IAPE @ Work: March - WFH Edition

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IAPE Spring 2020 Board Meeting (grid shot).png

IAPE’s board of directors held its Spring board meeting this weekend via Zoom and addressing member concerns amid the coronavirus crisis was at the top of our agenda. 

Following a discussion among union leaders and taking feedback directly from you, we raised the following items in a meeting with Dow Jones representatives today. 

  • IAPE has requested a $125/month tech allowance for each employee for the duration of the crisis.  

  • We have requested details from Dow Jones on behalf of employees who aren’t able to work a normal workday because they have to care for their child/children. We have recommended the company consider a bank of paid time off for child care, as other employers have implemented. 

  • Many of our members have paid out of pocket for monitors, chairs and other equipment to make working at home easier. We requested the company reimburse employees for at least part of the expenses and develop a cost-sharing plan for those who would like to purchase equipment. 

  • Employees have told us they are unsure of the guidelines to request equipment from the company be sent to their homes. The union has asked the company to prioritize availability of monitors and chairs, and to provide a list of available items and information on how to order to every member. 

  • On behalf of members in media sales, we have also asked the company how sales incentive goals will be considered this year, and have requested that union representatives be included when the company determines next year’s sales goals.

A Normal Work Week in Abnormal Times

We know many of you are working long hours and well beyond a normal work week. We are encouraging members to follow the rules in our contract when filing overtime and comp time. Overtime eligible employees should file for all hours worked above 35 hours a week, as long as the work they are doing has been assigned by a supervisor and the work is expected to be completed that day. Our overtime exempt employees should keep in mind that the contract guarantees them two days off a week. You are eligible to file for comp time for hours worked on those two days and comp time can be cashed out immediately with your manager’s approval and after 30 days regardless. 

As always, if you are facing any push back to receiving compensation that is guaranteed under our collective bargaining agreement, please contact your representative or send an email to union@iape1096.org. 

New Faces on the Board 

We welcomed two new directors to the board, both from our New York office. Ellie Miller, Newsletter and Curation Editor, filled a vacancy for Location Director, NorthEast. Vincent Rickey, Senior Software Engineer, is our new Classification Director for Technology. Visit our website to see a full list of our officers, directors and stewards.

Reminder: IAPE 101 Tomorrow

You need to understand your union rights now more than ever. Join us tomorrow via Google Hangout for a remote session of our IAPE 101 training. In this IAPE primer, We’ll dive into the basics of being in a union at DJ and how IAPE works for you. This union orientation is for those brand new to IAPE and veteran members alike.

When: Wednesday March 25 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Remote by Google Hangout 
RSVP here

IAPE @ Work: February—Setting the Agenda

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We are a full quarter into the new contract and have finally completed ironing out language for negotiated changes with the company. You can find a digital version in the contract section of our website and access the updated job description and scales document there as well. Feel free to reach out to the union office or your representative with questions about the new collective bargaining agreement and stay tuned for hard copies in your location.

Progress on Parental Leave 
Dow Jones employees no longer have to wait a year in between coming back from parental leave before being eligible to take another, a policy change that followed a union request on behalf of an expecting IAPE member. We raised the matter at our labor management meeting with the company in October, and are pleased the company heard our position on the baby blackout period.  

Late Fee Follow Up
At our January meeting, the company confirmed that employees aren’t responsible for late fees on corporate credit cards if they submitted expenses within 30 days of incurring charges. A number of members reached out to request we add the issue to our agenda after having to pay $39 (and more) out of pocket because of administrative delays in approving expense reports. Please reach out to the union office or your representative if you are still having issues. 

Change to Book Leave Policy
You may not have noticed, but the News department recently changed its book leave policy. A reporter “will likely be permanently reassigned” from their beat and return to a new assignment after completing the book leave under changes to the policy made last month. Exceptions will have to come from Matt Murray. We don’t think such a revision is necessary or encouraging to our members who have proven to be leaders on their beats. We also think that policy changes should be announced and made official after consultation with the union. We have shared our concerns with Newsroom management and plan to continue to pass along member feedback about the new policy. 

Pay Reviews 
The IAPE office is asking members seeking a pay review to email payreview@iape1096.org with their requests. You will receive an automatic message confirming that you have been placed in the queue and we will get back to you with an individual analysis within 5 to 7 days. In some cases we may need to reach out to get additional information to complete the review. 

