Bargaining Update: This Seems Like a One-Way Street

IAPE representatives received a new proposal from Dow Jones on health care coverage during a short bargaining session yesterday in Princeton. While the details—responses to IAPE counter proposals on cost shifting in plan design for calendar years 2025 and 2026—are marked “confidential,” the message from the company was still the same:

Since health care costs have increased, and because the company health insurance plan is designed to require cost sharing between Dow Jones and its employees, the company continues to take the position that employees should pay more of those costs.

This philosophy seems limited to the subject of health care. As we all know, “Dow Jones has doubled its profitability over the last four years” and is more profitable than it has ever been since being acquired by News Corp in 2007. Yet, Dow Jones continues to propose 3% wage increases per year for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Shouldn’t employees share in the company’s successes, too?

IAPE and Dow Jones return to the bargaining table tomorrow with a virtual meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. EDT. If you are interested in joining tomorrow’s meeting as an observer, see your email for a registration link.

Contract Extended
IAPE and Dow Jones did agree to extend the current collective agreement through Dec. 31, unless a successor agreement is negotiated before that time. All terms and conditions of the current contract between IAPE and Dow Jones will remain in effect through the end of this year.