IAPE@Work: January 2020 - Training Day
/We hope you had a great holiday and that your new year is off to a wonderful start. We have some fantastic things happening at IAPE in 2020, including a new member training program. We’re excited to help cultivate the next crop of IAPE leaders, which is especially important with an election of officers and directors coming up in the Fall. We hope you’ll join us at a session soon (details below) and, as always, reach out anytime with questions about IAPE or if you have an issue that might require a union rep.
Retro Pay Review
IAPE has completed our annual review of pay increases for all members who were eligible to receive a raise retroactive to July 1, 2019. While we have a few questions for the company about a handful of pay increases, the overwhelming majority of raises appear to have been calculated accurately. We’ll get answers to those questions from the company, and will contact affected employees if we confirm pay raise errors. In the meantime, if you have questions about your raise, please reach out to IAPE Executive Director Tim Martell.
For members who have noticed that their shift differential is still being paid at the old rate, Dow Jones has told us they are working to fix the error in Workday and will pay the difference retroactively to Nov. 17, 2019.
Learn The Contract, Help Build a Better Union
We are piloting a new training program to help our members get a better understanding of how IAPE works and the critical role our members play in ensuring we have a strong contract and union. The sessions will be taught live in New York or Princeton, though any member can join in via Google hangout. See the dates below and RSVP here. Please contact Mobilizing Director Stefanie Frey with any questions.
January 22: IAPE 101 - What is a union? How did I end up in one? What are the benefits of being in a union? How does IAPE work? All of these questions and more will be answered at this new member orientation for those brand new to IAPE and veteran members alike.
January 29: Contract 101 - This deep-dive session will focus on paid time off in all its forms and how to understand pay scales and tiers in our contract. We’ll also go over more information on navigating the rulebook and working with IAPE to make the contract work for you.
February 26: Steward Training - You should attend this after you’ve attended an IAPE 101 class (which will happen quarterly). Learn your role and rights as a steward as well as the best practices to properly represent, advocate, and empower your fellow members.
Looking Into Late Fees
IAPE recently heard from members who have had to pay late fees on their company-issued American Express card, even when filing expenses well before payment is due. We know that our IAPE members in accounting are working hard to process these reports, but we don’t think a $39 penalty makes sense for expense reports that are ultimately approved but delayed in processing. We are hopeful we can help the company identify a solution in the bureaucratic system for filing and approving expenses and will raise this in our Labor Management meeting with Dow Jones on January 23. If you’ve had to pay a late fee related to charges on approved expenses, please let us know by emailing IAPE Executive Director Tim Martell.
Jon Schleuss Elected NewsGuild President
Challenger Jon Schleuss was declared the winner of the NewsGuild’s re-run of its election for President. Schleuss won 1,979 votes compared with 1,514 for incumbent and 12-year Guild President Bernie Lunzer. Of the 3,503 ballots cast, 119 were from IAPE members.
New Year, New IAPE Office
IAPE recently moved offices in Princeton to cut down on operating costs paid from our member dues. The new office is located in Forrestal Village in Princeton. Note the address change for all IAPE business: 116 Village Boulevard, Suite 200, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Our phone number (609) 275-6020 remains the same and you can still always contact us by email at union@iape1096.org.