We encourage those who are looking for pay comparisons for a potential job change to reach out before the process has started to allow enough time for us to compile the information. 

As a reminder, we can tell you how your pay stacks up against other people’s, including people who have similar responsibilities, have a comparable number of years of experience, or who work in your location, with gender breakdowns in many cases. We won’t tell you what any other individual makes, but we can tell you how your salary compares to that of at least half a dozen similarly situated employees. For more information, check out Our Guide to Pay at Dow Jones.

Training/Other Upcoming Events
We kicked off our new training program last month and will be keeping it up throughout 2020. We encourage all members to participate in IAPE 101 at least once throughout the year to learn more about the basics of our union and how you can help make us stronger. Join us for the next session on March 25 at 2 p.m. ET by Google Hangout or in person in New York and Princeton. RSVP here. 

We also have some other IAPE events coming up in New York & Princeton. Stay tuned for more details and calendar invites next week. 

March 5 at 5 p.m. - Happy Hour at 1211

March 6 at 12 p.m. - Lunch with IAPE at Princeton 

Notice of IAPE Board Meeting
The Spring meeting of IAPE’s board of directors will be held March 21 and 22 at the NewsGuild of New York’s headquarters in Times Square. Members are encouraged to come for all or part of the weekend and there will be an opportunity for member comment, which can be submitted by email for those who aren’t able to attend in person. If you would like to attend, please email union@iape1096.org with “Board Meeting” in the subject line.

IAPE@Work: January 2020 - Training Day

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We hope you had a great holiday and that your new year is off to a wonderful start. We have some fantastic things happening at IAPE in 2020, including a new member training program. We’re excited to help cultivate the next crop of IAPE leaders, which is especially important with an election of officers and directors coming up in the Fall. We hope you’ll join us at a session soon (details below) and, as always, reach out anytime with questions about IAPE or if you have an issue that might require a union rep.

Retro Pay Review

IAPE has completed our annual review of pay increases for all members who were eligible to receive a raise retroactive to July 1, 2019. While we have a few questions for the company about a handful of pay increases, the overwhelming majority of raises appear to have been calculated accurately. We’ll get answers to those questions from the company, and will contact affected employees if we confirm pay raise errors. In the meantime, if you have questions about your raise, please reach out to IAPE Executive Director Tim Martell.

For members who have noticed that their shift differential is still being paid at the old rate, Dow Jones has told us they are working to fix the error in Workday and will pay the difference retroactively to Nov. 17, 2019.

Learn The Contract, Help Build a Better Union

We are piloting a new training program to help our members get a better understanding of how IAPE works and the critical role our members play in ensuring we have a strong contract and union. The sessions will be taught live in New York or Princeton, though any member can join in via Google hangout. See the dates below and RSVP here. Please contact Mobilizing Director Stefanie Frey with any questions. 

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January 22: IAPE 101 - What is a union? How did I end up in one? What are the benefits of being in a union? How does IAPE work? All of these questions and more will be answered at this new member orientation for those brand new to IAPE and veteran members alike. 

January 29: Contract 101 - This deep-dive session will focus on paid time off in all its forms and how to understand pay scales and tiers in our contract. We’ll also go over more information on navigating the rulebook and working with IAPE to make the contract work for you. 

February 26: Steward Training - You should attend this after you’ve attended an IAPE 101 class (which will happen quarterly). Learn your role and rights as a steward as well as the best practices to properly represent, advocate, and empower your fellow members.

Looking Into Late Fees 

IAPE recently heard from members who have had to pay late fees on their company-issued American Express card, even when filing expenses well before payment is due. We know that our IAPE members in accounting are working hard to process these reports, but we don’t think a $39 penalty makes sense for expense reports that are ultimately approved but delayed in processing. We are hopeful we can help the company identify a solution in the bureaucratic system for filing and approving expenses and will raise this in our Labor Management meeting with Dow Jones on January 23. If you’ve had to pay a late fee related to charges on approved expenses, please let us know by emailing IAPE Executive Director Tim Martell.

Jon Schleuss Elected NewsGuild President

Challenger Jon Schleuss was declared the winner of the NewsGuild’s re-run of its election for President. Schleuss won 1,979 votes compared with 1,514 for incumbent and 12-year Guild President Bernie Lunzer. Of the 3,503 ballots cast, 119 were from IAPE members.

