Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
For more than two months, workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have been on strike after management unilaterally canceled employee health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, refused collective raises for 16 years and harassed striking workers with private security and public law enforcement. The workers, members of the Communications Workers of America, The NewsGuild-CWA and the Teamsters, are fighting for dignity, and they are calling on the community for support.
The workers are asking supporters and allies to write a letter to the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, asking it to reconsider and cancel its media sponsorship with the newspaper. The partnership between the football team and the newspaper is visible, with a large ad for the Post-Gazette running inside the stadium on game days and the Steelers partnering with the newspaper to sponsor high school football highlights.
Pittsburgh is a union town, and residents won’t stand for the Post-Gazette’s actions. The workers are fighting for news the community deserves, and they’ll be calling on other pro and college sports teams to support working people, too.