Supporting Striking Workers At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Floor Speech

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Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the striking workers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who are more than 100 days into their unfair labor practice strike.

CWA and Teamsters members went on strike this fall. They were joined in solidarity by members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. Striking workers continue to keep the community informed through their strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress.

A healthy democracy requires a free press, and Western PA is no exception. We need strong, independent journalism. The destruction of small news outlets and consolidation in the industry are big problems for the freedom of the press in our country, including in Western Pennsylvania.

Owners at Block Communications recently acquired the Pittsburgh City Paper, a weekly focused on local issues. The News Guild-CWA has raised concerns about this acquisition and its impact on competition, workers, and journalistic independence. I share those concerns.

While I am glad that a judge found Block Communications broke the law in the Guild's NLRB case, the fight isn't over. I stand in solidarity with the striking workers in Western Pennsylvania and with workers across the country fighting for the dignity that we all deserve.

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