Contract Trivia: IAPE Geography

Congratulations to New York member Hailey Davis, today’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Hailey’s entry was selected from several correct responses to last week’s question about Holiday Pay: the Company must increase Holiday Pay from 1.5X pay to 2X pay when an employee works in excess of their regularly scheduled hours on a contract-recognized holiday (see Article VIII-A or VIII-B, Section A.2).

Hailey is the sixth New York-based member to win a trivia prize during this year’s contest. We have also congratulated eight winners assigned to the Princeton location and one each from Washington and San Francisco. Article II of the agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones recognizes 18 cities in the United States and Canada as IAPE-represented locations, even though Dow Jones no longer maintains an actual office space in some of those cities (hello, Dallas!).

This week, we’re adding a geography component to the contract trivia contest:

Identify the northernmost union-represented location recognized by the IAPE/DJ collective agreement.

Think you have the answer? Email your response to union@iape1096.org. Not sure? Take a look at the cities listed in Article II and send us your best guess!. Members in good standing* will have until Thursday at midnight to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email their contest entry 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 prize from IAPE.

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*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 prize every thirty days.

Design our new Logo!

Let your creative juices flow and win $500

The IAPE logo has changed occasionally over the years. The union’s Board of Directors has decided IAPE needs a fresh look and we would love to select a logo design provided by one of our members.

The IAPE Board of Directors has approved a prize of $500 from the union’s Mobilization budget for a logo redesign contest. All IAPE-represented employees are eligible to enter this contest, with a tentative deadline for the IAPE Board to select a winner by June 30—just in time for the expiration of our contract with Dow Jones!

The new IAPE logo should be relevant to the union and our membership, and can incorporate elements from either or both of our parent unions: The NewsGuild and the Communications Workers of America. We can be identified by our full name, Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (yes, the apostrophe goes after the s), or by our acronym and local designation number: IAPE 1096. Our current colors are red and black, and while we would prefer to retain red as a nod to our relationship with CWA, we are open to new ideas!

Entries containing complete vector files are preferable, but members may also submit ideas, concepts and sketches. We’re looking for a design that is scalable, to be reproduced on items as small as lapel pins and as large as . . . oh, let’s say, picket signs?

Send your design ideas to logocontest@iape1096.org. And if you’re looking for inspiration, check out these amazing NewsGuild local logo designs created by rank-and-file members in their own bargaining units!

Desk Hoteling, In-Office Work and Covid

The union has expressed concerns about Dow Jones plans to increase the number of expected in-office days for non-News staff, especially in New York where the loss of floor space has resulted in a requirement for employees to share desks.

Reports received by IAPE indicate that employees from multiple WSJ News workgroups contracted Covid last week, possibly exposing coworkers to illness. This apparent uptick in the spread of Coronavirus comes one week into Dow Jones “desk hoteling” plans in New York, requiring employees to reserve desks prior to arriving at the 1211 Avenue of the Americas building.

The union was contacted by several members asking about the current Dow Jones protocol surrounding contact tracing and notification for exposed employees. Dow Jones has eliminated all Covid protocols following the expiration of the public health emergency effective May 11. Unfortunately, this means that Dow Jones will not be conducting additional contact tracing or providing notification to exposed employees.

In addition to pushing back on in-office requirements in New York, IAPE has asked Dow Jones to confirm whether sick-time usage at 1211 AOA has increased since desk hoteling began on May 22. The union requested the company delay requirements for additional in-office work for non-News staff by at least two weeks and to instruct New York employees to work from their homes, where possible, for two weeks to contain any possible office exposure to Covid.

What if I’m Exposed?
Dow Jones has confirmed to the union that guidance for employees who are feeling unwell or who have tested positive for Covid remains unchanged: stay home. If you are unable to work due to illness, inform your manager you are using sick time. If you encounter any difficulty in using sick days because you are ill, contact the union.

While you are not required by law to share your medical information with others, if you suspect you have been exposed to or have tested positive for Covid, please consider sharing with your colleagues to curb additional exposure. Many employees have pre-existing medical conditions or family with pre-existing conditions that make exposure to Covid more dangerous.

