Michael Fuoco Resigns As President Of Newspaper Guild Of Pittsburgh Following Misconduct Allegations
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As a strike looms at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the president of the union has announced his resignation.
Michael Fuoco of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh made the decision amid an investigation into an alleged violation of its mutual respect policy.
Michael Fuoco tells KDKA, the timing of all of this is suspicious.
The allegations against him have not only led him to resign, but it also prompted the Post Gazette to conduct an internal investigation.
Earlier in the day is when they found out through their parent unions the NewsGuild-CWA and Communications Workers of America that there were allegations of violations.
According to the Post Gazette, last week, Payday Report, an online news site based in Pittsburgh, published stories quoting unnamed sources about Fuoco's alleged misconduct during his time at the Post-Gazette, as well as at the University of Pittsburgh and Point Park University where he was an adjunct professor.
Local Guild leaders say they have no evidence to substantiate or disprove the allegations that are the subject of the investigation.
Fuoco released an exclusive statement to KDKA:
"Suspiciously timed allegations against me, dating back decades, threaten to become a distraction as the guild continues its fight for a fair contract. In light of this, I am stepping aside as president of Local 38061."
The Guild says this is a critical time as the Post-Gazette prepares for a potential strike and Point Park University enters the last year of its contract.
