June 18, 2007
Unfair Labor Practice Charges
Just a quick update on the fight for a Quality Contract: We have recently filed two unfair labor practice charges against Dow Jones.
Unfair labor practice charges are, in essence, allegations of illegal behavior, heard in labor court. Our charges cover the company's decision to give extra vacation to everyone except union members, and its effort to turn what have been voluntary appearances on videos, podcasts and radio into mandatory activities.
An unfair labor practice charge is a serious thing, and we'd like you to know why we have filed two.
In our contract bargaining, we have been proposing since November that all employees receive an extra week of vacation, as well as unlimited sick leave. Factiva already has this, but the company has insisted that it is impossible.
Then, earlier this year, in an effort to keep Harborside people in Jersey City out of the union, management told them they would receive — surprise, surprise — an extra week of vacation and unlimited sick leave.
Harborside joined IAPE anyhow. And a few weeks later, the company announced that everyone at Dow Jones would get the extra vacation and sick-leave — but not the new Harborside union members or any other union member.
So our first complaint is that the company reneged on its promise to people at Harborside, to punish them for joining the union. We also are contending that the company has attempted to railroad union members into an undesirable contract by adopting one of our own proposals for everyone except us.
On the video/podcast question, the issue is simple. Labor law says that what has been voluntary can't suddenly be made mandatory by unilateral decree, just to help the company fight the union.
The bottom line is that we are continuing to fight for a Quality Contract. This is everyone's fight, and we'll keep updating you on our progress.
Steve Yount
President
Jim Browning
Bargaining Committee Chair
IAPE CWA 1096