The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh invites the community to participate in a virtual town hall forum and workshop on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. 

Attendees will hear from guild leadership as well as columnist Tony Norman, reporter/editor Sara Bauknecht, and sports reporter Nubyjas Wilborn about the state of the Post-Gazette and why the union is crucial to the direction and future of the centuries-old community institution.

In addition to hearing from guild members, readers and community attendees will participate in breakout rooms and in-depth discussions with guild members on what the unionized workers at the Post-Gazette, a critical asset to the community, can do to work toward a secure future for the newspaper that Pittsburgh relies on for holding leaders accountable, to bringing to light issues in our region.

Newspaper Guild members at the Post-Gazette have been without a contract since 2017 despite continued efforts on the union’s behalf to come to a fair and equitable agreement with company owners. The Post-Gazette and the Block family, however, have hired a union-busting Tennessee law firm, King & Ballow, to delay and deny progress on a new contract, have refused to negotiate on a fair contract in good faith, and have illegally imposed harsh and unnecessary cuts to employee pay and benefits.

In the past three years alone, the newsroom staff won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue, several guild members were finalists for another Pulitzer for their series on sexual abuse in the Plain community, and staff members have won dozens of other awards. Meanwhile, the size of the staff has continued to shrink as talented journalists have left the newspaper and, in many cases, Pittsburgh.

Join the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, June 23, at 7 p.m. as we discuss these issues and work together with our community to ensure a strong future for the Post-Gazette. Registration will be open until the beginning of the forum.