Investing in Equity: IAPE Dues Vs. Peers; Election News and Board Meeting Notice

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Why Vote Yes: IAPE Dues Vs. Industry Peers

Since the launch of our campaign to remove the dues cap earlier this month, IAPE members have been getting involved by attending town halls and talking to our stewards to learn how IAPE puts dues money to work. The IAPE board encourages members to vote YES to remove the cap, which results in lower paid members contributing a higher portion of their wages towards union dues. This measure will be on the ballot along with our election for the next union president. 

In addition to creating an equitable dues structure, another compelling reason to vote yes is a comparison of how our dues stack up when compared with our industry peers across the country.

IAPE currently assesses its dues at a rate of 0.7% of gross, regular pay—a number that is not changing with this referendum. How does that rate compare to other media guilds? See for yourself:

Our rate is nearly half of that of the New York Guild and Los Angeles Guild, and less than half of our peers in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and the Pacific Media Workers. 

With this vote, IAPE is hoping to remove its current $22.04 biweekly cap. We believe it will bring equity to our dues structure and provide investment in the future of the union and a stronger contract in the next round of bargaining. 

If you missed our town hall meetings last week, fill out this Google form to schedule a session with an IAPE officer or steward to learn more about the proposal.

Read our summary and FAQ of the proposal for more information, and feel free to calculate how your dues might be affected by the proposal with our handy calculator. 

Voting Starts Next Month 

On Oct. 5, ballots to vote on both the dues cap referendum and the next IAPE president will be mailed to home addresses of members in good standing. Members will decide between Jodi Green, Content Ops Specialist in Princeton, and Stephen Nakrosis, Rewrite Editor in New York, to serve as their next union president. 

Check out statements from both candidates on our elections page to hear about their visions for the future of IAPE. 

Board of Directors Meeting

The IAPE Board of Directors will hold its final meeting of this term of office this Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 10 a.m. ET. Directors will discuss current union matters and will set a budget for the next IAPE fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This meeting is open to all IAPE members; please email union@iape1096.org to receive a Zoom invitation. 

If you aren’t able to join us you may deliver comments via email, which will be read (with your permission, of course) into the record. Please feel free to submit comments to union@iape1096.org.

Contract 101 on Wednesday

Sign Up to learn more about the job security provisions in our collective bargaining agreement. IAPE will hold our Contract 101 class Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET. This class features a rotating topic and this week we’ll be diving into just cause, seniority and much more. Registration for this class is open to all IAPE members—see our events page for details.

Notification of Referenda to Remove IAPE Dues Cap

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Dear IAPE Members, 

The board of Directors of IAPE Local 1096 recommends and presents for membership vote the removal of the $22.04 cap to the bi-weekly dues assessment effective with the first pay deposit in January. 

This change requires approval of the majority of members voting in a secret ballot, as outlined in Article XVII, Section A of the union’s bylaws, and will be decided along with the election of officers and directors in the Fall.  

IAPE’s dues assessment of 0.7% of bi-weekly dues is the lowest among our peers, nearly half of what our counterparts at The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and many other news organizations pay for union representation. Removing the cap, which results in the lower paid members contributing a higher portion of their pay towards dues, is a matter of equity. About 44% of our members would see no change to their dues if this measure is passed. Of those affected, about a third would see an increase of less than $5 per pay period. Going forward, individual dues payments for all members would be adjusted as members’ pay rates increase.

The funds added to IAPE’s operating budget from the dues cap removal would go towards hiring a full-time professional staff employee to serve members, defend our contract and help prepare for an even stronger contract campaign in 2022. IAPE will also be able to invest in more legal support to consult on contract matters and union governance, areas that have not received adequate resources or attention for many years. Additional funding will permit IAPE to continue paying for a robust annual audit of finances and greater scrutiny of our regulatory filings, and allow the union to avoid deficit spending and maintain its healthy reserve funds. 

IAPE was formed by a group of Wall Street Journal reporters as an in-house union more than 80 years ago. For more than half a century, IAPE was completely volunteer run, members negotiated contracts and fought for workplace rights while doing their full-time jobs. The union eventually hired staff to support our operations and to help with member representation, though IAPE hasn’t had the resources to keep more than one full-time permanent position on payroll in its history and the union’s expression has mostly depended on the strength of its volunteer leaders. 

With ever increasing demands on our workforce and the heightened need for union presence in our working lives, the constraints of operating on a volunteer model are no longer sustainable. 

We strongly encourage you to vote YES on removing the dues cap so we can bring equity to our dues structure and invest in the future of the union. 

