Post-Gazette Strikers Win Core Healthcare Demand

After holding strong on the picket line for nearly two and a half years, striking members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (TNG-CWA Local 38061) have won a core demand for the restoration of their healthcare benefits through a rare federal injunction.

A federal court has ordered the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to restore the workers’ healthcare and bargain with the workers upon their request. Though still on strike, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh has already submitted demands for the restoration of healthcare and for bargaining dates.

In 2020, the company illegally and unilaterally tore up the editorial workers’ union contract, claiming they had bargained to an impasse. Both an administrative law judge and the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., ruled that the company broke federal labor law in this instance, in addition to bargaining in bad faith and illegally surveilling its workers.

“NewsGuild-CWA members have a saying: whatever it takes,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “Guild members have struck for 29 months knowing we were right and the company broke federal law. Today the Third Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with us. We’re thrilled and will continue doing our job holding power to account, especially when it’s the boss.”

The company is facing additional legal consequences as a federal court considers a request from the federal labor board to enforce a ruling that would require the Post-Gazette to restore working conditions consistent with the entire 2014-17 contract, including paid time off, wages, employees having a guaranteed work week, and the right to question company discipline, among other issues, as well as back pay to workers for wage reductions and increased healthcare costs.

To help striking workers turn this court victory into a strike victory, will you sign this petition telling the PG what it’s going to take to get back readers like you?

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants working at United Airlines held a one-day informational picket on March 19, which spanned the globe as they called for United to pay aviation’s first responders their fair share. Workers are fed up with management’s delay tactics at the bargaining table.

“United’s goal is to become the premier U.S. airline,” said Ken Diaz, United AFA-CWA President. “If CEO Scott Kirby wants to run the number one airline, Flight Attendants must be number one in compensation, benefits, and work rules. It’s time to get this contract done. We will continue to fight until we secure the contract we deserve.”

United Flight Attendants are calling for significant pay increases to lead the industry, schedule flexibility, job security, and retirement improvements. Workers voted overwhelmingly to strike if necessary. United Airlines climbed to $3.1 billion in profits in 2024.

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at United Airlines hosted informational pickets in cities including Tamuning, Guam (above); Cleveland, Ohio; Honolulu City, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; and Arlington, Va., during their Day of Action on March 19.

IUE-CWA workers at Metal Power Products (MPP) in Campbellsburg, Ind., and MERSEN in Columbia, Tenn., are fighting for their very first contracts—with resolute support from IUE-CWA Local 88502. The local also represents MPP and MERSEN workers in St. Mary’s, Pa. IUE-CWA Local 88502 President Kelvin Torres stresses that increasing the union’s density within the advanced materials industry builds the strength needed at the bargaining table.

At MPP Campbellsburg, negotiations have been slow but steady, and the workers remain united as they continue to push for a fair contract. During February, MPP workers reached out to Congresswoman Erin Houchin with Valentine’s Day postcards, urging her to pressure MPP executives and its owner, Mill Point Capital, for fair treatment. They also conducted a comprehensive survey highlighting health and safety violations and extended their inquiry to union and non-union MPP worksites nationwide. In addition to safety, key issues including wages, benefits, and mutual respect remain high on workers’ list of concerns.

In Columbia, Tenn., an overwhelming vote to form a union in October 2024 brought more MERSEN workers under the IUE-CWA umbrella. In retaliation, management imposed furloughs just before the holidays—many of which turned into permanent layoffs. IUE-CWA responded by charging MERSEN with federal labor law violations and exposing their broken promises to the community after receiving state subsidies meant to create good, sustainable jobs. In solidarity, IUE-CWA Local 88502 raised hardship funds to help laid-off members. At the same time, the bargaining committee in Tennessee, after vigorous outreach to the media and local elected officials, secured crucial gains during an effects bargaining, including greatly increased severance pay, healthcare coverage during severance, and full recall rights should the company expand its payroll again in the coming year.

Regular contract negotiations are slated to begin this month for MERSEN workers in Columbia, and progress is underway at MPP in Campbellsburg. The new members demand respect, safety, and strong wages and benefits to ensure these jobs remain a promising future for their communities.

IUE-CWA Local 88502 members at Metal Power Products in Campbellsburg, Ind. (right), and MERSEN in Columbia, Tenn., are bargaining their first contracts.

CWA-Canada has filed unfair labor practice complaints against Microsoft-owned Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) for bargaining in bad faith with workers in Montreal, Québec. Game and media workers formed their union earlier this year and are bargaining for a first contract.

Bad faith actions by the company include imposing limits on who can represent the union at the table, withholding key information on bonuses and pay equity, and using delay tactics.

“For us, this is a fundamental issue of freedom of association,” said CWA-Canada President Carmel Smyth. “The company is treating Canada-based workers like second-class citizens—and we’re telling Microsoft that just doesn’t play in Canada.”

