The looming May shutdown of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the backdrop for news out of Washington Wednesday where the United States Supreme Court has ruled against the Post-Gazette’s publisher in its fight with union workers.
The justices refused to block a federal appeals court order requiring the company to restore insurance that was offered under an expired labor contract.
Bloomberg Law reports: The Court issued no explanation, but it rejected PG Publishing Company’s request to freeze a Third Circuit injunction that has been in place for more than nine months.
The ruling means the Post-Gazette must return health coverage to contract levels even as it ceases operation in May.
The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh responded with a strongly-worded release that reads, in part:
This is the response from the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh:
“Instead of simply following the law, the owners chose to punish local journalists and the city of Pittsburgh,” said Andrew Goldstein, president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (TNG-CWA Local 38061). “Post-Gazette journalists have done award-winning work for decades and we’re going to pursue all options to make sure that Pittsburgh continues to have the caliber of journalism it deserves.”
Closing the paper does not get the Blocks out from under the legal liabilities they incurred. The Nov. 10 U.S. 3rd Circuit Court ruling requires the company to pay back all bargaining unit employees for the costs the paper illegally passed onto them. That liability continues to accrue, and will not go away with the closure of the paper.
“Today the Block family admitted that they don’t have the skill to run a business and also follow the law,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Blocks spent millions on lawyers to fight union workers, fight journalists and break federal labor law. They lost at every level, including now at the Supreme Court. Pittsburgh deserves better and we will continue to fight to make sure all news companies follow the law and serve our communities.”