New Year, New IAPE Office

IAPE recently moved offices in Princeton to cut down on operating costs paid from our member dues. The new office is located in Forrestal Village in Princeton. Note the address change for all IAPE business: 116 Village Boulevard, Suite 200, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Our phone number (609) 275-6020 remains the same and you can still always contact us by email at union@iape1096.org.

IAPE@Work: Holiday Edition!

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It’s been more than a month since we wrapped up negotiations and the IAPE office has been busy at work planning ways to keep the momentum going. In New York and Princeton we’ve got holiday parties to close out the year and have some exciting trainings coming in 2020 to educate members on our contract and the union. Remember if you are working the holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day in Canada and New Year’s Day) that you can file for holiday pay and will also receive an extra day off. (For holidays worked from July through the end of the year, you can request an extra day’s pay instead of the day off.) Thank you again for all your support during Bargaining 2019. We hope to see our New York & Princeton members next week, otherwise we’ll see you all in the new year!

Ratification Bonus, Retro Pay Update

We are happy to report that the $700 ratification bonus for full time members, prorated for part time, and retro pay should be in your Dec. 19 paycheck. Members hired before May 1 will receive an increase of 2%, and more for those eligible for minimum-dollar and scale increases, going back to July 1. We will be reviewing increases for all members and will reach out individually if we spot a calculation error. We are finalizing our full contract language with Dow Jones and should have a final version in the new year. We will post an indexed, searchable version to the IAPE site and will have printed booklets for members as well.

Strengthening by Learning: A New IAPE Training Program

An important way to keep the momentum up post-negotiations is to spend time on member education. We are launching a three part program with something for everyone. There will be sessions happening at least monthly in New York, Princeton, and now by Google Hangout as well! 

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The three classes: 

  • IAPE 101: This class is the perfect orientation for those brand new to IAPE and veteran members alike. 

  • Contract Class: Go in-depth on our contract to make it work for you. Learn about rules surrounding extra pay, scheduling, your rights at work and more. 

  • Steward Training: If you kept up during bargaining and have been thinking of getting more involved, join us for a new steward training!

Advocating for Your Workplace Issues

In October, IAPE members working in the Dallas office reached out the union after being told by management they would lose free parking because of the company’s decision to move to a new, cheaper, office space. We didn’t think it was fair that our members would have to pay out of pocket because of the company’s decision to save money on rent. We immediately filed a grievance and the company restored paid parking in November. 

IAPE leaders meet with Dow Jones representatives monthly to discuss issues our members are facing in the workplace and we need your help to make sure we have a robust agenda.

We have brought concerns regarding office space, desk moves, food options in the cafeteria and more seriously, raised questions about problematic managers, denial of benefits and disciplinary matters. If there is a topic that you think is worth raising with the company, please get in touch with a director or steward in your location to discuss. 

We also make regular inquiries for Dow Jones employees who think they are being incorrectly excluded from the union. The standard for being classified in the union is based mostly on duties rather than title and we encourage members to let us know if they observe title discrepancies in their departments. 

NewsGuild Election Ballot Deadline on Monday

Ballots for the NewsGuild’s election for president must be received in the by the American Arbitration Association’s mailbox in New York by Monday, December 9, to be counted. 

The NewsGuild, the parent union of IAPE, is re-running an election held earlier this year between incumbent Bernie Lunzer and challenger Jon Schleuss.

If you were a dues-paying member of IAPE in June, July or August, you should have received a ballot to your home address sometime in late October. 

For more information, check our our elections page on the IAPE website. Or contact the elections committee at iape.elections-committee@iape1096.org

Upcoming Holiday Events

1211: IAPE Holiday Cocktail Hour

When: Wednesday December 11 from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Impact Meeting Room - 9th floor

Stop by and please feel bring a favorite holiday sweet treat to share! We’ll provide wine, beer, sparkling water as well as some snacks. 

Princeton: IAPE Holiday Dessert Potluck

When: Thursday December 12 @ 2:30 p.m.
Where: CoLab Meeting Room

Stop by and bring a favorite holiday sweet treat to share! (We're asking everyone to bring at least two dozen servings.) Let us know what you are bringing ahead of time here: https://forms.gle/N2FSuwo6Fnqn4jQR9 We’ll provide coffee, tea, and hot cocoa as well as a few treats of our own to share!