If you hear from a colleague that they may have been exposed or that they have tested positive, IAPE recommends that you get tested as well. Dow Jones has recommended communicating with your manager if you may need to work remotely as a result of potential exposure.

If you have been notified by Dow Jones that an exemption from in-office work has expired and you are still unable to report to work at a Dow Jones location due to a qualifying disability, you must deliver a new accommodation request to the company.

IAPE can provide guidance if you have questions about requesting accommodations (including ergonomics) and what information the company may ask from you. This is not limited to Covid-related health issues, but rather health conditions and/or disabilities that may affect your ability to perform certain movements, job functions, or other processes without support.

Contract Trivia: Holiday Pay

Congratulations to New York member Paul Curtis, today’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Paul was one of a handful of IAPE members with the correct answer to last week’s question about introductory pay tiers, and knew that there are 16 different Tier levels listed in the IAPE/DJ Job Description Document – eleven non-IT tiers (1-10 plus a separate tier for reporters) and five tiers for technology titles. (see the  2022-23 Job Descriptions, Tiers and Minimum Pay Scales document).

(We also would have accepted a guess of 17 tiers, because a new IT Tier 3A entry was added earlier this year. It has not yet been included in the Tier document.)

It’s the Friday before the Memorial Day long weekend—except for IAPE members in Canada, where it’s the Friday after the Victoria Day long weekend—and we hope everyone has a safe and happy three-day break. In an organization like Dow Jones, someone is always going to be required to work on a holiday—and that’s when it’s helpful to know the answer to this week’s contract trivia question:

At what point during work required on a contract holiday must the company increase Holiday Pay from 1.5X pay to 2X pay?

Think you know? Email your response to union@iape1096.org. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the relevant section. Members in good standing* will have until Thursday at midnight 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 prize from IAPE.

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*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 prize every thirty days.

Contract Trivia: Pay Tiers

Congratulations to Princeton member Denise Ackerman, the latest winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Denise was one of several IAPE members with the correct answer to last week’s question about the ability to sell vacation time: an IAPE-represented employee can request one week’s pay in lieu of one week’s vacation if they are entitled to at least three weeks of vacation and if their compensation is $1,250 per week or less (see Article IX - Vacations, Section E).

The IAPE Board of Directors will soon be finalizing proposals for a new contract with Dow Jones—union and management representatives will meet next Thursday to discuss a schedule for 2023 negotiations—and as part of that process, the union will also review existing introductory pay tiers and scales for classified job titles. The 2022-23 Job Descriptions, Tiers and Minimum Pay Scales document is incorporated by reference into the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and is the source for this week’s trivia question:

How many different Tier levels are listed in the IAPE/DJ Job Description Document?

Think you know? Email your response to union@iape1096.org. Not sure? Take a look through the Job Description Document linked above. Members in good standing* will have until Thursday at midnight 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 prize from IAPE.

Register for Contract 101
If you haven’t registered to attend our Contract 101 class scheduled for next Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. EDT, there’s still plenty of time. RSVP at the IAPE Events page for this Zoom presentation and Q&A session.

Still Looking for Elections Committee Volunteers
There are still openings for one or two more volunteers for the 2023 IAPE Elections Committee. Any member in good standing can help oversee this year’s election of union officers and directors, whether you’re an IAPE veteran or a newcomer.

If you would like to pitch in and help, please email the IAPE office.

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*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 prize every thirty days.

Contract 101 - Job Security

The IAPE Contract 101 series is a great way to learn more about the collective agreement, especially as the union prepares proposals for contract improvements to be presented during negotiations this year.

The next edition of IAPE’s Contract 101 will be held on Tuesday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT and will focus on job security, just cause protections, layoffs and seniority.

Visit the IAPE Events Page to register for this Zoom presentation.

In light of News Corp plans to cut staff throughout the calendar year, members may appreciate a deeper understanding of how the IAPE contract protects employees from arbitrary layoffs. It can also be helpful to be aware of your contractual rights when a manager delivers a surprise invitation to an investigatory or disciplinary meeting.

Join your colleagues and IAPE representatives next Tuesday!

Join our Elections Committee!