Important Information: 
Dues Referendum Summary & FAQ
Dues Calculator

Town Hall Meetings:
Sept. 15, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Sept. 17, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Sept. 18, Noon to 1 p.m. ET
RSVP here

IAPE Bulletin 8/24/2020: Nomination Deadline, Holiday Pay

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Election 2020: Nomination Deadline in One Week!

If you or a fellow member have been considering running for an IAPE officer or director position, you only have one week left to submit nominations to elections@iape1096.org. All nominations must be received by 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 31 using this form. 

Serving on the IAPE board is a great opportunity to advocate for your colleagues and work to bring positive changes across Dow Jones. You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

IAPE Committees Meet With DJ Thursday

The union’s Grievance, Classification and Labor/Management committees reconvene for regular monthly meetings with Dow Jones representatives this Thursday, Aug. 27. 

In addition to a dispute over the Columnist job title, IAPE is pursuing a grievance against Dow Jones over a warning letter issued to an employee the union believes to be a retaliatory action by his manager and a violation of our contract’s just cause protections. IAPE has also grieved that Dow Jones failed to properly inform employees summoned to investigatory meetings of their right to union representation during those meetings, filed a challenge over misclassifications of a number of employees currently holding non-union titles —including News Editor and Assistant News Editor—but performing work in line with IAPE-represented colleagues, and issued a grievance over the company’s failure to implement Workday updates and automated processes to allow for easier and more accurate filing for comp time, as agreed during 2019 contract negotiations.

The IAPE Classification Committee is pursuing a reclassification request on behalf of a New York employee who believes they are performing work outside of their job title, and the Labor/Management group continues to discuss COVID-related matters, as well as a complaint about News managers in certain departments attempting to assign reporters to “standby” duty (the contract’s standby provisions do not apply to newsroom staff).

If you have a contract concern, a classification question, or believe the union should be challenging something going on in your department, please contact IAPE so we can add your issue to our regular meeting agenda.

Holiday Pay: Labor Day Is Fast Approaching

We’re two weeks away from the last holiday of the summer, Labor Day on Sept. 7. 

Remember: if you’re scheduled to work on the holiday, Article VIII of the IAPE/DJ contract requires that you receive Holiday Pay: time-and-one-half for regular hours worked, double-time for hours in excess of your regular schedule, and the option to receive another day’s pay instead of a comp day for working on Labor Day. Don’t forget to file!

And while we’re on the subject of time off, don’t forget that the company has announced employees can carry over up to 5 days of vacation for this year to use by March 31, 2021, and that Life-Work Leave will be extended through that same date. Employees can now apply for up to 4 hours of leave per day, with a maximum of 10 hours per week.

IAPE Bulletin 8/17/2020: Check your bonus, nomination deadline

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Did You Notice Your Bonus?

IAPE-represented employees eligible for our 2021 bonus should have received a second pay deposit on Thursday, August 13th. Under the terms of the IAPE/DJ contract, eligible employees were entitled to a payment equal to 0.5% of their salaries as of June 30th (so, before the calculation of your new rate of pay effective July 1st).

The contract refers to the 2021 bonus as “targeted at 0.5%” and states, “The actual lump sum payment will track the funding level of the Company’s management bonus (‘AIP’) plan, as determined by the Company, from 0% to 200% funded. For example, funding of the AIP at 90% would result in a lump sum of .45%. Funding of the AIP at 110% would result in a lump sum of .55%.”

The company’s management bonus was funded at 100%.

Election 2020: Nomination Deadline

There are only two weeks left to nominate yourself or a fellow member for the upcoming IAPE election of officers and directors. Nominations must be received by Aug. 31 using this form and submitted to elections@iape1096.org. The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. 

Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

Training Reminder, Steward 101

Whether representing a member during a meeting with managers, acting as an information source for members wondering about the union, or helping to organize IAPE events and activities, stewards are the lifeblood of our union. Are you interested in becoming an IAPE steward? Please join us for our Steward 101 training this Wednesday, August 19th at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

We’ll be talking about all the ways members can get involved as stewards and will describe the importance of effective stewards in a union structure. This is another of our series of remote training classes. To register for this or any of our upcoming classes, please visit our events page. 

IAPE Bulletin 8/4/2020: WFH Update, Nomination Reminder

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Work 2021(?)

IAPE recently learned that Dow Jones is planning a broader shift to work from home under an effort known as Work 2021. 

We understand that the company will give up leases on some small offices altogether, and we are awaiting response to our request for more information on Work 2021. Dow Jones is required to meet with the union to discuss the effects of any elimination of office space and we appreciate our members notifying us of the planned changes. 