IAPE@Work: November 2019 - Two Important Ballots

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2019 Contract Ratification

Members in NY on T-shirt Tuesday - October 29, 2019

Members in NY on T-shirt Tuesday - October 29, 2019

The bargaining committee and the board have both approved a tentative agreement for a new contract with Dow Jones and now it’s your time to decide. The majority of our nearly 1,300 members will have the opportunity to vote yes or no on this agreement before it goes into effect. The board and committee think this represents the best deal possible from Dow Jones and encourage you to vote “yes.”  If you vote yes, the contract goes into effect; if you vote no, the bargaining committee will have to go back to the table.

Important Ratification Dates: 

  • Ballots sent out to members’ Dow Jones email: November 11, 2019

  • Ballots due back: November 17, 2019 by 12:00 p.m. ET

  • Results announcement: November 18, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. ET

Please check out the newly created Contract Summary & FAQ on our website for more information. The document also includes details on the ratification vote, times for Q&A meetings as well as links to the full Memorandum of Agreement and the Notice of the Ratification Vote. All three of these documents can now be found at www.iape1096.org under “Ratification 2019”. 

The NewsGuild 2019 Presidential Elections

You should have received a white envelope reading “Rerun Election for President of the Newsguild-CWA.” The NewsGuild, the parent union of IAPE, is re-running an election held earlier this year between incumbent Bernie Lunzer and challenger Jon Schleuss. Ballots arrived to most folks throughout the weeks of October 21 & 28. 

Here are some instructions on how to vote:

  • Contained in the envelope is a ballot, which you will find at the bottom section of the long blue sheet and reads “Official Ballot.” 

  • You can separate the ballot from the rest of the sheet, check the name of your desired candidate and place the ballot in the envelope labeled “Secret Ballot.”

  • Take the “Secret Ballot” envelope and place it in the blue pre-addressed envelope provided. 

  • Seal the blue envelope and SIGN THE BACK where the signature line appears. No postage is necessary to mail the ballot.

Votes will be tallied on Tuesday, December 10.

If you have any questions, or if you may have received a ballot and mistakenly thrown it away, please contact the IAPE Elections Committee at IAPE.Election-Committee@iape1096.org. And you can visit our election page for more information about eligibility and for background on the race and the candidates. 

IAPE@Work: October 2019 - IAPE Directors Meet to Discuss Budget, Bargaining

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IAPE directors at the NewsGuild of New York headquarters in Times square, sept. 28, 2019.

IAPE directors at the NewsGuild of New York headquarters in Times square, sept. 28, 2019.

 Your dues money keeps IAPE running and, importantly, has helped the bargaining committee take a strong stance in negotiations with the company this year. Over the last weekend of September, your board of directors approved a new budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair Joe Walker, a health care reporter in New York, and IAPE leadership have worked hard to cut costs where possible. IAPE will be moving operations to a new office in Princeton at the end of this year, expected to save several thousands of dollars a year. We will continue to look at our fixed expenses, including our overhead, so we can keep investing in our membership and our contract.

IAPE in the last fiscal year received approval for a grant from The NewsGuild for our bargaining campaign which has covered the cost of our new IAPE swag and included generous support to allow us to hire Mobilizing Director Stefanie Frey.

Bargaining was also at the top of the agenda for our directors, and we discussed strategy in light of the company’s disappointing offer for 2% raises last week.

We don’t think a status quo raise that our members have swallowed for eight years is acceptable this time around, and it’s clear from the responses we have gotten from members on sacrifices they have made because of low wage increases that 2% isn’t acceptable to you either.  

The bargaining committee is using this week to formulate our response to the company’s latest proposal, which we will present to Dow Jones representatives when we are back at the table next week.

We need you to keep showing your support for the bargaining committee so we can secure the contract our members deserve. Stay tuned for events and in-person updates in your location.

A Reminder on NewsGuild Elections

IAPE’s parent union, The NewsGuild International, is holding a re-run for its election for president. Incumbent Bernie Lunzer will again face challenger Jon Schleuss of the Los Angeles Times.

IAPE members eligible to vote in the election will soon start receiving ballots to their home addresses and votes will be counted in New York December 9. Visit our election page for more information and background on the race and the candidates. Reach out to IAPE’s election committee if you have questions about you eligibility status, voting or the election.