It’s an election year!

The term of office for elected representatives on the IAPE Board of Directors expires on Nov. 30 and IAPE members will vote to select a new Board later this year. Before that can happen, IAPE needs to form an Elections Committee of regular members, working closely with IAPE staff, to oversee the triennial election process.

The union’s Bylaws state, “The Local’s Officers, incumbent Directors and nominees are ineligible for membership on this committee.” This is a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in volunteering for a union committee for the first time.

If you are interested in learning more about the IAPE Elections Committee and how you can help ensure the union’s 2023 elections run smoothly, please email union@iape1096.org.

Contract Trivia: Vacation Sale

Congratulations to New York member Matthew Riva, today’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Matthew’s entry was selected from several correct responses to last week’s question about vacation time: full-time employees must attain six years of service in order to attain five weeks of paid vacation time (see Article IX - Vacations, Section B).

We’re going to stick with the vacation section of our contract for this week’s question. We fully recognize that some people, for whatever reason, just are not able to use all their vacation time during a calendar year. And while most members who find themselves in that situation simply lose their time at the end of the year, there is a small segment of the IAPE membership who have the ability to sell one week of vacation time back to Dow Jones.

Which two qualifications must an IAPE-represented employee meet in order to have a contractual right to sell a week of vacation time back to Dow Jones & Company?

Think you know? Email your response to union@iape1096.org. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the relevant section. Members in good standing* will have until Thursday at midnight 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 prize from IAPE.

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*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 prize every thirty days.

Thursday: IAPE Town Hall

A Kickoff to Contract Bargaining!

Join IAPE President Jodi Green, Executive Director Tim Martell, Administrative Officer Kaitlyn Frarey and other IAPE representatives on Thursday, May 11 for a union town hall meeting and preview of upcoming contract negotiations with Dow Jones.

Two one-hour sessions are scheduled: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT and 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT. To receive your Zoom link and attend one of these meetings, register on the IAPE Events page.

Hear how IAPE’s Board of Directors have been preparing to bargain for a new contract and how your responses to membership surveys conducted earlier this year have influenced union proposals.

IAPE reps will also discuss recent changes to in-office work plans and—for members in New York—the company’s decision to implement desk-sharing across all departments. Questions from members on all topics are welcome, especially if you would like to email yours in advance.

See you Thursday!

Performance “Conversations”
Earlier today, Dow Jones employees received a memo from CPO Dianne DeSevo announcing the beginning of “year-end performance conversations,” otherwise known as annual performance evaluations. Ms. DeSevo properly noted that the self-assessment portion of your evaluation is optional.

That’s good.

For many years, IAPE has taken the position that evaluating an employee’s performance is a management function. However, the union also recognizes that the performance evaluation process is an employee’s only opportunity to have an informed discussion with their manager about goals, expectations, performance and pay.

Our recommendation: 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 should be prepared by managers, 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.

If you plan on discussing your compensation with your manager, you may be interested in requesting an IAPE pay review. Using confirmed pay data from Dow Jones, your IAPE pay specialist can show you how you rank compared to peers in the same title, department, location, age range and tenure.

Depending on the backlog of requests, an IAPE pay review can take up to a week to complete. If you’re interested in receiving an analysis of your pay before speaking with your manager, ask IAPE for a review today.

Contract Trivia: Vacation Time

Congratulations to Washington member Tyler Parsels, the latest winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Tyler’s entry was selected from several correct responses to the Apr. 21 question about union leaves of absence. He knew that members of the IAPE Board of Directors may take up to two days of unpaid leave each to attend the union’s biennial Board of Directors meetings (see Article XIII - Leaves of Absence, Section B).

There was no trivia question last Friday as we took a week off to prepare for and attend those union meetings. And now that the calendar has turned to May, we hope you have been able to take a week or two off or are planning to make use of your vacation time sometime soon. Vacation benefits negotiated and guaranteed by the IAPE contract have among the most-accelerated entitlements among NewsGuild peers—which brings us to this week’s question:

How many years of continuous service must full-time employees attain to earn five weeks of paid vacation time?

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

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*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 prize every thirty days.