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Severance: What the Contract Guarantees

From the Contract
ARTICLE VI - JOB SECURITY

A. There shall be no discharge or other disciplinary action except for just and sufficient cause. Just and sufficient cause shall include, but not be limited to, insubordination, infractions of generally recognized and approved standards of business conduct or journalistic ethics, incompetence, or a decision by the Company to reduce the size of its staff or eliminate a job function. Notwithstanding the above, the Company shall have the right to discharge any Employee, for any reason, during his or her first six months of employment (excluding any periods of disability), and any such decision shall not be subject to the grievance and arbitration procedure.

B. Upon discharge, an Employee making a written request within 2 weeks from the date of discharge, shall receive in writing from the Company or its representative a statement of the cause of discharge. Such written statement shall be sent by the Company within ten (10) days after receiving the Employee's written request. In the event the Union files a grievance concerning the discharge, if the Union requests, the Company will provide a written statement of the cause of discharge within ten (10) days after receiving the grievance.

C. If a regular full-time Employee is to be discharged because of reduction in force or elimination of a job function, the Employee and the Union shall be given 30 calendar days notice, except that when a reduction in force or elimination of a job function would result in the layoff of Employees fewer in number than all of the Employees in the affected job classification in the affected department at the location the notice requirements prescribed in Section D shall apply.

The notice requirements of this Article shall require that a layoff shall not be effective until the start of the work shift on the date 30 (or 45) calendar days from the date of the notice to the union, including the date of the notice. Anyone discharged because of reduction in force or elimination of a job function will receive a minimum of six weeks' severance pay even though a lesser amount may be due by virtue of employment date. The foregoing provision shall be construed as a minimum payment against the severance pay scale provided in Article VII of this contract, but shall not be in addition thereto.

Employees laid off due to automation or reduction in force will continue to have medical and dental coverage until they become eligible for medical coverage under another Employer's plan or 9 months from date of termination, whichever comes first.

Probationary Employees laid off within 6 months of hire shall receive full notice required by this Article and shall receive 3 weeks of severance pay and continuation of medical coverage until the end of the month after the month in which the layoff occurs.

ARTICLE VII - SEVERANCE PAY

A. In the event of dismissal of a full-time or part-time Employee for incompetence, refusal to relocate pursuant to Article V of this Agreement, or pursuant to a decision by the Company to reduce the size of its staff or eliminate a job function, the Company agrees that such Employee shall be paid a sum of money determined on the following basis:

1. If dismissed during the first six months of employment, no notice or payment other than wages due at the time of dismissal.

2. If the period of employment is:
(a) Six months but less than nine months, two weeks wages.
(b) Nine months but less than one year, three weeks wages.
(c) One year but less than two years, four weeks wages.
(d) Two years but less than three years, five weeks wages.
(e) Two weeks additional wages for each full year of employment over two and up to and including the fifteenth year.
(f) One and one-half weeks additional wages for each six months of employment over fifteen years up to a maximum in the aggregate, of fifty-two weeks wages.

3. Employment means continuous employment by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. or any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies, in any and all departments as set forth in the employment records of the Company.