in whatever it takes, however long it takes.”

"Let this be a lesson to the bosses and the bullies who think they can starve working people into submission — when we stand together, we have the power, the tenacity and the will to win," said Claude Cummings, Jr., president of the Communications Workers of America. "I am immensely proud of our strikers for their righteous victory today, and also of members and retirees from across our union and the labor movement who have stood in solidarity, donated, and sustained our strikers for three long years. When we fight together, we win together."

Throughout the three-year strike, neighbors, union members and supporters of the workers near and far have provided invaluable support by rallying with strikers, standing on picket lines and directly confronting PG managers and owners for a fair settlement. Many have provided financial support —donating more than $1 million — and boycotted the struck paper.

Workers themselves have continued to publish their own coverage of Pittsburgh and beyond as the Pittsburgh Union Progress.

"It has been an honor to fight alongside my fellow strikers and to take care of one another for the past three-plus years. We had to do both to achieve this well-e…

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 10/11/2025

BREAKING: We won! Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years. pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...

A yellow bridge in front of a city background with three banners reading "POST-GAZETTE STRIKERS WILL WIN".

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 20/10/2025

Striking copy editor & page designer Natalie Duleba: "What I have learned over the past 3 years is that the people I can count on are the ones who are in it with me." That includes so many of you. Would you be willing to make a donation to our strike fund today? UnionProgress.com/donate

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 20/10/2025

"We must band together as journalists, as working class people, to hold power to account & speak the truth. A community's journalism can only do that & get better if the journalists who work there consider it their home, have skin in the game & fight for it. That's what we're doing." -Natalie Duleba

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 17/10/2025

Tomorrow, our unfair labor practice strike against @post-gazette.com marks it's third full year. Three years of fighting the most lawless union-busting campaign can be tiring, but we're never going to quit fighting. Last night, we were uplifted to see a new sign adorning the Pittsburgh skyline...

Three banners, two black with white text and one red with white text, that read POST-GAZETTE STRIKERS WILL WIN hang from a yellow bridge with the Pittsburgh skyline in the background.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 08/10/2025

In addition to detailing the struggles strikers have faced, including local law enforcement physically breaking picket lines and executive editor Stan Wischnowski attempting to criminally prosecute one of his own reporters, Tuesday night’s proclamation stressed the importance of local journalism.

Two rows of people, mostly wearing black t-shirts, pose for a photograph in Allegheny County Council chambers. The walls are wood with a yellow trim and the ceiling is white.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 01/09/2025

Happy Labor Day. Today, we marked 1,049 days on strike against @post-gazette.com management who have been running the most lawless union-busting campaign in America. The longest active strikers in the country marched in Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade wearing our new Union Progress newshound shirts.

"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers ON STRIKE" on a black banner. Striking workers in black shirts are holding the sign.

"Solidarity with Post-Gazette workers ON STRIKE" on a black sign with a yellow fist attached to a while table.

A yellow dog holding a dead grey rat in its mouth on a black t-shirt that reads "unionprogress.com strike publication of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh."

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 20/08/2025

Tomorrow, the striking workers sit down with @post-gazette.com management in court ordered mediation to attempt to resolve our issues and settle the strike. PG executive editor Stan Wischnowski has the power to end the strike and choose to hide instead. Today we’re telling him again how we feel.

Rats (Don’t) Matter Too in yellow chalk on pavement. A grey jeep sits in the background.

“Stan Lies Journalism Dies” in chalk on pavement.

“Run out of Philly” and “Is the lawn sign in the room with you?” in chalk on pavement.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 15/08/2025

Emily Escalante is a resident of Pittsburgh's Mexican War Streets neighborhood and a member of the Block Communications, Inc. board of directors. Emily sits in her gentrified home and hides her true identity as a union-buster. Today, we hung flyers in her neighborhood to reveal who she really is.

Two workers tape a white sign with a red heading to a brown utility pole.

Alert: URGENT NOTICE: A shameless violator of workers’ rights has been seen in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! Name: Emily Escalante
Occupation: Board Member, heiress
Block Communications, Inc.
Accused of: Hiding from her own union busting

Why you should be on high alert:

Your neighbor, EMILY ESCALANTE, pretends to be a 9-to-5 worker while collecting dividends as 1 of just 9 board members at BCI, owner of the Post-Gazette. She is complicit in one of the most reckless union-busting operations in the country.

