U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday granted an emergency application by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s owners to delay a ruling from a federal appeals court panel that would send them back to the bargaining table with union employees.
Alito granted a stay on the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals’ Nov. 10 injunction order.
In the November ruling, a three-judge panel on the 3rd Circuit Court found the Post-Gazette bargained in bad faith while trying to agree on a new contract. The court’s decision enforced a Sept. 24, 2024, ruling in favor of the union by the National Labor Relations Board.
Members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh celebrated the 3rd Circuit ruling and returned to the Post-Gazette offices to report to work on Nov. 24.
At the time of the Nov. 10 decision, the Post-Gazette said it would appeal to the full 3rd Circuit court. After that appeal was not accepted, the Post-Gazette made an emergency application to the Supreme Court on Dec. 18.
Post-Gazette management previously said the 3rd Circuit ruling, if allowed to stand, could force the closure of the newspaper.
“This ruling endangers not only the Post-Gazette but every local news organization striving to operate responsibly amid extraordinary financial pressures,” the Post-Gazette said in a previous statement.
Alito serves as the circuit justice for the 3rd Circuit, meaning he is the justice designated to hear emergency applications regarding that court.
Post-Gazette officials argue the 3rd Circuit panel’s ruling broke with long-standing precedent from the D.C. Circuit Court, particularly in the way judges identified that bargaining was done in bad faith on the Post-Gazette’s part.
Alito ordered that a response to the Post-Gazette’s application be filed by Jan. 5, 2026.
