Bargaining Update: Healthcare and Open Enrollment

IAPE and Dow Jones bargaining committees met Tuesday and reviewed a new “select issues” document from the union. IAPE provided counter proposals on salary thresholds to determine minimum dollar pay raises and eligibility to sell vacation time back to the company, and offered to withdraw a proposal to add Indigenous Peoples Day as a contract holiday if management confirms that the day after Thanksgiving will be added to the collective agreement as a permanent holiday for U.S. employees.

IAPE also presented proposals to restrict health care plan changes in 2025 and 2026, rejecting many of the company’s proposals to shift additional costs onto employees for those years. Because management and the union have agreed to keep health care plans confidential, the IAPE document linked above does not contain plan design proposal details for 2025 and 2026.

The union also restated its proposals to limit premium increases for U.S. employees and reject premium hikes for members working in Canada. IAPE updates have previously described how Dow Jones proposals to increase health insurance premiums could significantly boost costs for employees with dependents by the end of the next contract.

Contract talks will shift to discussions of job classifications and tier changes when IAPE and Dow Jones representatives meet again tomorrow. Full contract negotiations will resume next Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Open Enrollment: Be Your Own Pilot
Dow Jones employees working in the U.S received a message today from CPO Dianne DeSevo announcing open enrollment for 2024 benefits. Last year, IAPE warned members about the pitfalls of using “Pilot” as a “decision support tool” to assist in choosing appropriate health care coverage.

IAPE also informed Dow Jones of concerns that, no matter what information was entered into Pilot, members reported never receiving POS II as an insurance option.

IAPE has not received any assurance that the company’s online tool will be any more accurate this year, so we are offering the same caution: don’t rely on Pilot to point you in the right direction. Make your own informed health insurance choice for 2024.