Bargaining Update

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Strike

Striking CWA members at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette launched a radio ad and video this week urging Post-Gazette readers to drop the newspaper by boycotting the website and canceling their subscriptions. The video features CWA Local 14827 member Kitsy Higgins and CWA Local 14842 members Renee Tatalovic and James “Hutchie” Van Landingham, who also voiced the radio ad.

Community support for the strike continues to build. On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh City Council issued a resolution supporting the strikers and condemning Block Communications, the owners of the paper. The Council called on Post-Gazette management to “recognize the value of their workers, end unfair labor practices, bargain in good faith and fashion a collective bargaining agreement now.”

On Monday, members of CWA Locals 13000, 13500, and the United Mine Workers of America joined the workers who are picketing the Butler Eagle, which has been printing the Post-Gazette during the strike.

To send a message of support to the striking workers or contribute to their strike fund, visit cwa.org/ppg.

Members of the United Mine Workers of America and CWA Locals 13000 and 13500 joined Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers who are picketing the Butler Eagle, which has been printing the Post-Gazette during the strike.

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Frontier

Last month, as part of CWA’s nationwide campaign to expose Frontier Communications’ dangerous use of subcontractors, members from CWA Locals 9510 and 9588 participated in the latest "Stop Frontier Subcontracting" training held at the CWA District 9 office in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

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Monroe County

In a major victory for social workers in Rochester, N.Y., members of the Monroe County Federation of Social Workers, IUE-CWA Local 81381, bargained a new agreement for a 7% increase in pay for almost all members of the bargaining unit. The pay increase comes amidst major challenges the workers are dealing with, including underfunding and a high vacancy rate. “This is immoral, what we’ve been doing,” said County Executive Adam Bello at a press conference announcing the agreement. “This county has been underfunding the very people who are charged with protecting the most vulnerable people in our community. We can’t have that.”

The win follows several mobilization efforts by the members, including organizing a panel discussion about the vacancies and their effects on workloads and morale. The workers also held workplace actions and spoke out at County legislative meetings. “Over the last year, mobilization among our members has been at an all time high. Attending rallies, speaking out in public forums, coordinating workplace activities – all while working through the pandemic and ever increasing caseloads as our agency hit record vacancy rates. It is also important to note that we have a County Executive that our members worked very hard to get elected who is willing to hear our concerns and negotiate with us outside of the contract. It is very uncommon to receive one out of contract raise, much less two and three in a single year. Our achievements illustrate that political action is essential to victory and when we fight, we win,” said IUE-CWA Local 81381 President Christina Christman.