Bargaining Update: It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint

Representatives from IAPE and Dow Jones have reached their first tentative agreement of the current round of contract negotiations.

In a response to a proposal from the union, management has agreed “to clarify the contract” and confirm that meetings where employees will be notified of their discharge will be deemed “disciplinary.” Union-represented staff will be entitled to union representation during those meetings.

The item from Dow Jones was included in a two-page proposal document addressing “select issues.” The proposals were provided to the union during a brief negotiation meeting earlier today.

In total, management responded to four of the union’s 79 proposals with today’s document.

Dow Jones did not present a wage increase offer today, but did propose increasing the threshold salary for determining minimum compensatory raises to $1,300 per week, or $67,600 annually.

Also known as the “minimum dollar increase,” a minimum raise is determined by applying the negotiated compensatory raise to a threshold salary. In 2022, the negotiated 4% raise and $1,000 weekly threshold meant the smallest raise an IAPE member could have received was $40 per week.

Dow Jones made small adjustments to original management proposals on excluding interns from the IAPE bargaining unit and regarding the amount of notice provided to an employee and to the union in advance of disciplinary meetings.

IAPE and Dow Jones will break from negotiations until next Wednesday, July 5.

Princeton Shuttle Alternatives

As more IAPE members resume three-day-per-week in-office schedules, we’re paying close attention to how our workplaces have changed since the beginning of the pandemic. For example, at the Dow Jones campus in Princeton, NJ, members are keenly aware of the lack of cafeteria services.

Not quite as well known is a recent decision by Dow Jones to accommodate Princeton employees who  previously relied on the company shuttle to commute to and from the Princeton Jct. rail station.

In response to a question from IAPE about plans to resume shuttle services when in-office schedules increased this month, management informed the union, “employees who need transportation from Princeton Junction to the campus should use a ride sharing service and submit the expense for reimbursement in Concur.”

When asked whether the company planned on announcing this to Princeton staff, management replied, “Given that we estimate the employee population at issue here is fairly small we are looking at options to share this information with those who need to know including posting the information on the Princeton Location page of the Source.”

We encourage members relying on transportation to and from Princeton Jct. to follow this directive and submit receipts for reimbursement. If you have questions about submitting or problems with approval for your expenses please let us know at union@iape1096.org.

Of course, IAPE also has a contract proposal addressing Princeton shuttle services:

“The Company shall maintain shuttle service between the Princeton Junction, NJ train station and its offices in the Princeton, NJ area. In the event shuttle service cannot be offered, Employees commuting to and from the Princeton Junction train station may submit taxi, Uber or Lyft expenses for reimbursement.”

IAPE and Dow Jones resume negotiations on this and all other topics Tuesday morning.

Wednesday: Steward 101
If you are interested in getting involved in all things IAPE, including being a key point of contact for members during contract negotiations, consider joining your union colleagues on Wednesday afternoon for IAPE Steward 101.

This one-hour Zoom class is your chance to find out more about joining the ranks of IAPE stewards. A strong steward and leadership structure is extremely important at all times, but especially during a contract bargaining year. If you’ve ever considered being involved with IAPE, you might be just the person we’re looking for to join our steward group!

To find out more about becoming an IAPE steward, please join us for IAPE Steward 101 next Wednesday, June 28 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Visit the IAPE Events Page to register.

Contract Trivia: COLA

Congratulations to New York member Nick Guy, today’s 2023 trivia contest winner of a $50 prize. Nick’s entry was selected from several correct responses to last week’s question: the weekly shift differential rate for employees who work night shifts is $140 (see Article III - Job Classifications and Wages, Section G).

We hope everyone has caught up on contract negotiations updates from yesterday and today. IAPE and Dow Jones negotiators have now had three meetings to consider proposals, especially respective proposals over the same subject. The existing Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) provision is one such contract section, with Dow Jones presenting a proposal to eliminate COLA protection.

IAPE, on the other hand, has explained that COLA protection is a priority for union members and has proposed eliminating the existing cap on COLA adjustments to wage increases. So, for this week’s trivia question, see if you can tell us:

Under the current contract, what is the maximum “extra” COLA increase allowable when inflation exceeds negotiated pay raises?

Email your response to union@iape1096.org. If you are not certain of the answer, 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.

Bargaining Update: Talking About Our Proposals

IAPE negotiators resumed discussions with Dow Jones counterparts yesterday and took the opportunity to address company comments about the union’s proposals.

The IAPE team emphasized the importance of the union’s carefully crafted proposals, citing membership survey results showing demands for real wage increases and protection against inflation as overwhelming contract priorities.

