More than 50 Post-Gazette employees started striking at midnight, shutting down the paper's printing operations.
Around 40,000 subscribers didn't get papers this morning.
Four unions are involved with workers responsible for designing, printing and distributing the paper, along with advertising sales.
The issues are no new contract, no pay increases and most recently Block Communication terminated union health insurance.
Some workers say the company could decide to go digital-only.
One time PG sportswriter Ed Bouchette reacted on the Big K Morning Show, saying the paper will still have a problem.
A reporter shortage.
“I mean you need people at school boards, checking out police reports, following on tips and they just don’t have the man power or woman power anymore,” said Bouchette.
Bouchette left the Post-Gazette after 30 years in 2019.
In a statement, the company says it has made several offers to the unions.
One included a 9% raise and enrollment in the company's healthcare plan.
The Post-Gazette released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PG) employees in the Teamsters, Pressmen, Mailers and Typographical unions announced last evening their plans to walk off their jobs in protest of a lack of agreement regarding healthcare coverage.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has offered the unions several options that would ensure the continuation of the affected union employees' healthcare, including one that adds a 9% wage increase and enrollment in the parent company’s overall healthcare plan. That healthcare plan currently covers 2,600 Block Communications Inc. (BCI) employees, including other PG unions, company executives and staff at the PG and other BCI companies.
It is not clear why this proposal, nor any of the others, were rejected by union leadership. The Post-Gazette will continue to publish every day, however print delivery may temporarily be suspended. Home delivery customers will receive information directly regarding their service and should continue to access their edelivery.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has served the Pittsburgh community, its readers and advertisers as the region’s indispensable source of news, advertising and information for more than two centuries.