DJ Ends RTO Discussions

Company Imposes Plans For In-Office Work; IAPE Amends Labor Board Complaint

Dow Jones has informed IAPE it will implement return to office plans for its various business units, despite not reaching negotiated agreements over those plans with the union.

This latest move by the company is the most recent in a disturbing chain of events indicating Dow Jones management never intended to negotiate in good faith over RTO issues. As a result, IAPE has amended a complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board in April, alleging that the company’s unilateral imposition of in-office plans is unlawful.

In a June 2 letter addressed to IAPE president Jodi Green, the company blamed the union for being “unwilling to reach agreement” over mandatory in-office work assignments and said, “We are surprised at the union’s willingness to disregard the progress we have made.”

Let’s look at the facts:

In February of this year, CEO Almar Latour and CPO Dianne DeSevo announced the company’s intention to impose a “hybrid” working model before Dow Jones made a single proposal to the union. Some Dow Jones managers began communicating details of those plans even before IAPE and Dow Jones held their first negotiation session—a detail that prompted the union’s NLRB complaint—and as IAPE and Dow Jones were meeting and negotiating over business unit plans, Editor In Chief Matt Murray announced return dates for Wall Street Journal newsroom staff.

Meanwhile, IAPE continually pressed Dow Jones for details about return to work plans. Files provided to the union were marked “confidential” and “not for team distribution.” Dow Jones balked at IAPE proposals to include these documents in any eventual RTO agreement and refused to modify its plans for in-office days for several business units.

Even in the newsroom, when IAPE members heard Matt say management had a plan to begin in-person work in July with two days per week and then increase to three days per week “hopefully, by the end of the year,” Dow Jones informed IAPE its position remained unchanged: two days per week in July and three days per week in August.

To the union, this is a matter of law. Section 8(d) of the National Labor Relations Act requires employers and labor organizations to “meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.” By imposing business unit plans that appear to have been predetermined, IAPE believes Dow Jones has failed to meet these obligations.

The company has informed IAPE it will not implement some agreements reached during RTO negotiations—including severance pay for employees whose requests for remote work assignments are declined. It does plan to retain the vaccination policy announced to staff last month.

The union intends to continue bargaining over RTO issues when negotiations for a new contract begin later this month. We hope Dow Jones arrives at the table as a willing partner in that process.

In the meantime, especially if you are a Media Sales or WSJ News employee, comply with instructions from your management team and report to your office when required (for News: that’s July 11th). For members in other business units, in-office work remains voluntary until your RTO plan begins. Please deliver your RTO or contract questions to union@iape1096.org. 

Reminder: Get Your Code For Free IAPE Stuff
Members, remember to submit your request form to receive a promo code for a free IAPE t-shirt, button and water bottle. This is the only way to request and receive free IAPE merchandise this year—WE WON’T BE GIVING AWAY ITEMS AT DOW JONES OFFICES.

See yesterday’s member note for details, and act quickly. Orders must be submitted by June 22nd!