Striking journalists are fighting for their rights.

Post-Gazette ownership violates those rights every day.

EMILY WANTS TO BURY HER HEAD AND HIDE. DON’T LET HER.

BEWARE: Nancy is a danger to workers, your community, and journalism.

Go to pghguild.com/mgmt and tell the Post-Gazette decision makers
that you support union journalism!

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 13/08/2025

We raised tens of thousands of dollars for our strike fund at the @cwaunion.bsky.social Convention this week. AND as a union we voted to raise strike pay. At the exact moments when the @post-gazette.com hopes we’ll give up, our union siblings sent a very clear message: We Don’t Play At CWA!

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 13/08/2025

The PG has hired cops, scabs, “security,” and lawyers all in search of weaknesses and waiting us out. But @cwaunion.bsky.social president Claude Cummings Jr., CWA District 2-13 VP Mike Davis, @newsguild.org president Jon Schleuss and everyone who rallied showed why it can’t be done.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 24/07/2025

We wanted to welcome @post-gazette.com editor Stan Wischnowski to work today, but unfortunately Stan can’t be bothered to come up with a plan to settle our strike. (The company did accuse of us “graffitiing” the parking lot though…) See you next time, Stan!

“SPINELESS EDITOR PARK THIS WAY” in chalk on pavement.

A chalked rat eating cheese drawn onto pavement.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 21/07/2025

Shout out to @lizshuler.bsky.social, @aflcio.org and everyone who stood at today's It's Better In a Union bus tour stop outside @steelworkers.bsky.social HQ. To join them in supporting strikers in the longest-running strike in the country, visit unionprogress.com/donate today!

Three people in black shirts posing for a picture with a crowd in the background.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 21/07/2025

Striking page designer @johnnysantapup.bsky.social joins the @aflcio.org “It’s Better in a Union” bus tour to talk about what union solidarity means after over 1000 days on strike against @post-gazette.com.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 18/07/2025

This week marked 1,000(!) days on strike. It shouldn't take this long to stop the @post-gazette.com from mocking labor law and the courts. But as Ed Blazina puts it: "We get through with the kindness of strangers." Can that include you today? www.unionprogress.com/donate/

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 17/06/2025

This afternoon, @nlrbgov.bsky.social requested that the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court hold @post-gazette.com in contempt for refusing to restore the health insurance plan that the court ordered be restored in March.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 16/06/2025

On Saturday, @pghguild.com striking worker Natalie Duleba spoke the truth at PGH's #NoKingsDay rally: When journalists are targeted, it's working people who suffer most. Rich owners like the Blocks will do anything but provide fair wages and worker protections. We won't let them win. 📽️ Jason Cohn

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 29/04/2025

BIG news: Today the federal judges who granted us an injunction last month ordering the @post-gazette.com to restore our illegally-taken health care DENIED the company’s desperate attempts to rehear the case, delay justice and cut its *current* workers out of the plan we’ve won back.

"Solidarity with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers on strike". Black background, white and yellow words.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 01/04/2025

Last week, a Circuit Court ordered @post-gazette.com to restore the health care it illegally took away years ago. It's a great sign we’re going to get everything this strike has fought for. Clearly, the Blocks need you to break this down for them. Will you? tinyurl.com/DearBCI

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 24/03/2025

BREAKING: Today the 3rd Circuit Court enjoined the @post-gazette.com ordering the company to — upon request — immediately restore the health care it illegally took away in 2020, and bargain with us. This is an enormous win and the most consequential day of our entire strike.

Solidarity with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers on strike. Black background, skyline, white and yellow text.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 21/11/2024

Our full-time faculty unit at Point Park University have ratified their third CBA! Faculty wages will be increasing annually and there are a suite of other benefits that members will be enjoying. Read more -> pghguild.com/2024/11/21/p... #union #unionstrong

Point Park Full Time Faculty Contract Ratified! Four people in red shirts at an outdoor union rally. One person is holding a black megaphone while giving a speech.

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Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 13/11/2024

Here are some ways that you can support our strike against the union-busting Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Read the Union Progress: www.unionprogress.com Donate to our strike fund: www.unionprogress.com/donate/ Tell the Block family to bargain in good faith: actionnetwork.org/letters/is-t...

During Pittsburgh's 2024 Labor Day parade, workers wearing white t-shirts carry a black banner with white and yellow text that reads "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Workers ON STRIKE".

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