Oct 12, 2023 - One Year on the Picket Line in Pittsburgh

Last Friday, striking newspaper and production workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette marked one year on strike, a somber anniversary that measures the depth of the striking workers’ determination and solidarity.

“Those 365 days,” said Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (CWA Local 38061) member Natalie Duleba, “have been filled with inspiration, anger, awe, and an undying will to fight for what’s right.”

More than 300 supporters rallied outside the Post-Gazette newsroom, including CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis, NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.). President Cummings pledged CWA’s full support for the strikers and their fight for a fair contract.

The striking workers have not had an across-the-board raise since 2006 and had been working without a contract since 2017 before going on strike. The workers already won their case before an NLRB administrative law judge last January, who ruled that the Post-Gazette had bargained in bad faith and ordered the company to restore the terms of the 2017 contract and make the workers whole. The company could end the strike by complying with the court’s orders but refuses to do so. The striking workers have maintained their picket lines and their solidarity through 2023's longest ongoing strike.

To support the striking workers, subscribe to the strike newspaper for free or donate to the strike fund.

Read more here or watch the video.

Strikers and supporters gather to mark the one year anniversary of Post-Gazette workers being on strike. (Photo credit: Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Shawnee State University

CWA Local 4372 members at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that provides pay increases, an increase in shift differential, and an increase in reimbursement for uniform items. The contract covers hourly staff at the university, including administrative assistants, custodians, and maintenance and support staff.

The Working Families Party (WFP) held its first ever national convention last weekend, and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. addressed the crowd during the closing session.

Twenty-five years ago, CWA helped found the WFP in New York. Since then, the party has expanded to 17 states and has recruited, trained, and elected thousands of candidates to office at every level of government. Its mission is to build a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. As CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase, who is a member of the WFP National Executive Committee, noted, “I remember about ten years ago…when we started talking about a Texas WFP. There were four states [on the WFP map]. Now look at where we are.”

“The Working Families Party can be a home for those voters who feel shut out and excluded from both the Democratic and Republican parties. We can build an independent base of power for people, not for parties or individuals,” President Cummings told the delegates. “We must double down on our commitment to engaging working-class voters of all races, and remain united around our shared values and vision for a country where your health and your lifespan do not depend on your zip code. Where working people don’t have to choose between keeping a job and caring for a family member. A country where every job pays a living wage and all workers are treated with dignity and respect.”

Learn more about the Working Families Party here.

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15. As part of its yearly celebration of Hispanic and Latino leaders who are shaping the labor movement for the future, the AFL-CIO featured CWA Local 3140 member Cynthia Rivera-Havard. Cynthia is a customer service representative at American Airlines based in Tampa, Fla. She has actively participated in various human rights initiatives with CWA, including co-founding her local's Human Rights Committee.

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