The union also responded to the company’s opening proposals yesterday. Addressing management’s proposal to delete cost of living allowance protections from the contract, IAPE President Jodi Green said, “In IAPE surveys, improving COLA protection was the number two priority for members. I can’t see how deleting COLA protection would pass a membership vote.”

IAPE also informed Dow Jones that members are not interested in health insurance premium, deductible or cost-sharing increases that could significantly diminish any negotiated increases in wages.

Dow Jones balked at union proposals to establish employee intellectual property rights. Green noted that union members have concerns about “new revenue streams and the company’s use of content they provided, and that they aren’t seeing sufficient reward for what might even be extra work.”

The response from Dow Jones was swift: “That’s the company’s property. The employee did not provide that, the company created it. The company owns it. It’s not the property of the employee to give to the company. It’s the company’s property.”

Discussions around non-economic items also caused tension around the virtual contract table. Dow Jones reps again objected to an IAPE proposal to clarify the current practice of delivering data reports to the union, claiming to fear union charges at the National Labor Relations Board if the company failed to deliver a timely report of newly hired employees.

The company strenuously objected to IAPE’s proposal to reduce probation—that initial period of time when the contract’s just cause protections do not apply to a new employee—from nine months to six months.

Responding to an IAPE complaint that the company fails to properly notify new employees of their probationary status, one Dow Jones rep said, “what would you have done differently if you knew you were probationary, you would have worked harder? You would have tried to get to that nine months before slacking off?”

There were some attempts to find compromise. Dow Jones has expressed a willingness to increase retraining allowance sums—education funding available to employees when they are laid off from their Dow Jones jobs—and both sides agreed that more discussion is needed on IAPE and Dow Jones proposals for providing employees with advance notice of disciplinary meetings.

IAPE and Dow Jones did have constructive conversations about some company proposals. Dow Jones clarified its proposal to restrict pay increase eligibility to “only employees on active payroll” applies to former employees, perhaps those recently laid off from Dow Jones, and not to anyone on an authorized leave of absence such as disability or parental leave. The union also committed to taking a closer look at other company proposals concerning payout of unused vacation upon separation from Dow Jones and self evaluations for performance reviews.

Dow Jones and IAPE meet again on June 27.

Thanks to all members who sent in feedback after reading yesterday’s bargaining update. If you would like to share your comments about these negotiations—or if you have a message for the company you would like IAPE to share at the bargaining table—our email inbox is always open. Send your questions, comments or concerns to union@iape1096.org.

Dow Jones Responds: No

IAPE and Dow Jones representatives met Wednesday for the first time since trading opening proposals on June 14. Company negotiators spent two and a half hours responding to the union’s proposal package, but the majority of their message was very simple: No.

Oh sure, they used several other phrases, like, “the company is satisfied with the current contract language.” Or, “this is not an issue we are interested in.” Or, “we don’t see a compelling need for this.”

They saved their best for IAPE’s opening wage proposal: “We don’t think it is at all appropriate or supportable.”

On health insurance, management reps reminded the union team of the company’s proposal to remove any contract references to benefits and coverage. “We do expect cost increases,” they said.

The IAPE committee heard that the company needs to “manage expectations” and that the union should do the same with respect to its members.

We believe we are.

IAPE proposals reflect priorities identified through membership surveys and feedback. What IAPE members expect is a contract addressing the needs of the union-represented workforce, with clear workplace rules and protections, fair wage increases and protection against inflation.

IAPE and Dow Jones reps return to the bargaining table this afternoon. If you have any “expectations” you would like us to pass along to management, please let us know.

Contract Trivia: Shift Differential

Congratulations to Princeton member Ana Riazantseva, the latest winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Ana’s entry was selected from several correct responses to last week’s question about union membership and dues payments. Ana knew that most employees who are hired or transferred into IAPE-represented positions must begin paying dues or fees to the union within 30 days of their hire or transfer, or within 30 days of the effective date of the contract, whichever is later (see Article X - Union Membership, Section A).

With contract negotiations between IAPE and Dow Jones finally underway, members have started to weigh in with thoughts on the company’s first proposals. Not surprisingly, the feedback has not been positive. One in particular that has attracted criticism is management’s proposal to eliminate shift differential—the extra payment required when employees work evening or overnight shifts—when employees work those shifts from their homes.

If you already realize how ridiculous this proposal is, then you likely know the answer to this week’s trivia question:

Under the current IAPE contract, what is the weekly shift differential rate for employees who work night shifts?

Email your response to union@iape1096.org. If you are not certain of the answer, 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.

