Pittsburgh post-Gazette Faces contempt Charges Over Health Insurance dispute

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed civil contempt of court charges against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, alleging the newspaper has refused to comply with a federal court order to restore health insurance benefits that were illegally terminated for its workers in 2020. The charges, filed Tuesday, could result in meaningful daily fines if the Post-Gazette continues to disregard the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals‘ decision.

The court issued what is known as 10(e) injunctive relief on March 24, a rare measure reserved for extreme violations of federal labor law. This order mandated the Post-Gazette to reinstate the previous health insurance plan and engage in good-faith negotiations for a new contract with its employees. Despite the order, the newspaper has not complied, pursuing two unsuccessful appeals. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation,employer-sponsored health insurance covers roughly 160 million Americans,highlighting the importance of maintaining these benefits ¹.

Union Condemns Post-Gazette’s Actions

“While NewsGuild workers pile up win after win,the Post-Gazette is continuing to defy federal law and play games with the court rather than give us what they owe us,” stated Zack Tanner,president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh,in a recent press release. “Our demands to the company have been the same for years: Restore our contract,including our health care,and stop breaking the law.”

Post-Gazette newsroom employees, represented by the guild, have been engaged in an unfair labor practice strike since October 2022, primarily due to the company’s unilateral changes to health insurance. This labor action is currently the longest ongoing strike in the United States.

Did You Know? The average length of a strike in the U.S. has decreased over the past few decades, with most lasting only a few days or weeks ².

Legal Battles and Previous Rulings

Prior to the appeals court’s involvement, both an administrative law judge and the full NLRB in Washington determined that the Post-Gazette violated the National Labor Relations Act by altering health insurance, declaring an impasse in contract negotiations, and imposing detrimental working conditions on its newsroom staff.

The post-Gazette previously disregarded these rulings due to the absence of a robust enforcement mechanism.Though, the appeals court possesses the authority to impose fines and freeze the newspaper’s assets in cases of civil contempt.

“The Blocks and their company could have avoided this mess entirely,” Tanner added, “and now they’re going to be forced to pay the price of their wrongdoing.”

In September,the NLRB directed the Post-Gazette to reinstate the 2014-17 contract,negotiate in good faith,compensate workers for illegal changes to health care and wages,and cease illegal surveillance of employees.

While the injunction primarily addresses health insurance, a panel of judges from the appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments for the full case on July 7 in Philadelphia.

Pro Tip: Understanding labor laws and union contracts can definitely help both employers and employees navigate workplace disputes more effectively.

Timeline of Key Events

Neither PG Publisher John Robinson Block nor Executive Editor Stan Wischnowski have responded to requests for comment.

questions for Discussion

What impact do you think this legal battle will have on the future of labor relations in the media industry?

How can companies and unions work together to avoid such disputes in the future?

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