IAPE Board Meets Saturday

Your IAPE Board of Directors will hold a day-long, in-person meeting this Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Westin Jersey City Newport in Jersey City, NJ. The September meeting of the IAPE Board sets budget and spending priorities for the union for the next fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1.

All members are welcome to attend—either in-person, if you’re in the Jersey City area on Saturday, or via Zoom. The start time for Saturday’s meeting is 10:00 a.m. EDT; business should be concluded by 5:00 p.m. To attend remotely, register for your Zoom link through the IAPE Events page.

If you are not able to join us, but would still like to submit comments for the IAPE Board to consider, please contact an IAPE director or send a note to union@iape1096.org.

IAPE Fitness Reimbursement: No, “Wearables” are Not Covered
A few IAPE members have reached out to the union office to inquire about the IAPE Physical Fitness Reimbursement Program, and whether the plan covers wearable devices.

No, it does not. You’re thinking of the “Well-being plan” available to non-union employees.

Dow Jones has invited IAPE to participate in this plan, and the union Directors will actually be discussing this proposal during Saturday’s Board meeting. But there are strings attached: migrating to the corporate plan, with quarterly reimbursements of up to $200 for fitness and wellness items, would mean eliminating the current, negotiated $700 annual fitness benefit for IAPE-represented employees.

There are many differences between the two plans, but the most significant is this: the IAPE plan is guaranteed, while the corporate plan has no guarantees at all.

Apply for Union Plus Scholarships
The 2026 Union Plus Scholarship Program has begun accepting applications, and will continue doing so until 12:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, 2026. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $4,000 and are available to union members and their families.

To apply, visit the Union Plus Scholarship website.

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5.9 million to students of union families. Over 4,200 union families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.

Current and retired members of unions participating in any Union Plus program, their spouses and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations) are eligible. Grandchildren are not eligible unless a legal dependent (as defined by IRS regulations).  At least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant's spouse or parent (if applicant is a dependent). The one year membership minimum must be satisfied by May 31, 2025.

IAPE members are also eligible to participate in the CWA Joe Beirne Scholarship Program. Applications for those awards will open in November.

A Red Shirt Sendoff

IAPE members in Princeton, if you’re planning on attending Thursday’s farewell toast to the Dow Jones campus, we have a suggestion for your attire: your favorite IAPE t-shirt.

Join IAPE officers, directors and stewards and wear your best IAPE tee to say so long to South Brunswick. Can’t find your union t-shirt? Any other red or black shirt will do.

We’ll try to gather during the day for one final IAPE group photo. See you Thursday!

Surprise, Surprise – Dow Jones Awarded Merit Raises After All

IAPE members on average got 4.5% pay increases. Did you get more than the mandatory contract raise?

Turns out Dow Jones awarded merit raises afterall.

Despite some managers claiming they couldn’t award merit raises due to the union’s hard-fought contract, 35 IAPE members did in fact receive discretionary raises this year, according to an IAPE analysis of pay data provided by the company.

It’s almost as if management can hand out discretionary raises when it wants to. Just like when it wants to retain members who competitors try to poach.

Eligible IAPE members received raises of at least 3.75% thanks to our 2023-2026 contract. Yet a number of members with strong job-performance reviews were told that’s all the company could spare, even after “the best year on record for Dow Jones.” The morale-boosting reward for hard work with results: the ability to keep working hard.

Those who received discretionary raises got pay bumps ranging from 6.84% to 34.7%.

Nine of these employees are journalists who received an average raise of 15.4% (11.65% above the mandatory contract raise). Five are Wall Street Journal reporters, with raises ranging from 11.11% to 21.69%.

Across the bargaining unit, the average pay increase for IAPE-represented employees this year was 4.5%, which seems to have been the overall Dow Jones target increase of payroll expenses.

Out of 1,275 IAPE-represented employees eligible to receive a negotiated pay raise this year, 396 received rate increases in excess of our 3.75% compensatory increase.

Of those 396, reasons for additional pay are as follows:

Minimum Dollar: 276. This means many members were entitled to a pay bump of at least $56.25 per week, because a 3.75% increase was less than that threshold.

Scale: 66. Scale increases boosted pay for these 66 individuals by an average of 7.03% including, for the first time in several years, more than a handful of Reporters. Our revised Reporter Tier literally paid off for 23 of our members, increasing pay by an average of 6.16%. This means our contract is lifting pay more aggressively for members who are paid the least.

