Sixty Days: IAPE Demands Negotiations

The collective bargaining agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones is set to expire on June 30, 2023. Article XXVI of that agreement states, “Negotiations for the renewal, modification or extension of this contract may be instituted by either party within sixty (60) days prior to its expiration.”

Yesterday, IAPE President Jodi Green delivered to Dow Jones management a notice announcing the union’s intention to negotiate a new contract with Dow Jones. Late yesterday afternoon, Dow Jones responded: “Letter received Jodi. We’ll be in touch with our response.”

IAPE looks forward to a productive season of negotiations toward an agreement addressing the needs of all IAPE-represented employees.

Return to Office: More People, More Days?
This morning, management advised the union it intends to require more employees to work from Dow Jones office space three days per week. With certain exceptions—notably Data Strategy, Finance GFO, most groups within Customer Service and some staff in WSJ Print Services—the company will communicate an expectation for employees to work in-office three days per week.

The union’s Board of Directors is reviewing this announcement, along with company plans to discontinue Covid guidelines and the process for requesting in-office exceptions. Employees will now be required to submit a request for an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Request for Accommodation form.

The union expects to meet and discuss these plans with Dow Jones management very soon.

1211 AOA Desk Space
Last week, IAPE representatives met with WSJ News management and representatives from Dow Jones Legal to hear more details about plans for desk hoteling at the company’s New York offices.

As a result of the loss of space on the ninth floor at 1211 AOA, management has announced plans for New York staff to share desk space, with a requirement to reserve desks in advance using the iOffice portal.

Feedback received from IAPE members working in New York suggests this is a less-than-popular idea.

IAPE has shared with management the overwhelmingly negative responses received through member surveys and has delivered counter-proposals to the company. Those include dedicated desk space for employees with consistent equipment set-up needs due to production or ergonomic requirements, dedicated desk space for employees who consistently work at least three days per week from the office, and an elimination of in-office mandates for News employees involved in production, but not reporting—including publishing editors, platform editors, newsletter editors and rewrite editors.

The union is awaiting a response from the company.

Layoffs . . . Again
As Dow Jones slithers along toward meeting the announced News Corp goal of an elimination of five percent of staff during this calendar year, the company has delivered additional layoff notices to the union.

In addition to the announced slashing of 22 positions on Jan. 11, Dow Jones advised IAPE of four layoffs on Mar. 16 and three position eliminations on Apr. 18. Last Thursday, the company delivered ten new layoff notices to the union.

All recent position eliminations have been logged on the union’s website layoff page. If you have questions about the layoff process, please contact IAPE.