We have requested more details including the offices affected, the impact on employees working in larger offices, and reimbursement of work-from-home expenses such as internet, furniture and equipment in case workers are asked to permanently convert their homes into offices. 

Members have also reported being notified by managers that they will be able to carry over five vacation days to March 2021, and that employees can now take Work-Life Leave in four hour increments (ten hour per week maximum remains). 

IAPE has pushed for appropriate accommodations for members working from home since the start of the pandemic, including more paid time off, an allowance for technology, equipment reimbursement and vacation carryover. 

Safety is the most important concern, and making sure IAPE-represented employees have the resources to carry out their work effectively remains a priority. We encourage you to talk to your manager about your specific needs and to talk to your representative or reach out to the union office if you are experiencing any issues. 

We know that for many employees, losing access to shared office space with colleagues is not ideal and we will continue relaying your concerns to the company. 

IAPE Election 2020

Nominations for IAPE’s election of officers and directors are now open. Any member in good standing can nominate themselves or another member in good standing for an eligible position through Aug. 31 by using this form and submitting to elections@iape1096.org. The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. 

Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

Reviews, Raises and Incentive Plans

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Performance Reviews and Self Assessments

For many years, IAPE has offered guidance on the subject of performance review and self assessments: annual appraisals should be conducted by managers, skip the self evaluation. Times change, as does our advice.

We recognize that the annual year-end conversation is often an employee’s only chance, or perhaps the best opportunity, to have an informed discussion with her/his manager about goals, expectations, performance and pay. And we recognize that Dow Jones has made changes to this process and has pledged to move to a system of “richer, two-way conversations between employees and managers around performance impact, career development and concrete action steps.”

We also note last week’s message from Kamilah Mitchell-Thomas, and her observation that  “the self reflection is optional but highly encouraged.”

If you want to participate in this process by providing a description of your own achievements, please do. Nobody can describe your successes and accomplishments better than you. We continue to believe that performance evaluations are a manager’s job, but we also want to be clear that this should not in any way stop you from helping that process by singing your own praises. 

A final reminder: If you are in a performance review that feels more like it’s turning into a disciplinary conversation, you are entitled to have a union representative present. Tell your manager that you’d like to pause the conversation and resume when you have someone with you, and get in touch with us.

Annual Pay Increases . . . And a Bonus!

Last week’s note from KMT also provided the welcome news that our negotiated pay increases would be processed and paid on July 16 (retroactive to July 1). Members hired prior to May 1 of this year are entitled to one of three negotiated pay increases: a 2.25% raise, a $22.50/week minimum increase (for those currently paid less than $1,000/week, gross), or a scale increase for members progressing through our introductory pay scales.

New for this year is the addition of a lump-sum bonus to be paid on August 13, that is tied to the size of the bonus that managers receive. While we do not currently know the actual bonus amount, we expect Dow Jones to inform us of the bonus percentage before it is paid in August.

The 2021 bonus is “targeted” at 0.5% of your pay as of June 30 (so, prior to the calculation of any July 1 pay increase) and will depend on the level of funding of the Dow Jones management bonus (“AIP”). If the AIP is funded at 100%, our bonus will be 0.5% of pay. If the AIP is funded at 90%, the target lump sum will be 0.4% of pay.

If you’re interested in learning more about IAPE’s negotiated pay increases, join us for our next Contract 101 class, July 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Let’s Talk About Incentive Plans

As we settle into a new fiscal year, we’re also preparing to review changes to incentive plan documents for sales personnel. 

A reminder to all members in Sales: the IAPE/DJ contract requires that the company provide the union with 45 days to review all SIP changes. Take advantage of that time, and please wait to sign your own plan. As we’ve said before, this review period is most effective when combined with collective action. When a solid majority of affected employees speak out against a particular change, there is a greater likelihood sales management will seriously consider those concerns. With your feedback, we can take the time to review and propose changes as a collective voice.

If you have any issues regarding your SIP, please reach out to IAPE.

IAPE @ Work: June — The Future of the Union

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Notice Of Election

Please keep an eye out for the official notice for the 2020 election of officers, directors and delegates, which was sent to members’ home addresses Monday. 

This year, the election will be conducted via paper ballot through a third-party service. Please alert the election committee at elections@iape1096.org if you haven’t received the election notice by (snail) mail by early next week so that they can resolve any problems with addresses well before ballots go out. We thank Kimbery Chin, Jonathan Randles, Allan Ryan and Haley Velasco for volunteering to serve on the election committee. 

