Session 26: Pressing On
/After heated talks between the parties last week over wages, IAPE’s bargaining committee and Dow Jones representatives spent yesterday’s session ironing out details for our few other remaining items.
We discussed language on our proposals for relocation assistance for employees who are required to move at the company’s request, on temporary worker restrictions and protections when job functions are transferred to different departments or locations.
We also restated our proposal for annual raises—3.25% in 2019, 3.5% in 2020 and 3.75% in the final of our three-year contract—while reasserting that the elimination of the cost of living adjustment provision is unacceptable to the union.
This week, Dow Jones employees will be receiving details for annual open enrollment, so we are now able to share that we achieved a cost freeze for 2020 and reached agreement on caps to increases for each component of cost-sharing for the final two years of our contract. Our push for higher annual compensatory increases for the next contract takes into account our achievements at the table with health care.
IAPE members across our locations yesterday showed that we are the company’s greatest asset. We sacrificed in the last contract and ask the company to recognize IAPE members’ contributions now that we are in better times.
We ask that you continue to show your support for the bargaining committee in our fight for a fair contract and against a wage proposal from the company’s wage that doesn’t keep pace with the cost of living.
Stay tuned to our campaign updates and watch your inbox for information on future actions.