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On the Strike Line – Steve Mellon

On the strike line with Steve Mellon 
Steve Mellon, a striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer (right) fires up the crowd. (PHOTO CREDIT: Alexandra Wimley, Pittsburgh Union Progress, member of TNG-CWA Local 38061.)

Name: Steve Mellon
Local: The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, TNG-CWA Local 38061
Workplace: Post-Gazette
Title: Photographer
Experience: 40 years
Strike Time: 22 months
Quote: “Surviving strike life has become my daily routine. So much so that I can go days without reflecting on the reasons we walked out 22 months ago. I like working as a reporter for the strike paper because it regularly puts me in contact with people who offer support or ask, 'How's it going?' On occasion, someone will say the strike has inspired them in some way or will share a story about a time they took a difficult stand. These moments of solidarity lift me up, allow me to once again consider the reasons we embarked on this long and grueling battle against an abusive employer. They remind me we're not alone and give me confidence that future generations will benefit when we win our fight.”
Inspiration: “I'm inspired by the younger strikers. Andrew Goldstein is a perfect example. He's in the early stages of a very promising career, and so the stakes and risks for him are much higher than for those of us who've been around for a while. For Andrew (we call him 'Goldie'), striking has required tremendous courage and faith in his fellow strikers. He's an indefatigable strike leader and organizer, very focused and passionate. His humor in difficult times has dragged me out of the stress gutter more times than I can count.”

To support striking workers and families, you can do any of these three things today:

  1. Donate to the strike fund that's used to pay for rent, utility bills, car repairs, groceries, and to keep their pets alive and well.
     
  2. Order a T-shirt repping their strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress. All proceeds go to the same strike fund.
     
  3. Subscribe to the Pittsburgh Union Progress for free news on the strike, the lives of working people in Western PA and beyond, and more.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.