Nominations are now open. Any member in good standing can nominate themselves or another member in good standing for an eligible position through Aug. 31 by using this form and submitting to elections@iape1096.org. The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. 

Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

The election committee will provide official guidance on rules around campaigning and will post a candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

Why You Should Run for Union Office
By Yogita Patel

When I decided to run for union president three years ago, one of my goals was to bring value to one of the most important provisions of our collective bargaining agreement—the full time leave position.

Our contract with Dow Jones allows one union member to take a pause from their day job, with the same salary and benefits, to work for the union full time. For more than a decade, the decision of who would fill that role was sorted out among a few members. But in 2017 we changed that pattern by forcing an election and in the fall members will again decide who will lead the union for the next three years. 

By truly engaging members and having a vision for success, IAPE has changed from an inert, opaque organization with almost no real connection to its members to a union that uses collective power to push for important change in the workplace. We have advanced our contract and our members’ knowledge of the union process. Thanks to significant help from my fellow current officers, we have modernized the union’s operations, which means that the next group of leaders will inherit an IAPE that is much more efficient and transparent. 

IAPE needs good leadership to make sure we remain vigilant in defending our contract and protecting our members’ rights at work. I am confident that among our membership we have at least a few good candidates who can continue the momentum and lead IAPE through the next round of negotiations. I encourage you to consider running for union president, or one of the other open seats this fall. Below are a few tips from my experience in running for union office. I look forward to answering more questions about running for the position and doing the job at the officer Q&A in July. 

Good Luck! 

  • Build a slate 

  • Read IAPE’s bylaws and contract 

  • Create a detailed plan for how you would manage the job 

  • Learn about good governance 

  • Remind people there is an election

  • Talk to people outside of your department, office and classification 

  • Attend IAPE’s three training sessions

  • And for those of you who aren’t running: 

    Pay attention, listen to the ideas of the folks running and TURN IN YOUR BALLOT! 

Fitness Reimbursement and Mixed Messages About Returning to the Office 

IAPE members have been shut out from accessing the full value of the physical fitness benefit during the pandemic because of a restriction to receiving reimbursement for exercise equipment. Previous versions of the plan allowed such expenditures and based on feedback from our labor-management counterparts, the company is not prevented from making the change that would be extremely beneficial to our members' wellbeing and pocketbooks. 

We ask that IAPE members continue emailing employeebenefits@dowjones.com (and cc union@iape1096.org) to request approval of fitness gear they have purchased or would like to purchase to emphasize the union’s position. 

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IAPE raised member concerns regarding mixed messaging about when employees might be expected to report back to physical locations at our meeting with Dow Jones representatives last week. While some members have heard that a September return was being discussed, others have been told by direct supervisors that they won’t be reporting to the office until at least 2021. We understand that company leaders are dealing with a “fluid situation” and asked for clearer information from the top about what flexibility our members can expect for the remainder of the year. We encourage members to make their needs known to their manager and to take advantage of the work-life leave benefit, which is available to all employees. 

As we expect members will need to work from home for the foreseeable future, IAPE will continue pushing requests for a technology allowance and additional reimbursements for equipment.  

Events in July

IAPE Training Series

-Contract 101: July 15 @  2:00 p.m. 

-IAPE 101: July 29 @ 2:00 p.m. 

Why You Should Run For Union Office: Stay Tuned for Details 

Visit the Events Page on our website to RSVP

Holiday Pay Reminder

U.S. members who are working July 3, don’t forget to file for holiday pay. In addition to your time-and-one-half for hours worked on Friday you can opt to receive a day’s pay in cash instead of a comp day for working the observed Independence Day. 

Members in Canada, you’re also entitled to holiday pay if you’re required to work tomorrow on Canada Day. However, management still has the discretion whether to grant an additional day’s pay or a comp day in lieu for holidays worked before July 3.

IAPE Applauds Decision to Move Gerry Baker to WSJ Opinion

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Dear Members,

IAPE was pleased to see swift action following a letter sent by our board of directors to company and newsroom management to amplify member concerns and urge a review of The Wall Street Journal’s Editor-at-Large Gerard Baker’s position within the news side of the paper. 

We helped escalate the matter after hearing widespread unease among our membership that Mr. Baker expressed opinions in some of his columns and Twitter messages that appear to be violations of the Wall Street Journal news standards. We are grateful that newsroom leaders agreed with our assessment. 

We will continue to seek a productive dialogue with management on issues of critical importance to our membership. We encourage members to reach out to us to share any concerns regarding diversity and workplace matters.

IAPE Condemns Assault by NYPD Officers on Reporter, Member

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IAPE Local 1096 strongly condemns the assault by officers of the New York City Police Department on Wall Street Journal reporter and IAPE member Tyler Blint-Welsh while he was covering protests in New York on Sunday night. Tyler clearly identified himself as a journalist and was following police instructions when he was hit in the face with riot shields and pushed to the ground. As journalists, our duty is to report what happens without getting involved. We don’t seek to be part of the news, but any attack on a reporter is an attack on the free press and is unacceptable. We call on the NYPD to hold those responsible for the assault on our colleague accountable for their actions.

IAPE @ Work: May — Protecting our Contract, and You

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IAPE Defends Contract Through Arbitration 

IAPE will seek an arbitrator’s opinion regarding the company’s failure to fully respond to a grievance and follow through on an agreement made at the negotiating table last year. 

During bargaining 2019, Dow Jones and IAPE came to an important understanding: columnists working in the news division would be in the union and that participating in the management bonus pool (“AIP”) wasn’t a single reason someone could be excluded from the bargaining unit. After discussing the union’s proposal at a few bargaining sessions, the company agreed to remove the relevant language from the contract. 

However, after ratification of our contract, the company insisted that employees with the columnist title who are AIP participants should lose that bonus eligibility if they transfer into the IAPE bargaining unit. We believe that columnists working in IAPE jurisdictions should have immediately been protected by the IAPE/DJ collective agreement, and that the company’s position regarding AIP eligibility violates our contract.

Who should and should not be in the union is a constant discussion between the union and Dow Jones representatives, and the company often uses standards of exclusion that don’t follow federal standards or industry practice. Although our contract does allow for carve outs for certain roles and duties, we often find that many of our colleagues are misclassified without a legitimate reason, denying these individuals important union protections.  

IAPE is also considering filing a grievance over these misclassifications. Accurate job titles are important for determining contractual seniority protection for union-represented staff. Ensuring that employees who are not supervisors are properly included in the IAPE bargaining unit, and receive all the benefits and protections afforded by the IAPE contract, is crucial for preserving rights of employees and the integrity of the IAPE contract.

COVID Labor/Management

IAPE discussed a number of COVID-related matters with Dow Jones representatives during our regular fourth-Thursday-of-the month meeting. The company informed the union that management is still formulating a plan to reopen the offices and offered no firm date that it expects workers to be able to report to physical locations. 

We emphasized that flexibility in working from home was a significant concern for members, and we were told that employees who are trying to make decisions around housing and schools for the fall talk to their managers about their needs. 

Regarding childcare, the company confirmed the availability of a $100/day reimbursement for individuals who aren’t able to access back-up care under the existing program and need to secure help from their own personal network. Dow Jones isn’t planning on making a company-wide announcement on midyear FSA changes, though employees who need to make changes should reach out to Dow Jones benefits to discuss options. 

We will continue to push for a regular technology reimbursement for working from home and ask that you speak to your manager about equipment you require that exceeds the $150 reimbursement. 

Those of you who have asked about receiving reimbursements for home exercise equipment purchases, we ask that members send an email to employeebenefits@dowjones.com urging the company to restore that allowance under the physical fitness benefit. 

Union to Elect New Leaders

IAPE will hold its election of officers and directors in the fall and members will choose a new slate of leaders for a three-year term that will include the next contract negotiation. 

We are seeking volunteers for an election committee, and if you aren’t thinking of running for a board position we encourage you to consider helping oversee this very important process. 

Official election and campaign rules will be announced by the committee in June and nominations will be formally open then. 

Any member in good standing can run for union officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) and every job classification and work location has representatives on the board. If you want to make a difference in your workplace and help improve the contract in the next round of bargaining, you should consider running! 

We encourage all members, but especially those considering running for director or officer in this year’s election, to take our training sessions—IAPE 101, Contract 101 and Steward 101. Find a description of the three tracks and information on upcoming classes on our website.  

Former IAPE Member Elevated to CEO

IAPE extends hearty congratulations to Almar Latour, former IAPE member and premium pay grievance participant, in his new role as Dow Jones CEO. 

We’re often asked by members if being active in the union or accessing the union’s help can hinder their progress at Dow Jones. Participation in union activities without retaliation is a legal right for members, and something we take seriously at IAPE. We are glad to see strong signs of IAPE support within Dow Jones management. Every union member should feel empowered to run for office or ask the union to take up a challenge with the company on their behalf without fear of penalty.