How Pittsburgh became a union town

PA Is Without a Budget Plan

The state is starting its new fiscal year without a budget plan in place. This means that the state government doesn’t currently have full spending authority. The main point of disagreement between Republicans and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives was school spending and private school vouchers. [Associated Press]

• 🎧 Want to know what’s on the table? Listen to City Cast Pittsburgh break down the state budget.

Pittsburgh Is Rebounding

City Controller Michael Lamb said that Pittsburgh’s revenues are returning to pre-pandemic levels in an update on the city’s finances last week. While there still isn’t a full return to in-office work in Downtown, the parking tax income is being bolstered by events like concerts and sports games that are drawing people into the city. You can read the report here. [TribLIVE]

Synagogue Shooting Trial Update

The fourth week of the synagogue shooting trial focused on the mental health of the attacker, who has been found guilty of all 63 federal counts against him for killing 11 members of the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha, Dor Hadash, and New Light congregations. Defense experts testified that the assailant has schizophrenia, as well as epilepsy and significant brain damage. During the current phase of the trial, jurors are considering whether the defendant is eligible for the death penalty. [TribLIVE]

• The next time you're in Squirrel Hill South, honor the victims and the community by taking a moment to admire Kyle Holbrook's new mural, titled “Peace,” painted through the Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project. [NEXTpittsburgh]

“Every true Pittsburgher has to survive the Fort Pitt Bridge where everyone on the left has to get to the right and vice versa,” reader Joe T. said.

If you’ve been following the past few weeks of newsletters, you know we’re working on something fun: City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris is celebrating 10 years in the ‘Burgh, and we want to celebrate by creating the ultimate list of Pittsburgh rites of passage — because you can’t really call yourself a Pittsburgher until you’ve eaten pierogi in a church basement or gotten stood up by a PAT (I mean, PRT) bus, right?

📚 Squirrel Hill Cookbook Club | Thursday | 6-7 p.m.

Bring your favorite picnic dish to share with the cookbook club at Riverstone Books. [free, Squirrel Hill]

🌙 Garfield Night Market | Friday | 5-10 p.m.

Enjoy live music and food trucks while shopping from local artists, craftsmen, and businesses. [free, Garfield]

🛍️ First Friday Night Market | Friday | 6-9 p.m.

Find local vendors, food trucks, and live music at Level Up Studios. [free, Garfield]

📸 Downtown Street Photography Walk | Friday | 7-9 p.m.

Capture interesting scenes and characters in the city alongside pro photographer Don Orkoskey. [free, Downtown]

Pgh is a Union Town, and That Goes Way, Wayyy Back

This week marks the 131st anniversary of the Battle of Homestead. No, it wasn’t part of any war, and technically, it didn’t even happen in Homestead. Just outside the Pump House in what is now the Waterfront, labor leaders walked out for six days to defend their rights while on the job. What followed was a brutal clash with Pinkerton “detectives” that ended with dozens of injuries and the slow collapse of the budding union. People died, and the movement didn’t stick, but the conflict left an indelible mark on union organizers and the company leaders who would stop them. Historian Maura Bainbridge explains the particulars, plus why that legacy still matters today.

The Battle of Homestead Foundation is commemorating the anniversary tomorrow, July 6 at 6 p.m. at the Pump House in Munhall. No registration or admission necessary — just stop by and enjoy a casual meetup with music and food to discuss and remember the significance of the heroic struggle of workers and townspeople to preserve their dignity, their livelihood and their right to organize.