IAPE, Dow Jones Trade Day One Proposals

Representatives from IAPE and Dow Jones opened 2023 contract negotiations on Tuesday and traded initial proposals for a new collective bargaining agreement. Not surprisingly, the differences between the respective opening positions are stark and significant.

IAPE negotiators—President Jodi Green, VP Laura Casey, Directors Jess Bravin, Doug Cameron, Patricia Corley, Ted Mann, and Ariana Vera, and staffers Kaitlyn Frarey and Tim Martell—presented a proposal document seeking improvements in almost all areas of the contract, including a 15% wage increase in the first year of the deal. That first-year figure, in line with the recent contract agreement at the New York Times Co., is intended to make up for ground lost to inflation over the past two years and maintain Dow Jones as an industry-leading workplace.

The union package focused on improving seniority protections, called for a cap of three mandatory in-office working days for the life of the contract, and proposed new contract language defining book and other derivative rights for employee-created work and protections against advancements in artificial intelligence. The union also introduced proposals addressing member concerns regarding the coverage of specific healthcare services including doula coverage, increased mental health coverage, and support for seeking gender-affirming and reproductive care.

Simply put, it is a proposal for contract enhancements and protection from inflation that IAPE-represented employees deserve.

On the other hand, Dow Jones proposed clawing back many of the benefits and rights our members have won in past years and rely upon today.

The company presented a disappointing and unrealistic package calling for the elimination of cost-of-living provisions, along with proposals to give management unilateral power to reduce health benefits and increase premiums, limit parental and child-care leave, and cut severance pay, among other items. The company proposal package also reintroduced a proposal the union has seen before, to use what it calls “merit-based criteria to determine layoffs,” at its sole discretion, effectively eliminating members' earned seniority rights. Dow Jones's proposals would significantly erode many of the protections of previous contracts and leave employees more vulnerable to the whims of their managers.

Dow Jones made no offer on wages in its initial proposal. However, company representatives at the bargaining table took exception to IAPE’s wage proposal when the union cited the recent Times Guild and New York Times agreement as a benchmark.

IAPE members can follow along with all proposals during negotiations by visiting the union’s Contract ’23 webpage.

Negotiations will resume in Princeton on June 21, with virtual meetings planned for June 22, 27 and 29. In the meantime, the bargaining committee will be working on responses to company proposals and will finalize additional proposals around job classifications, health and safety, and DEI.

What do you think of management’s first proposal? We’d love to know! Email us your feedback at union@iape1096.org.