The longest-running strike in the US is over—and the workers won

On Monday, Nov. 24, after more than 1,100 days on strike, Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members were cheered on by supporters at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh before returning to work at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Even though strikers have returned to work, however, many issues at the center of the strike are still in legal limbo—and their fight for a fair contract is not over. In this episode of Working People, we speak with three Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members—Bob Batz. Jr, Natalie Duleba, and Steve Mellon—about where things stand now, how their lives have changed since returning to work, and what it takes to hold the picket line for over three years. 

Additional links/info: 

• Pittsburgh Union Progress website 
• Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh website, Facebook page, and Instagram
• Bob Batz Jr. & Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Union Progress, "Pittsburgh journalists vote to end country's longest strike and notify the PG they are returning to work"
• Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, "Post-Gazette strikers send company return to work offer"
• Sara Scire, Nieman Lab, "What newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

Featured Music: 

• Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

Credits: 

• Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich