IAPE Contract Survey – Performance Evaluations

With the 2022-23 contract set to expire on June 30, and negotiations beginning in just a few months, we are continuing to compile survey responses from IAPE members. This week, we are seeking your input on questions about performance evaluations at Dow Jones. You can find a link to today’s survey in your email.

The performance evaluation process has been a frequent discussion topic during contract negotiations between IAPE and Dow Jones, with management proposing mandatory self-evaluations during 2019 contract talks. For IAPE-represented employees, providing goals or assessments of one’s own performance is always optional, as we have noted several times in the past.

Please take just a few minutes to answer our evaluation questions, and be sure to tell us what Dow Jones should know about its performance evaluation process.

ICYMI: Survey Results
IAPE members have spoken! Here’s how you responded to other contract surveys conducted this year:

• Health care coverage

• Wages and hours

• 30 contract issues

IAPE Contract Trivia

Read your contract and win a prize!

See below for healthcare survey results!

Our first trick question of the year! Congratulations to San Francisco member Marc Hawthorne, this week’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Marc’s entry was chosen from just a handful of correct responses to last week’s question: the maximum number of weeks’ worth of severance the company is required to pay when a position is eliminated is 56—that’s a total of 52 weeks’ wages for IAPE-represented employees with at least 24 years of continuous service, plus an additional four weeks’ pay in the event a position is eliminated due to outsourcing (see Article VII -- Severance Pay, Section A.2).

Monday is a holiday for IAPE-represented employees, President’s Day here in the United States and Family Day for our members working in the Canadian province of Ontario. We’re sure everyone is looking forward to the long weekend—unless you have been assigned a work shift on Monday. (If you have, file for your Holiday Pay!)

Thinking about holidays, this week we want to know:

How many specific holidays are recognized by the IAPE/DJ contract?

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the answer. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 gift card from IAPE.

Health Care Survey Results
Thanks to all who completed last week’s survey on Dow Jones health care coverage. The responses have been compiled and answers are similar to those from surveys in previous contract years: POS II is still the most popular coverage option, selected by 67.8% of respondents. Uncovered costs, network of providers and plan premiums are still the top three factors for members when selecting health care coverage. And the IAPE fitness reimbursement benefit is still the overwhelming choice—by 90.1% of members—compared to the Virgin Pulse data collection and fitness plan offered to non-union staff at Dow Jones.

Responses to new questions concerning dental and vision coverage were illuminating. 93.5% of members responding to last week’s survey purchase Dow Jones dental coverage and 83.4% opt in to vision benefits. Members are mostly satisfied with dental coverage—57.8%—but only 46.3% of respondents are happy with the company vision plan.

We’ll take a break from surveying over this long weekend, but will be back with new questions over the next few weeks.

_________________________________________________

*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

Survey Results: IAPE Members on Wages and Hours

63.8% of IAPE members responding to a new survey about wages and hours believe 2023 pay raises should meet or exceed the current rate of inflation. 15.7% of respondents say a 4% raise would be an equitable annual, minimum percentage pay increase in 2023, while 13.2% of members say a 5% raise would be fair this year.

Comparing Dow Jones salary to other media companies, only 1.7% of respondents think they are paid more than peers elsewhere. 49% were not sure, but 38.1% believe they are paid less for comparable work.

Highlighting areas of concern for IAPE, 18% of overtime-eligible employees answered that they either do not file for overtime when extra work is assigned, or that their bosses say “we’re not allowed to file for overtime.”

When overtime-eligible employees are assigned work outside regular working hours, overtime pay must be paid. Similarly, 6% of overtime-exempt employees said they weren’t aware they could file for comp time when extra work is assigned on scheduled days off—another contractual requirement.

Union representatives are currently reviewing responses to a questionnaire about health care coverage. Members are encouraged to submit a response to that survey before Friday. (See your email for a survey link.)

IAPE Contract Trivia

Read your contract and win a prize!

Congratulations to remote member Chandan Jamalgad, the latest winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Chandan’s entry was chosen at random from several correct responses to last week’s question: when management chooses to temporarily change a work schedule (days of work or start time by more than one hour) for any IAPE-represented employee (except when a change is necessary due to certain urgent situations), management must provide at least seven days’ advance notice (see Article III – Job Classification and Wages, Section H).

Thanks to everyone who responded to last week’s question.

With this morning’s unfortunate news following yesterday’s News Corp. earnings call, delivery of the trivia question for this week is a little behind schedule. While nobody ever wants to see layoffs at Dow Jones, it is somewhat reassuring to know that the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones contains provisions explaining how layoffs should occur, as well as how employees should be compensated when positions are eliminated.

With that in mind, here is this week’s trivia question:

Payment of severance is required whenever management chooses to eliminate positions via layoff, including when jobs are outsourced or automated, or when employees refuse to relocate after a position has been transferred. What is the maximum number of weeks’ worth of severance the company is required to pay when a position is eliminated?

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the answer. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 gift card from IAPE.

Survey Results
Results from last week’s Wages & Hours survey will not be available until Monday. If you have not yet had an opportunity to submit your feedback on wages, IAPE will hold that survey open for a few additional days. Please also take a few moments to weigh in on the union survey about health care coverage. (See your email for links to both surveys.)

________________________________________________

*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

News Corp. Plans More Layoffs

Does that mean us, too?

Yesterday, during the News Corp. second quarter report for fiscal year 2023, CEO Robert Thomson announced plans to slash 5% of our workforce, some 1,250 positions.

“The 5% reduction will be across all businesses and it will be conducted in coming months with a view to concluding this calendar year,” Mr. Thomson said during the earnings call.

IAPE has asked Dow Jones whether cuts announced on Jan. 11 constitute our contribution to News Corp.’s layoff plans, or whether staff should be expecting more layoffs in 2023. The initial response from Dow Jones representatives is that the company has no additional information to share.

So, how will this affect IAPE members, especially as we prepare to start negotiations on a new contract?

Here’s what we know: News Corp. companies have already conducted layoffs this year. On Jan. 31, HarperCollins announced plans to cut staff by 5% before June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Thirty days ago, Dow Jones eliminated between 1% and 2% of global positions with layoffs of its own. These cuts affected 22 union-represented employees, totaling 75 positions once non-union jobs were included.

When layoffs occur, the company is required to provide the union and affected employees with at least 30 days’ advance notice. Recent IAPE surveys indicate there is some misunderstanding about that requirement: the layoff notice period began on the date Dow Jones announced layoffs last month.

Union-represented staff impacted by that decision have remained on payroll, all without a requirement to continue working. The effective separation date for the January layoffs is today. Severance sums required by the IAPE/Dow Jones contract will be paid to all on Feb. 23, while negotiated, post-termination healthcare coverage will begin on Mar. 1.

There were a small number of irregularities that affected notification, classification and severance pay associated with those layoffs. These were discovered by IAPE during the standard investigation conducted by the union whenever Dow Jones announces position eliminations. Those issues have now been resolved to the satisfaction of the union.

If News Corp. and Dow Jones choose to reduce headcount again this year, IAPE will ensure that all contractual protections are followed. If you have questions or concerns about the possibility of layoffs at Dow Jones, please contact the IAPE office.

IAPE Contract Survey – Health Care

With the 2022-23 contract set to expire on June 30, and negotiations beginning in just a few months, we need to hear from IAPE members. Responses to surveys we have conducted this year have been incredibly helpful. This week, we would like your input on questions about health care coverage offerings at Dow Jones. You can find a link to today’s survey in your email. Note that this health care survey is slightly more detailed than earlier contract questionnaires, with five sections to complete before submitting your answers. Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond!

If you have not yet responded to last week’s survey on wages and hours, you have until the end of the day to provide your feedback. We’ll publish those results with tomorrow’s weekly trivia contest email (and if you haven’t answered this week’s contract trivia question, we are still accepting emails until 11:59 p.m. EST).

Town Hall: TNG on AI

IAPE members are invited to join union siblings from The NewsGuild and other media unions on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. EST for a town hall to discuss recent developments in artificial intelligence affecting work in the media industry. To attend, register here.

Several major advances in artificial intelligence impact media work. The rise of technology like ChatGPT and DALL-E are raising complicated issues that must be addressed by workers and unions.

AI can be used to create videos, photos and articles that look like the real thing. It can be used as a tool to speed up work, but can pose risks as technology continues to develop. Unions are facing jurisdictional concerns as many employers have tried to include references to AI within contract language permitting outsourcing of work.

Join us Thursday for a town hall to explore these issues. This 90-minute town hall is open to all NewsGuild-CWA, NABET-CWA, Writers Guild of America East and National Writers Union leaders, members and staff. Register here.

(Please note: when registering select “1096 - Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees [IAPE]” as your NewsGuild-CWA Local.)

ICYMI: IAPE Survey Results
If you weren’t interested in Friday’s IAPE contract trivia email, you may have missed our note on results from recent member polls: the IAPE Satisfaction Survey and the 30 Issues contract survey.

Later this week, we will publish the results from our Wages & Hours survey. If you haven’t had a chance to answer these ten, short questions, please submit your responses today! (See your email for survey links.)

And if you were interested in Friday’s contract trivia email, but you haven’t had a chance to find the answer in the IAPE/DJ contract yet, you still have time! Members in good standing can enter until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck!

IAPE Contract Trivia

Read your contract and win a prize!

Congratulations to Princeton member Dan Figueiredo, the first winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 gift card prize. Dan’s entry was chosen at random from several correct responses to last week’s question: either IAPE or Dow Jones have 45 days after the occurrence of any alleged grievance to file a complaint against the other party (see Article XI – Grievance Procedure, Section A).

Thanks to everyone who responded to last week’s question. Here’s your next chance to win:

Notice is required when management chooses to change a work schedule (days of work or start time by more than one hour) for any IAPE-represented employee (except when a change is necessary due to certain urgent situations). How many days in advance must the company notify an employee of a temporary schedule change?

Think you know the answer? Send an email to union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the answer. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 gift card from IAPE.

Survey Results
Thanks to the hundreds of IAPE members who responded to two recent surveys: the IAPE Satisfaction Survey and the 30 Issues contract survey. We received plenty of helpful feedback, especially in the long-answer sections of the satisfaction survey. Your feedback has provided us with some ideas about future FAQ topics, Contract 101 subjects and bargaining discussions.

Members selected mostly the same three priority options this year as they did one year ago: annual pay increases, cost-of-living/inflation protection, and work at home options. However, the percentages have changed slightly: 91.2% of members selected annual pay increases as a priority issue this year, up from 89.5% in 2022, but COLA protection dropped to 50.9% in this latest survey, compared to 58.8% last year. Similarly, 50.9% of members selected work at home options as a priority this year, down from 58.5% in 2022.

Return to office issues, a new question for the 2023 survey, was selected as a priority topic by 33.6% of members who responded to this survey.

Perhaps reflecting concerns over layoff notices issued by Dow Jones last month, 40.7% of members selected job security as a 2023 priority, an increase from last year’s selections by 34.3% of respondents.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll publish responses to remaining surveys of the IAPE membership as the union prepares for contract negotiations. If you have not yet responded to yesterday’s Wages & Hours survey, please weigh in today! (See your email for a survey link.)

________________________

*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

IAPE Contract Survey – Wages & Hours

With the 2022-23 contract set to expire on June 30, and negotiations beginning in just a few months, we need to hear from IAPE members. Over the next few weeks, we will ask you to complete simple, online survey questions. This week, we would like your feedback on questions about wage increases and hours worked. See your email for a link to today’s survey.

We’ll ask for input on other contract issues as preparations continue, but that doesn’t mean you can’t weigh in with questions of your own. If you have a suggestion for negotiations or an idea for a topic you’d like to see discussed this year, please reach out to your local IAPE Director, or send a note to union@iape1096.org.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Tomorrow: Satisfaction, Priorities and Trivia
Watch this space tomorrow for results from surveys conducted over the past two weeks: the IAPE Satisfaction Survey from Jan. 19 and last Thursday’s survey on contract priorities. We’ll include those with tomorrow’s weekly trivia email. And if you have not yet had a chance to respond to last week’s contract trivia question, you have until 11:59 p.m. EST tonight to submit your response. See our website or last Friday’s IAPE email for the question.

New York, it was Great to See You!
Thanks to all who stopped by the union table or our IAPE 101 class yesterday during the first organized IAPE visit to 1211 AOA in almost three years. It was great to be able to visit live and in-person with members once again. IAPE President Jodi Green, IAPE staff and other reps will hold similar meet & greet and Q&A events at several Dow Jones locations as the union gears up for negotiations with Dow Jones—and we’ll have swag! Watch future IAPE email updates for details.

Live From New York: IAPE 101

IAPE 101, the union’s orientation class for newcomers and Q&A session for veteran members, makes its in-person return to 1211 AOA on Wednesday afternoon. If you are working in the office tomorrow, please join IAPE representatives at 2:15 p.m. in The Future Room on the 7th Floor (F07.AR12).

Members working from home or in other locations may join our remote feed. Please register to receive your meeting link at the IAPE Events page.

IAPE 101 is a half-hour class addressing the basics of IAPE membership: What is a union? How does IAPE function? How does IAPE fit into Dow Jones? What are the benefits of union membership? We’ll even have some time for Q&A, especially for those of you who have questions about upcoming contract negotiations.

IAPE Contract Survey
If you haven’t had a chance to respond to the IAPE “30 Issues” survey, you still have some time to tell IAPE reps which negotiation topics are most important to you. Click the link in your email to select your top five, or add an issue of your own.

One More Push for Pittsburgh
IAPE members also have one final chance to sign a letter in support of our NewsGuild siblings on strike at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The letter urges those who have been crossing picket lines to support their colleagues and join the strike. Read more about the Pittsburgh strike—starting its fifth month tomorrow—at newsguild.org, and please join the hundreds of others from across the Guild supporting members in Pittsburgh. Sign before 6:00 p.m. EST today!