Post-Gazette's union president Fuoco out amid investigation

The president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, which represents newsroom workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has voluntarily resigned from his position amid an investigation by union officials.

The Guild’s executive committee was informed of President Michael A. Fuoco’s resignation Saturday night, according to a Sunday statement from the Guild. The resignation was effective immediately.

In a statement to the Tribune-Review, Fuoco called the allegations “suspiciously timed” and said they “threaten to become a distraction as The Guild continues its fight for a fair contract.”

“I am stepping aside,” as Guild president, he said, and he’s also submitted his resignation to the newspaper.

The statement from the union said Fuoco’s resignation came after officials with the Guild’s parent unions, the NewsGuild-CWA and the Communications Workers of America (CWA), made local union leaders aware of an investigation involving Fuoco.

The investigation concerned allegations of “violations of the mutual respect policy to which every CWA member is expected to adhere,” according to the statement.

Local Guild leaders said they have “no evidence either to substantiate or disprove the allegations that are the subject of the CWA investigation.”

First Vice President Ed Blazina will assume the president’s role until an election can be held, the statement said. Blazina is a transportation reporter with the Post-Gazette. The Guild represents 123 newsroom employees.

Blazina said the investigation being conducted by the CWA is based on information provided directly to the CWA on Friday. He said the Guild met with CWA officials Saturday.

NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss said he received “credible and actionable allegations worthy of further investigation” into Fuoco for the first time Friday evening. He said he immediately provided that information to CWA investigators.

“Our union does not tolerate discrimination or harassment at any level,” Schleuss said.

He declined to discuss the details of the investigation or the information that was received.

“The CWA told us that they received what they considered credible information to open an investigation into violations of their policy, which all of our unions and our members are required to uphold,” Blazina said.

The Guild is fully committed to upholding the policy, which opposes “all forms of discrimination,” the statement said.

Blazina said the Guild remains committed to caring for its members and are preparing for a possible strike.

“One of the things we did yesterday was to create a human-rights committee so that any members with concerns about inappropriate conduct would feel safe taking information to that committee … whether by our board, by other members, by anybody in the newsroom,” Blazina said. “We want our members to feel confidence that they have a place they can go with any of those kind of concerns.”

Blazina said the Guild is still pursuing a fair contract, but they are prepared to strike.

“We don’t want to go on strike. If we’re left with no other options, we will go on strike,” Blazina said.

In addition to serving as Guild president and as an enterprise reporter for the Post-Gazette, Fuoco was a part-time teacher at Point Park University.

Louis Corsaro, a spokesman for Point Park University, said Fuoco taught two classes at Point Park, one in 2010 and one in 2011. Corsaro said the university “has zero tolerance for sexual harassment, ethnic intimidation and gender discrimination.”