CWA has been a leader in organizing workers in the growing video game production industry in the U.S. and in Canada. Union teams on both sides of the border continue working together to ensure the best collective agreements at companies like Microsoft-BGS that have production facilities in both countries.

Bethesda Game Studios is known for blockbuster franchises like Fallout and Elder Scrolls.

CWA members gathered near the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday as part of a “Keep Our Communities Connected” event to underscore the critical role of the Universal Service program in bridging the digital divide and supporting education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez, educators, librarians, parents, and other community members also participated in the gathering.

The Universal Service Fund provides essential telecommunications access to millions of Americans, helping to bridge the digital divide and support critical services like high-speed internet for schools and libraries, telemedicine for rural hospitals, and affordable communications for low-income households. The Supreme Court is hearing a case that could shut down the fund, which was established in 1996.

“CWA members know how much universal service matters,” said CWA Local 2336 President Melissa Smith-Kupihea. “We have members who are fiber technicians who get families connected to the internet. We have members who are teachers and non-profit workers who know how important access is to their students and those they serve in the community. Not only that, we also have members who work in call centers and retail stores, and they’re getting folks connected so that they can live and work efficiently and productively.”

You can watch Smith-Kupihea’s remarks here.

Rather than eliminating the fund, CWA members believe that it should be updated to reflect the changing telecommunications landscape so that every American household, business, hospital, library, and school has access to affordable communications services no matter where they are located.

CWA Local 2336 President Melissa Smith-Kupihea and other CWA members joined community allies to stand up for the Universal Service Fund and high-speed internet access for all Americans.

Wastewater treatment workers, represented by IUE-CWA Local 81201 in Lynn, Mass., hosted a rally on Tuesday outside the Lynn Wastewater Treatment Plant in preparation for bargaining. Wastewater treatment in Lynn is contracted to Veolia Water North America. Workers filter and clean approximately 15 million gallons of water daily from multiple localities before it is redirected to the ocean.

The members hosted their rally to demonstrate not only their internal solidarity but also the solidarity of their community. Other union members from IUE-CWA Local 81201, IBEW, and several Laborers’ Union locals showed up in support, as well as members of the North Shore Labor Council, Lynn United for Change, family, and friends.

IUE-CWA Local 81201 Chief Steward and Lynn City Councilmember Fred Hogan commented, “We wanted to show how tight-knit this community is and that we are committed to bargaining in good faith. We have a lot of new members, and they are looking for tangible benefits. We intend to give it to them.”

High on the list of concerns from affected members is the lack of sick days. Workers currently receive only six days of sick leave and are seeking a minimum of ten. “Our guys work in maintenance and operations,” said Hogan. “We do electrical, repairs, and, in some cases, work directly with waste. Getting sick is part of the job, but we don’t get compensated for it past a certain point.” Other concerns include wages, which haven’t kept pace with inflation, and winning additional time off.

Bargaining began yesterday, and their current contract will expire on April 30.

IUE-CWA Local 81201 members and supporters rallied in front of the Lynn Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lynn, Mass.

CWA worker-organizers and staff in front of the CODE-CWA booth at the 2025 Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, Calif.

Last week, over 40 CWA worker-organizers and staff attended the 2025 Game Developer Conference (GDC), the world’s largest industry event for video game professionals. There they connected with other video game workers, helped spread awareness for key issues in the industry, and launched United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), a direct-join, industry-wide video game union in partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).

Workers announced the union on Wednesday afternoon at their panel titled, “Video Game Labor at a Crossroads: New Pathways to Industry-Wide Organizing.” Following the UVW-CWA launch, workers led GDC attendees to Yerba Buena Gardens for a rally calling on executives to put power back into the hands of the people who make the games. Bloomberg News’ Jason Schreier interviewed CWA’s Senior Director of Organizing Tom Smith during the second panel that closed out the day.

The next day, UVW-CWA members held a launch party at the Tenderloin Museum where members of the UVW-CWA organizing committee shared their mission statement and their petition addressing mass layoffs in the video game industry. Since their launch, over 390 dues-paying members have joined.

On Friday, CODE-CWA Senior Campaign Lead Emma Kinema led a roundtable discussion with CWA members to share organizing experiences and negotiation wins at some of the largest video game studios in the country. The conclusion of GDC 2025 also coincided with the announcement of Activision user research workers overwhelmingly voting in favor of union representation, joining over 2,000 workers at Microsoft-owned studios to organize under the company’s neutrality agreement with CWA. The workers will be members of CWA Local 9400 in Los Angeles.

“We are excited to join our fellow game makers across the video game industry to show what’s possible when workers can freely build solidarity in the workplace. Many of us were mobilized to do something about the layoffs in 2023 and 2024, and now we can look out for each other with a union,” said organizing committee member and quantitative user researcher Nicolaas VanMeerten.