Post-Gazette union sues new owners over strike-era hiring

The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh filed formal labor charges on October 29 against the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism. The filing targets the newspaper’s new ownership and its hiring practices following the acquisition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The dispute centers on how the new owners staffed the newsroom after buying the paper from the Block family this past spring. At the time of the purchase, Venetoulis retained approximately two-thirds of the existing staff and pledged to recognize the union. However, the NewsGuild alleges that the company favored employees who had crossed the picket line during a three-year strike. The union argues this practice violates federal laws that prohibit discrimination against workers for their union activities.

Joe Pass, a lawyer for the NewsGuild, stated that the new owners overlooked qualified candidates who had been active strikers. "They did not hire those individuals who were much better suited as journalists, longer employees, and employees who had been on strike," Pass said. He noted that some of the unselected candidates included Pulitzer Prize winners. Venetoulis concentrated its hiring among newsroom employees who had already returned to work during the labor dispute.

Natalie Duleba, a NewsGuild member and former union officer, described the hiring process. She recalled that interviews were conducted over a single day and lasted about 20 minutes each. While Duleba did not remember the interviewers asking directly about union affiliation, she said it was obvious who had been striking. "It was very easy to figure out who was the strikers and who wasn't, because we were the ones not working in the months prior to the transfer," Duleba said.

The original strike was triggered when the Block family attempted to change contract provisions while negotiating a new agreement. The union successfully challenged these changes in federal court, which repeatedly affirmed that the company’s actions were an unfair labor practice. Now, the NewsGuild claims the new owners are unilaterally altering contract terms. Although a new contract is currently under negotiation, Pass said Venetoulis has imposed its own conditions on healthcare, sick leave, and job categories instead of restoring the pre-strike status quo.

Venetoulis did not respond to a request for comment regarding the complaint. The nonprofit has previously maintained that its acquisition structure frees it from the commitments that bound the Block family. In an article in the Baltimore Banner, a sister publication owned by Venetoulis, the institute described the purchase as an "asset sale." The article stated that because Venetoulis is buying only the assets, it is not required to assume the contracts of Block Communications.

Pass disputed this characterization. He argued that there have been few material changes to the organization at the Post-Gazette. "It is essentially the same organization owned by a different person," Pass said. The union’s position is that Venetoulis is a "successor" organization under labor law. This status would mean the terms of the union contract previously negotiated by the Blocks remain binding on the new owners. "It is absolutely a labor law successor," Pass said.

The National Labor Relations Board will now investigate the case. The board will decide whether to issue a formal complaint. If a complaint is issued, the case will proceed to trial. Pass said the union aims to restore the contract to its pre-strike status quo and secure jobs for the strikers. "Just because they were strikers, they shouldn't be discriminated against as a result of that," Pass said.

Venetoulis bought the paper from the Block family this spring. The union filed its charges with the NLRB on October 29. Pass said the union wants to restore the contract’s status quo and get the strikers’ jobs back. "Certainly should be hiring back those people who were there longer," Pass said.