Police called to incident between striking workers and delivery driver at Post-Gazette facility on the South Side
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The ongoing battle between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and its striking workers took a physical turn over the weekend.
Police were called to the company's newspaper depot on the city's South Side on Saturday night. The Post-Gazette posted a surveillance video on its website that it says is from an independent security firm.
The video appears to show one picketer shouting at a delivery driver and getting closer to him. The unidentified driver then either shoves or hits the picketer, who then falls to the ground. The driver and another picketer then got into a scuffle and fell to the ground.
According to the Newspaper Guild, two striking workers were hurt, including one who has a broken jaw that required surgery. A spokesperson for the newspaper said the driver's clothes were ripped and his cell phone went missing.
Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council, held a press conference on Monday.
"I will not allow my men and women to be assaulted again," he said.
While the union calls the assault on their workers "unprovoked," the Post-Gazette said this is just the latest in a string of harassment targeting their working employees. In a statement to KDKA-TV, the Post-Gazette said:
"Since last October, when several unions at the Post-Gazette went on strike, union employees and their supporters have been approaching those working for the Post-Gazette and verbally assaulting, threatening violence, shining spotlights to impair vision and damaging property, all while trespassing, in an attempt to prevent Post-Gazette from continuing to dIstribute the newspaper."
Kelley called on the city's elected officials and the Department of Labor to step in and help get the contract dispute settled so tensions don't turn deadly next time.
"And if this doesn't get under control, it's gonna escalate more," he said. "I'm not going to idly sit back and let my men and women look like this anymore, that I promise."
KDKA-TV reached out to Block Communications, which owns the Post-Gazette, on Monday but did not hear back.
Police said the incident is under investigation and, at this time, no charges have been filed.