Promotions/Title Change: 14

Discretionary: 35

Merit bonuses: TBD. IAPE will receive and review updated, one-off, bonus data at the end of this fiscal quarter.

Merit raises were indeed available this year. If you didn’t get one, management decided you weren’t worth it.

We all like to feel appreciation for going above and beyond for our jobs. If you’re not feeling the love from management (or even if you are), consider using your extra time to help IAPE. Your union will soon be gearing up for our next contract fight in 2027. It seems the best way to get a raise is through our union.

You’re Invited: The NYC Labor Day Parade

IAPE members in the New York and New Jersey area, join your fellow union members on Saturday morning for the New York City Labor Day Parade! We’ll meet up with our union siblings from the Communications Workers of America and the NewsGuild of New York and shout out our support for IAPE and the labor movement.

Our meeting spot and time on Saturday morning: 45th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue at 10:00 a.m. IAPE tees (or your favorite red shirt) are fashion musts. Coffee and bagels will be provided. All are welcome—bring the whole family!

See you Saturday morning!

Our Favorite Holiday!

On behalf of the officers and staff of the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees, best wishes to you, our IAPE-represented employees, and your families, pets, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, for a safe and happy Labor Day weekend. The Union office will be closed on Monday for the holiday—our favorite one of the year!—but will reopen as usual on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

For those of you required to work on Monday, the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones provides you with the right to file for time-and-one-half (1.5X pay) for all regular hours worked on the holiday and double-time (2X pay) for any extra hours worked.

If Monday is typically a day off for you—that is, if you usually have a four-day workweek, or perhaps a Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule—and you have been assigned Labor Day coverage anyway, you are entitled to double-time for all hours worked on Labor Day.

The contract also gives IAPE-represented employees the right to choose a day’s pay or an additional day off for work performed on all holidays after July 3 in any calendar year. If you are assigned a shift on Monday and you want extra pay instead of a day off in lieu of the holiday, please inform your manager.

You may file for your Holiday Pay through Workday. If you have any questions about pay for working on a holiday or receiving your extra day’s pay or day off (again, your choice), please contact the IAPE office.

Happy Labor Day!

We Love a Parade!
Labor Day is a time to pay tribute to the history and contributions of the labor movement, with parades, picnics and rallies held across the country. If you attend a Labor Day celebration in your neighborhood, we would love to see your photos! Send them along to union@iape1096.org, and we will feature them on IAPE social media platforms.

For members in the New York area, watch this space next week for an invitation to join IAPE members—and our NewsGuild and CWA siblings—at the NYC Labor Day Parade, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6. We hope to see you there!

No merit in “no merit:” IAPE wants you to get a raise

We have received reports that managers have been telling IAPE members they can’t get a merit raise this year due to the union contract. 

That’s inaccurate.

Management has in previous years awarded merit raises on top of contractual union raises based on performance. This year is the latest that managers have blamed the union contract for their decision not to hand out merit raises. 

While it may be demoralizing, it is also a reminder that IAPE benefits from member engagement and help. We will need to prepare for the next contract fight in 2027. Apparently, the union contract is still the best way to get a raise. 

Here are some persistent myths about raises: 

Myth: The union sets a limit on raises during contract years. 
Fact: The contract Dow Jones signed with IAPE sets a compensation floor, not a ceiling. Union members spent a year bargaining to make sure we all get at least a small annual pay raise during each year of the contract. Despite what your managers may tell you, Dow Jones has always confirmed to IAPE that employees can discuss discretionary pay raises with management at any time. You should ask for more. 

Myth: There just isn’t any money this year. 
Fact: While Dow Jones can set its budget as it chooses, it’s notable that after a second celebrated year of record profits, they’re telling managers to let people know they set nothing aside for the workers who made it happen. You should ask for more. 

Myth: 2025 union raises just went through so that’s that. 
Fact: Discretionary raises can happen at any time of the year. Maybe even after the next time Almar sends out another record earnings email. You should ask for more. 

Myth: “We all think we deserve a promotion.” 
Fact: Many members have spent the past year learning, growing, experimenting and succeeding in their roles, often taking on more work as departments shrivel with layoffs and restructuring. For those members, promotions aren’t a little treat the company gives out of the goodness of their hearts—they’re recognition of the work that makes this company thrive. You should ask for more. 

Myth: No one is getting a raise 
Fact: Some people are—and good for them! When we support each other in our successes, we all do better. You should ask for more.