IAPE, Dow Jones Trade Day One Proposals

Representatives from IAPE and Dow Jones opened 2023 contract negotiations on Tuesday and traded initial proposals for a new collective bargaining agreement. Not surprisingly, the differences between the respective opening positions are stark and significant.

IAPE negotiators—President Jodi Green, VP Laura Casey, Directors Jess Bravin, Doug Cameron, Patricia Corley, Ted Mann, and Ariana Vera, and staffers Kaitlyn Frarey and Tim Martell—presented a proposal document seeking improvements in almost all areas of the contract, including a 15% wage increase in the first year of the deal. That first-year figure, in line with the recent contract agreement at the New York Times Co., is intended to make up for ground lost to inflation over the past two years and maintain Dow Jones as an industry-leading workplace.

The union package focused on improving seniority protections, called for a cap of three mandatory in-office working days for the life of the contract, and proposed new contract language defining book and other derivative rights for employee-created work and protections against advancements in artificial intelligence. The union also introduced proposals addressing member concerns regarding the coverage of specific healthcare services including doula coverage, increased mental health coverage, and support for seeking gender-affirming and reproductive care.

Simply put, it is a proposal for contract enhancements and protection from inflation that IAPE-represented employees deserve.

On the other hand, Dow Jones proposed clawing back many of the benefits and rights our members have won in past years and rely upon today.

The company presented a disappointing and unrealistic package calling for the elimination of cost-of-living provisions, along with proposals to give management unilateral power to reduce health benefits and increase premiums, limit parental and child-care leave, and cut severance pay, among other items. The company proposal package also reintroduced a proposal the union has seen before, to use what it calls “merit-based criteria to determine layoffs,” at its sole discretion, effectively eliminating members' earned seniority rights. Dow Jones's proposals would significantly erode many of the protections of previous contracts and leave employees more vulnerable to the whims of their managers.

Dow Jones made no offer on wages in its initial proposal. However, company representatives at the bargaining table took exception to IAPE’s wage proposal when the union cited the recent Times Guild and New York Times agreement as a benchmark.

IAPE members can follow along with all proposals during negotiations by visiting the union’s Contract ’23 webpage.

Negotiations will resume in Princeton on June 21, with virtual meetings planned for June 22, 27 and 29. In the meantime, the bargaining committee will be working on responses to company proposals and will finalize additional proposals around job classifications, health and safety, and DEI.

What do you think of management’s first proposal? We’d love to know! Email us your feedback at union@iape1096.org.

Negotiations Begin Tomorrow—Show Your IAPE Support!

Tomorrow morning, 43 days after IAPE delivered a demand to begin contract negotiations, Dow Jones representatives will finally sit down with the union bargaining committee and trade proposals for a new collective bargaining agreement.

Negotiations will kick off at the Princeton Dow Jones campus at 11:00 a.m. EDT.

Wherever you are working tomorrow, please show your support for your IAPE contract team. With summer-like temperatures upon us, tomorrow would be a great day to wear an IAPE t-shirt. IAPE buttons are must-have accessories. And if you have an IAPE water bottle or coffee mug in your cupboard, be sure to reach for that first when pouring your morning beverage.

We would love to see photos of all your IAPE support. Email your pics to union@iape1096.org or tweet us @iape1096. #contract23

Contract Trivia: Dues Payments

Congratulations to Princeton member Kevin Deitrich, one of a handful of IAPE members who knew that Federal Way, WA (47.3223°N) is farther north than Montreal, QC (45.5019°N) or Ottawa, ON (45.4215°N) or any other IAPE-represented locations. Kevin’s correct response to last week’s trivia question—identify the northernmost union-represented location recognized by the IAPE/DJ collective agreement— was selected as this week’s $50 winner for our 2023 trivia contest (see Article II for all contract locations).

We would like to thank everyone who has been playing along with our trivia contest each week. Anyone can submit a response, but as we note in the rules (below), only dues-paying members are eligible to win prizes. Not everyone who occupies an IAPE-represented position pays union dues—some work in states like Georgia or Texas where dues payments must be optional—but for most of us, payment of fees or dues to the union is a condition of employment. The contract contains a requirement for new employees, or those who transfer into union-protected jobs, to begin those payments within a certain time period. So, tell us if you know . . .

How soon after beginning employment (or transferring into an IAPE-represented position) must an employee become a dues-paying IAPE member or a fee-paying non-member?

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.

12.5%? How Did They Do That?

IAPE and Dow Jones to kick off negotiations on June 13 – can we keep pace with the New York Guild?

On May 23, The NewsGuild of New York announced its Times Guild bargaining unit had reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the New York Times. After more than two years of negotiating with Times management, and almost three years without a negotiated pay raise, the Times Guild had reached a groundbreaking agreement for their members.

