A Veteran of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette—and Its Long Strike—Prepares for What’s Next

“We didn’t go on strike to put the paper out of business. We went on strike to keep it good.”

At first, January 7 felt to Bob Batz Jr. like a triumphant day. The Supreme Court had declined to consider an appeal from Batz’s longtime employer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the latest in a long string of legal victories for the paper’s union. In late November, after more than three years on strike, Batz and twenty-four colleagues returned to work. Now the Post-Gazette was legally obligated to reinstate the workers’ previous health plan, plus reimburse costs accrued when management failed to bargain in good faith.

A few hours after rejoicing over the Supreme Court news, though, elation turned to mourning. Citing 350 million dollars in losses over twenty years, Block Communications, the Post-Gazette’s owner, announced it would shut down the paper—one of the oldest in the country—effective May 3. The company took no questions from its employees.