To the managers who are repeating these myths, we say: It may come as a surprise to you to learn that the union receives pay data for all IAPE-represented employees each pay period. So it’s pretty easy to figure out when someone receives a merit increase. When the union reports back with the number of discretionary raises this year, we just want to make sure you’re going to stand by your "no merit” statements.

You’d think these myths would have been debunked by now: 

February 18, 2021

May 15, 2024

September 3, 2024

August 6, 2025

We’re Still Worth More

IAPE welcomes the news shared today by Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour. We were pleased to see that the fiscal year that ended June 30 was, as Latour explained, “the best year on record for Dow Jones—a direct result of your hard work and dedication.”

Equally welcome is the news that negotiated contract pay increases—retroactive to July 1— should be included in tomorrow’s pay deposits.

Given the company’s latest record-breaking results, perhaps IAPE members should consider whether to have a conversation with their manager about discretionary pay. Because it’s available. It always is.

Oh sure, some managers will claim, “there’s no merit pay in this department.” And that’s strange, because most Dow Jones job postings for positions available in the United States now include this sentence: “Pay-for-performance is a key element in our strategy to attract, engage, and motivate talented people to do their best work.”

After all, you can’t have your best year on record when people aren’t performing their best work.

So, if you believe your 2025 pay increase is fair and you’re happy with your new rate of pay, we’re happy too. But if you think you’ve gone above and beyond for Dow Jones, and you want to have a chat with your manager about being paid a little extra, you should feel free. As we often remind members: IAPE negotiates pay floors, not pay ceilings. No provision in the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones prevents managers from granting discretionary pay at any time.

During 2023-24 contract negotiations, IAPE members reminded management over and over again: we’re worth more. That’s still true today.

Responding to Reviews: Part Two

Following up on last week’s message concerning the inability to attach responses to 2025 performance evaluations, IAPE has received instructions from Dow Jones on how to submit comments on your review.

For Employees: How to Submit Comments on Your Performance Review

1. Prepare your comments in a Google or Word document.

2. Open a Ticket on Sofi using a request form. Select the “Other” option from the drop-down panel.

3. Attach Your Comments to the request form in a word document where indicated and submit the ticket.

4. Next Steps: A member of the People Operations team will handle your request and will confirm once your comments have been successfully added to your performance review.

The company has also provided a screenshot, below, of the information you should see when you access the Sofi request form.

Dow Jones hopes to implement a process to build post-review comments into the automated system for 2026. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this year’s solution, or your 2025 performance review, please contact IAPE at union@iape1096.org.

The NewsGuild Presents: Journalist Safety Workshop

Any member who has attended IAPE 101 has heard us say it: connecting with and following The NewsGuild—IAPE’s parent union—is a great way to learn about union matters affecting our industry. Another benefit of Guild membership is the opportunity to attend industry-specific trainings designed to protect our jobs and our members.

With that in mind, we are happy to share an invitation to join a TNG Committee to Defend Free Press event on August 4 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Entitled, “Journalist Safety Workshop: Protect Yourself, Protect Your Colleagues, Protect The Free Press,” this Zoom class is designed to equip media workers with the tools, knowledge, and resources to navigate dangerous situations—whether on assignment, online, or in the workplace.

Register to attend at bit.ly/GuildSafety.

Agenda highlights for this workshop include personal stories of journalists covering protests (with a breakout session: How to protect yourself on assignment), a know-your-rights safety training (another breakout session: Protect your union through collective bargaining), lessons from the field: bargaining for press safety at the Southern California News Group, and we’ll end the session with group reflections and discussion.

All Guild members—and that means IAPE members—are welcome. Get your individual invitation by registering at bit.ly/GuildSafety.

Responding to Reviews

Dow Jones has responded to IAPE queries about the inability to submit responses to 2025 performance evaluations, an issue highlighted by the union in a message to members last week.

The Dow Jones HRIS team is working on a process for employees to submit comments in response to this year’s reviews, so they may be preserved in Workday for future reference. Details will be communicated to the union and to staff as soon as they are available.

The company will also implement a system change for next year so that employees can submit comments directly to their evaluations once they are provided by managers.

Contract 101: Compensation
Join IAPE representatives tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EDT for a Contract 101 presentation explaining annual pay increases and all other forms of compensation available under the terms of the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones.

This is a remote class conducted via Zoom. Visit the IAPE Events page to Register.