Contract 2019: Now You Decide
/IAPE’s board of directors has approved a tentative agreement for a new contract that was hammered out Thursday night between Dow Jones representatives and our bargaining committee. Now the majority of our nearly 1,300 members will have to approve the deal, and we ask you to vote “yes.”
Hundreds of members signed our open letter, displayed their “Quality News” shirts, changed their desktop and social icons, and most importantly showed up for their union by participating in breaks, meetings and other activities. Your support was crucial during negotiations and we thank you for it.
The end result of nearly five months of negotiations is a hard-fought compromise. Breaking the mold on 2% guaranteed raises and winning a bonus consideration in the out years are major achievements for IAPE. The committee is disappointed we weren’t able to push the company off of 2% for 2019, but we are pleased to have agreed on a ratification bonus that will be equitably distributed among our members.
Dow Jones has rewarded managers when the company is performing well and now union members will also have the opportunity to see more in their paychecks when times are good. While we are not satisfied that we weren’t able to prevail in our fight to have a higher portion of our compensation package count as compounding raises, we think increases of up to 2.75% and 3% including bonus potential in the final two years of our agreement are clear victories. We will build on these wins in future rounds of negotiations.
The company started negotiations seeking to eliminate the cost of living adjustment provision in our contract. We successfully held them back and have allowed slight adjustments to account for the bonus lump sums. Ensuring our members are earning wages that keep pace with the cost of living while working in the world’s most expensive cities will demand vigilance, and your engagement, in every contract cycle.
Health care is another significant part of compensation and we achieved a cost freeze for next year for U.S. members. We made significant gains with job security, limiting the company’s use of temporary workers and for enhanced guarantees when work is transferred between departments or locations. The company agreed to advise members of their right to union representation prior to disciplinary meetings. And we forced the company to withdraw its proposal to end our fitness reimbursement benefit in favor of the intrusive Virgin Pulse program.
We had to offer concessions and compromises along the way, and when pulling back on the added protections we were seeking for retirement benefits and in the event Dow Jones is sold, we assured the company it will hear from us if there are changes in these areas. We failed in our second attempt to get photo editors classified as union employees though are glad to clarify in our contract that columnists working in news should be included in the union. We will continue to hold the company to our agreement that job functions, and not titles, determine union status.
Overall, we think this represents the best deal possible before our contract extension expired on October 31. We have made important strides in a number of areas that will make a real difference for members. There is more work to be done, and IAPE is on the right path for stronger negotiations and even better contracts in the future. We plan on getting started right away and will make sure you know how you can help the union advocate for your concerns well ahead of the next bargaining cycle through our regular monthly meetings with the company.
We will be sending information on the ratification vote this week and please stay tuned for details for meetings to discuss our new agreement. An outline of our achievements are below.
Summary of Achievements and Highlights:
Pay/Compensation
Annual Raises
| Base Salary Increase | Minimum Weekly Salary Increase | Bonus Lump Sum* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retro to July 1, 2019 | 2% | $20 | $700 |
| Effective July 1, 2020 | 2.25% | $22.50 | 0.5% |
| Effective July 1, 2021 | 2.5% | $25 | 0.5% |
*The lump sum for 2019 represents a ratification bonus for full-time members that will be prorated for part-time employees. The lump sum in 2020 and 2021 is a target based on the company performance component of the management bonus pool. The company will provide the union with information on the how much the pool has been funded in a given year (from 0% to 200%). Funding at 100% will result in a payout of 0.5% of salary for members, at 90% it would be 0.45%, at 110% it would be .55%, etc. The total compensation in a year will be used to determine other contractual protections that ensure that IAPE members are being paid commensurate with the cost of living and receiving raises in line with non-union staff.
Other compensation highlights:
We negotiated restructured pay scales for reporters, IT staff and 11 other titles meaning higher minimum starting salaries and guaranteed raises for more members. We started with an ambitious proposal to reset the entire pay scale system and have every title placed in a minimum salary tier. We will continue our work in increasing pay equity and transparency at Dow Jones.
IAPE members who receive a promotion after May 1 will now also receive the July 1 raise
Shift differential will increase to $140 weekly from $120 upon ratification
Stand-by pay in a regular week will increase as follows, with corresponding adjustments to daily and holiday rates.
| Stand-by Pay | OT Eligible | OT Exempt |
|---|---|---|
| Current | $180 | $220 |
| On Ratification | $205 | $245 |
| 7/1/21 | $215 | $255 |
Health Care and Benefits
IAPE secured a freeze on 2020 premiums and health care plan costs for employees in the United States. For years 2021 and 2022, IAPE negotiated hard limits on premium and plan cost increases.
Members in Canada will continue to have premium-free basic health care options, but will see an increase in monthly premiums for comprehensive coverage of 4%. That translates to increases between $0.53 and $1.74 for medical coverage and $0.22 to $1.32 for dental coverage.
IAPE members will keep the $600/year fitness reimbursement benefit
Job security
IAPE members will no longer have to re-apply and will have the automatic right to a job when it moves between departments or locations, avoiding situations like the layoffs and reapplications that resulted from the 2015 reorganization of the Wall Street Journal’s Personal Finance section and Greater New York the year after
We achieved a 12-month limit on temporary workers hired through staffing agencies, with an extension to 18 months in limited cases for certain projects
Telecommuters required by the company to relocate to exercise seniority will have 30 days to make the decision, up from 10, and an additional 60 days to move and will have moving expenses covered by the company.
Employees under lay off notice will have priority consideration over non employees for job openings for which they are qualified. The priority status will continue for 30 days for employees not able to find a position before their separation date.
Comp Time
The union and the company agreed to move to an all-comp time system for work performed by overtime-expect employees on a scheduled day off.
Comp time is calculated at time-and-a-half, and can be cashed out by filing electronically after 30 days or immediately with manager approval.
We were able to eliminate the need to come into the office, but not the two-hour threshold, for earning time.
Scheduling, Vacations, Holiday Pay
Members who work a holiday after July 3 can cash out the extra day earned for cash
Family Day in Ontario is now a contract-recognized holiday
Managers must respond to vacation requests within two weeks (with allowances for past department practice for holiday scheduling)
Managers must give 30 days notice before changing a full-time employee’s permanent schedule, an added two weeks from the previous contract
Clarification that reporters on Sunday duty are not required to be on stand-by for Saturday assignments and will not be penalized for being unavailable
For Members in Sales
The company agreed to provide a written explanation of changes to incentive plan design
It will also provide incentive plan participants with a calculator so they can track progress towards goals
Union Administration and Contract Enforcement
Union members called into a disciplinary meeting will be told clearly the nature of the meeting, be given three hours notice to find a representative and receive written information on how to find a rep.
IAPE won the right for an easier process to organize new members
The company agreed to our request to provide better information on our members to cut down on administrative work and allow the Union office more time to focus on members