United Steelworkers Local 3657 threw a picnic luncheon Wednesday at USW headquarters in Downtown Pittsburgh to recognize Pride month and provide a nice treat for workers on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
This is what solidarity tastes like. And it’s delicious.
Although the smell of Canadian wildfires moved the event indoors, that didn’t stop organizers from presenting a feast that included not only hamburgers (including vegetarian ones) and hot dogs but also a couple of different kinds of baked beans, several versions of mac and cheese, and various pasta salads. There was also a dessert table that included Jell-O pretzel salad, a colorful marshmallow and graham cracker concoction, brownies and watermelon, just to name a few.
They had enough space to set up a cornhole game. Jack Santa, 4, was the champion.
R.J. Hufnagel, a former president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh who now works in Steelworkers’ communications, spoke of the importance of supporting colleagues regardless of their sexual orientation and the value of labor organizations offering a helping hand during labor disputes. He passed a hat, literally, to collect cash donations for the news workers’ Pittsburgh Striker Fund, encouraged guests to share a QR code to make mobile donations, and talked about the importance of subscribing to the Pittsburgh Union Progress strike publication.
Striking photographer Steve Mellon of the Newspaper Guild spoke eloquently about strikers sustaining themselves by continuing to serve the community through the strike publication. He noted what an important role that gestures such as the picnic can play to buoy him and his colleagues, especially nine months “deep” into the strike when finances and mental health are wearing thin.
“This is oxygen,” he said.
As an organization, the USW has made substantial donations to the striker relief fund and is providing free office space to the Newspaper Guild during the strike.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.