“You Can Go Away Now.” Dozens of DJ Layoffs This Week

IAPE members, it has been a difficult week at Dow Jones. On Tuesday, members in Publishing and Platforms and News - Platforms departments were advised management intends to merge Publishing Editors and Platform Editors into “a single multiskilled digital production department.” Exciting news, until management got to the part about inviting editors to volunteer for layoffs.

News management intends to reduce staff by ten positions when this desk merger plan is implemented in August—from a group of some of the most-tenured employees at The Wall Street Journal, IAPE members who have worked for Dow Jones for longer than 20, 30, even 40 years.

Executive Production Editor Simon Wells and Managing Editor Liz Harris quickly herded editors out of a New York conference room—and off a Google Meet session—because they needed to begin holding individual meetings with staffers to explain details of each member’s potential severance package.

“You can go away now,” Harris said.

A few hours later, the IAPE office received layoff notices for four members from Global Business Operations. Between those four members, Dow Jones is erasing more than 70 years of experience.

As one layoff recipient told the union, “It was striking to see the number of highly qualified, deeply capable, and long-tenured women on the list.”

Which brings us to today. Dow Jones has informed the union that “a significant change” will take place in Technology departments, resulting in staff reductions in some global locations and a shift of teams to strategic office hubs.

28 IAPE-represented positions will be eliminated.

It’s not the layoffs that get us—IAPE members are all too familiar with Dow Jones cutting jobs month after month. It’s the greed.

Quarter after quarter, Dow Jones and News Corp management praises staff for their contributions to the continued success of this company. Just last month, CEO Almar Latour touted hefty increases in revenue, EBITDA and margins compared to the same period last year.

“If we keep investing in the strength of our news, data and analytics and continue to embrace flexibility and accelerate cross-company collaboration, we will be well prepared for whatever changes the future may bring,” Latour said in his email to Dow Jones staff.

Less than 30 days later, the future has brought layoffs of 42 IAPE-represented employees, and several more from the non-union ranks.

“Thank you for everything you do,” Latour wrote. “Keep going.”

Yeah. Right out the door, apparently.

What Does IAPE Do About Layoffs?
So, when layoffs occur at Dow Jones, what exactly does IAPE do?

Staff, officers and directors spend a lot of time with members—primarily those who have been notified of a layoff, but also colleagues who are concerned about their own future. With good reason; Dow Jones has eliminated more than 80 IAPE-represented positions during this fiscal year, and that number doesn’t include members affected by layoffs and restructuring announced this week.

If you ever have questions about a Dow Jones layoff, reach out to your local IAPE rep or contact the IAPE office.

When Dow Jones chooses to reduce staff through layoffs, IAPE doesn’t learn whose jobs have been cut until after management informs all individuals who are being let go. That typically means IAPE received a formal layoff notice late in the day, often after layoff recipients have already lost access to Dow Jones systems.

That’s one of the reasons why we strongly suggest making sure IAPE has your personal email address on file, so our office can contact you if you’re an unfortunate recipient of a layoff notice.

We make sure every member who is notified of a job elimination receives IAPE’s Layoff FAQ document. We review seniority lists to make sure the company has followed negotiated contract procedures when it chooses to cut staff. And when necessary, we file grievances challenging layoffs when they violate the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones.

But we can’t prevent layoffs from happening. Federal and state (and provincial, for our members in Canada) law permit Dow Jones to decide when hardworking, loyal, dedicated staff are no longer necessary. In the absence of contract language imposing restrictions on the company’s ability to reduce staff, management gets to decide how many people need to come to work each day.

The collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones expires next year, June 30, 2027. See you at the bargaining table.