The five-year contract, effective now after being ratified by Times Guild members yesterday, includes:

• A universal $65,000 salary floor;

• Immediate raises of at least 10.6 percent for all members, with 12.5 percent raises for those earning less than $100,000 per year, 

• A ratification bonus equal to 7% of earnings after March 31, 2021;

• Raises of 3.25% in 2024 and 3% in 2025;

• Three in-office days per week for the life of the contract, starting Sept. 5, 2023;

• A ban on the use of nondisclosure agreements in cases of workplace abuse or harassment;

• Expanded benefits, including $50,000 in fertility coverage and paid sabbaticals of four weeks for every 10 years worked at the company;

• First-ever contract language explicitly outlining out intellectual property rights, including an agreement to pay half of any payments to the author or video creators of productions;

• Protected life rights so workers who write autobiographical material for The Times have more control over whether their personal stories are turned into secondary works like movies.

And much, much more. Their achievements truly are remarkable. So, how did they do that?

It wasn’t easy.

At the outset of their contract campaign, the Guild had just a handful of active Times stewards. Members were barely one year into the new, work-from-home reality brought about by the Covid pandemic, and no one really knew how contract negotiations conducted remotely via Zoom would play out.

For those involved in 2022 negotiations between IAPE and Dow Jones, this sounds familiar.

At the Times, however, through a steady campaign of engagement, Guild members—journalists, sales reps, technology workers, security guards and staff at the company’s events venue, The Times Center—began a series of escalating activities. They started with simple requests for member participation: sign a petition, join a reply-all email chain, participate in a social media campaign, and so on.

By November of 2021, the Guild had built its steward ranks to more than 100 active participants on its “Contract Action Team.” Through consistent outreach to coworkers, Guild leaders and CAT members convinced coworkers to gather for a mass protest outside the Times building.

Throughout 2022, Times Guild members continued to apply pressure on the company, culminating in a 24-hour work  stoppage in December. Through the final days of negotiations, members continued to stage protests, including in their newsrooms and at a stockholders’ meeting.

It took a very long time and a lot of hard work, but Times Guild members’ efforts have paid off. Literally.

On June 13, IAPE representatives will meet with counterparts from Dow Jones management to open negotiations for a successor to the 2022-23 collective agreement. The IAPE side will come to the table armed with comprehensive contract proposals addressing member priorities. All proposals will be shared on the IAPE website as negotiations progress—it is no secret, though, that IAPE intends to propose a multi-year agreement. It is possible that Dow Jones will open negotiations with a proposal for another one-year deal.

We might all point to the new contract at the Times and think, “we should have that, too.” Perhaps we should, but we won’t achieve a deal like that without a fight. What we can all take away from the new contract negotiated by the NewsGuild of New York is this: more important than the words and documents traded at the bargaining table are the actions taken by members in the workplace.

To that, we say, “stay tuned.” Volunteer to join the IAPE Contract Action Team! When your area IAPE representatives call for support with a petition to management, please join in. When the bargaining committee invites members to attend negotiations, either in-person or remotely, don’t be shy. Join us for town hall updates. Volunteer to spread the word among your own departments, and send your own suggestions for member actions to IAPE.

Next Tuesday marks the beginning of what could be a very long round of contract negotiations. Your bargaining committee intends to negotiate for the contract you deserve. We can only achieve that with your support.

Contract Questions? Join us for IAPE 101
IAPE newcomers, when you were hired by Dow Jones, were you surprised to learn that you were a union-represented employee? Have you ever wondered about your rights as a union member? If you have a half-hour to spare today at 2:00 p.m. EDT, please join us for the next installment of IAPE 101 and see if we can answer your questions.

IAPE 101 is a Zoom presentation 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? All these questions and more will be covered in this class, perfect for those brand new to IAPE, or even for veteran members interested in learning more about their union. Visit the IAPE Events Page and register today!

Even if you’re a long-time member, today’s class is also a perfect opportunity to get answers to your questions about our contract (sorry, no Trivia Contest hints!) and what we might expect to hear from the company during negotiations. All members are welcome!

Tomorrow: Labor, Faith, and LGBTQ+ Pride
Join CWA Human Rights for Labor, Faith, and LGBTQ+ Pride, an online panel in celebration of Pride Month 2023! We will discuss the intersections of the labor movement, LGBTQ+ movements, and faith communities. CWA is excited to facilitate a discussion with panelists from the CWA Pride Caucus, Pride at Work, and Vanderbilt Divinity School's Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice. LGBTQ+ workers, as well as all union siblings and allies, are encouraged to attend. Register at the IAPE Events page.