Journalists win longest ongoing strike in U.S.

The workers’ court win requires the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to reverse more than five years of union busting

PITTSBURGH, PA (November 13, 2025) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld a ruling Monday that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette violated the law by bargaining in bad faith, declaring an impasse in negotiations, and unilaterally imposing working conditions on journalists represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. In doing so, the Third Circuit affirmed an NLRB ruling mandating that management restore the workers’ previous contract and negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

“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.”

Striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carry their banner down Boulevard of the Allies during the 2025 Labor Day parade. These workers, members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, began their labor action on Oct. 18, 2022. Photo: Steve Mellon/Pittsburgh Union Progress

The employer must now restore the workers’ healthcare coverage, guaranteed 40-hour work week, short-term disability leave, and paid time off. Writing in the Pittsburgh Union Progress, the journalists’ strike paper, workers note they will meet in the coming days to vote on when they’ll return to work. But for now, they and their supporters are celebrating.

Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council President Darrin Kelly congratulated the workers in a statement.

“This is a huge victory for the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh and the Communications Workers of America, for our entire labor movement, and for everyone who still cares about justice for working people in this country,” said Kelly.

“To the Post-Gazette: this needs to be the end of it,” continued Kelly. “You have dragged this out for far too long. You have nowhere else to go. Accept the court’s ruling, restore the workers’ contract and let them go back to doing their jobs.”

Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, likewise praised the journalists’ perseverance.

“Working people don’t back down from a fight, no matter how long it takes or how tough it gets. The members of the Pittsburgh News Guild-CWA have proven that time and again for the past three years. I am thrilled to congratulate them on their resounding victory,” said Shuler.

“The Post-Gazette workers’ heroic persistence exemplifies the power of what we can achieve when we come together in a union,” she continued. “For three years, they have bravely stood up for their own rights and have thereby held the line for everyone who works for a living. Their struggle has shown us all that when we fight, we win.”

This strike and legal battle can be viewed as a litmus test for what bosses can get away with and how workers can fight back, a powerful example for local journalists across the U.S. bargaining their own contracts. We’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest that bad-faith bargaining by newspaper bosses is not unique to the Post-Gazette. Stonewalling at the table in an attempt to burn workers’ momentum is all too common (and in many cases, illegal). Bosses risk it because it takes time for labor law violations to make their ways through administrative and legal processes, so they bet they can wait workers out. But by sticking together year after year, Post-Gazette journalists showed that solidarity indeed gets the goods.

Or, in the words of NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss: “We are stronger, braver, and more principled than any boss can possibly imagine.”

If you’re able to, consider a donation to the Post-Gazette journalists’ strike fund to help workers’ families cover costs incurred over three years on strike.