A Year of Challenges and Accomplishments (and Looking Forward to 2021)

This year has been filled with unusual challenges, requiring us all to rise above the adversity 2020 has thrown our way. The same is true for your union.

Before the pandemic, IAPE successfully pushed Dow Jones to permit employees who have taken parental leave to make use of the benefit again without any waiting period. The union also continued to aggressively enforce terms of the 2019-22 collective agreement, with the highest number of grievances in almost a decade filed to protect the rights of IAPE-represented employees.

When offices closed as a result of Covid, IAPE advocated for Dow Jones to provide benefits such as Life/Work Balance leave and the carryover of vacation time into 2021. IAPE proposed changes to the physical fitness benefit to allow reimbursement of expenses for home gym equipment, and continues to insist that Dow Jones negotiate over additional relief proposals for home-office equipment needs, dependent care and internet expenses.

In the midst of all this, IAPE members elected a new slate of officers and leaders to the union’s Board of Directors, and voted in favor of a more equitable union dues structure by eliminating the bi-weekly cap on dues payments.

Your IAPE representatives will continue to build a stronger union in 2021 by reaching out to even more members and by restarting quarterly “location” meetings to check in with all members on a regular basis.

IAPE is also expanding on its training program for union members. Taking what began as conference-room conversations in Princeton and New York, IAPE 101, Contract 101 and Steward 101 sessions will continue to be held via Zoom to reach IAPE members wherever they work.

Meanwhile, IAPE leaders in 2021 plan to conduct a review of the union’s bylaws and update that document as necessary to ensure IAPE operates as efficiently as possible.

As this year of challenges draws to a close, all IAPE representatives offer very best wishes to members everywhere for a peaceful end to 2020 and a brighter 2021.

Performance Evaluations
Dow Jones has introduced a new performance evaluation system intended to provide a different approach to goal setting, and to initiate more-frequent check-in conversations between employees and managers on performance and growth. Annual evaluations will also change from a number-rating system to labels of “thriving,” “performing,” “needs improvement” and “new to role.”

Not changing are requirements for self-evaluations -- which will still be voluntary, but are noted as “strongly encouraged.” Ratings will continue to be assigned by managers, and the visibility of those ratings will remain between employees and their manager(s) and HR.

If you have questions about the new performance evaluation process, please review recent communications from Dow Jones, or contact IAPE at union@iape1096.org.

2021 CWA Scholarship
IAPE’s parent union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), is pleased to announce the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation has approved the awarding of 16 partial college scholarships of $4,000 each for two years. Eligible for the scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year are CWA members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren, including the dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applications are available online for submission on the Foundation’s website at http://cwa-union.org/beirne-application. 

Holiday Hours
The IAPE office will be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25 and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, and will close at noon on Dec. 24 and 31.