Investing in Equity: The Numbers; Debate Reminder, Covid Impact Negotiations

Investing in Equity: The Numbers
By now the overwhelming majority of members have personally heard from an IAPE steward about the campaign to eliminate the cap on our dues so that everyone contributes the same 0.7% rate of their pay for union representation. IAPE’s dues rate is the lowest among our peers by nearly half, and the dues cap has created a structure where lower paid members pay a higher portion of their wages to IAPE. Anyone who currently makes less than $81,862 a year, about 44% of our membership, will not see a change to their dues if this measure passes. About one-third of those who will be affected would see an increase of less than $5 per pay period. (See the dues calculator to see how you would be affected.) Eliminating the dues cap is about each union member paying a fair share. The board is strongly encouraging a YES vote. 

IAPE Presidential Debate on Thursday
The IAPE Elections Committee is holding a debate between candidates for union president Jodi Green and Stephen Nakrosis on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET via Zoom. Members can register for the debate on the IAPE events page. Meeting information will be emailed to registered attendees via calendar invite the day before the event. Registration will remain open until the debate starts. Members who aren’t able to attend can submit questions for the candidates to the Elections Committee. Visit the elections page for more information on the debate and the candidates.  

Covid Impact Negotiations Tuesday 
IAPE and Dow Jones representatives are scheduled to meet tomorrow afternoon and we expect to receive the company’s response to our proposals requesting added dependent care support, a broadband allowance for all employees, an increased equipment allowance and expansion of reimbursable items under the physical fitness program. 

We appreciate all the members who have used the feedback form to share personal experiences about the specific issues they are facing while working from home during the pandemic. These stories are especially important for IAPE to represent at the table as we push for more support for the expenditures people are making to continue to do the best work they can for Dow Jones. Stay tuned for an update after the meeting.

Did You Get Your Ballot? 
The American Arbitration Association mailed ballots for the 2020 IAPE referenda—the election of a new president and the elimination of the dues cap—Oct. 5 via mail to eligible members (those who were paying dues as of Sept. 21). Ballots must be returned to AAA’s headquarters in New York by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 4. to be counted. IAPE WILL NOT HANDLE ANY BALLOTS OR REQUESTS FOR BALLOTS. Voters with missing or damaged ballots should contact AAA’s Duplicate Hotline 1-800-529-5218 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to request replacements. This number is to be utilized only for duplicate ballot requests. Members may also make requests by emailing requests to Sacha Ulerio at ulerios@adr.org. Questions about voter eligibility can be directed to IAPE’s elections committee. 

Ballots are due back to AAA by Nov. 4. In previous emails, we erroneously listed Nov. 5 as the ballot deadline, which is the date AAA will begin counting returned ballots. 

Investing in Equity: Your Dues Money at Work

As we’ve been talking to members about the dues referendum, some people are learning for the first time that IAPE is a professional operation with staff, a budget and affiliation to larger international unions The NewsGuild and Communications Workers of America. 

Your dues help fund collective bargaining, which in 2019 resulted in a compensatory increase of more than 2% for the first time in a decade, among other important enhancements. 

Your dues also help IAPE negotiate with Dow Jones in between bargaining through the grievance procedure to ensure that our contract remains strong. This is a crucial part of the union process and requires time, resources and legal advice to have a successful grievance strategy. Currently, the union is challenging a number of critical issues such as the improper exclusion of non union employees, suspected retaliation and failure to follow through on promised sales incentives. 

Eliminating the IAPE dues cap would result in a net annual increase in IAPE operational funds of approximately $115,000. The funds added to IAPE’s operating budget from the dues cap removal would go towards hiring a full-time professional staff employee to serve members, defend our contract and help prepare for an even stronger contract campaign in 2022.

The cap to our dues made sense when there was a complimentary cap for the union’s highest earners for the contractually obligated annual raises. Until 2007, those in the top 4% of pay only received 85% of the negotiated raise.

Unfortunately we haven’t kept pace on equity where our dues are concerned, which is why the board strongly encourages a “YES” vote  when you get your ballot.

Demanding Urgency on Covid Benefits

Demanding Urgency on Covid Benefits
On Friday IAPE’s board presented Dow Jones representatives with a detailed proposal outlining our demands for added dependent care support, a broadband allowance for all employees, an increased equipment allowance and expansion of reimbursable items under the physical fitness program. 

The expenses to set up a functional and efficient work space have far eclipsed the $150 equipment allowance for many of our members, while others unable to bear the upfront costs have been making do with inadequate and unsafe work setups. Other solutions provided by the company, such as the work-life leave and Bright Horizons Crisis Care option for a few months, have not been sufficient to meet the needs of employees who have to care for children or adult dependents while meeting their work obligations.

We have encouraged the company to respond to our proposal with urgency. Please continue to share your stories about your needs in the pandemic. 

Ballots Mailed Today
The American Arbitration Association will send ballots for the 2020 IAPE referenda—the election of a new president and the elimination of the dues cap—today via mail to eligible members (those who were paying dues as of Sept. 21). Ballots must be returned to AAA’s headquarters in New York by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 4. to be counted. IAPE WILL NOT HANDLE ANY BALLOTS OR REQUESTS FOR BALLOTS. Voters with missing or damaged ballots will be directed to request replacements by calling AAA’s Duplicate Hotline 1-800-529-5218 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This number is to be utilized only for duplicate ballot requests. Members may also make requests by emailing requests to Sacha Ulerio at ulerios@adr.org. Voters are asked not to call prior to Oct. 12 to allow sufficient time for the delivery of all ballots.

Questions about voter eligibility can be directed to IAPE’s elections committee. 

Steward Training this Week! IAPE is always looking to add to its steward ranks and in Steward 101 you’ll learn your role and rights as a steward as well as the best practices to properly represent, advocate, and empower your fellow members. Register here to attend this class and to see upcoming training opportunities..

Investing in Equity: Paying the Same Share; Meet the Candidates

Investing in Equity: Paying the Same Share

To ensure that every IAPE-represented employee pays the same share of their wages for union representation, IAPE’s board of directors is asking members to vote YES on the question of whether to remove the current cap on our dues. 

IAPE’s dues assessment of 0.7% of gross pay per pay period is the lowest among our industry peers and the $22.04 cap has resulted in the union’s lowest paid members paying a greater share of their wages for union representation. 

The board isn’t seeking to change the 0.7% rate, only to remove the cap to bring equity to our dues. Anyone making less than $81,862 a year will see no change to the amount of dues paid to the union if this measure passes. (You can see how your dues will be affected with our Dues Calculator.)

Any future change to the dues structure would require the same process: approval by a two-thirds majority of the board and approval of a majority of our members voting in a secret ballot according to IAPE’s bylaws.

Eligible members will begin receiving ballots by mail from the American Arbitration Association starting Monday Oct. 5. Ballots will be due back to AAA’s headquarters in New York by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 4.

Meet the Candidates

Along with the proposal to remove the dues cap, eligible members will make their choice for the union’s next president, the only contested position for the union’s next slate of leaders, on the same paper ballot from AAA. 

Candidates Jodi Green of Princeton and Stephen Nakrosis of New York have been updating members on their visions for the future of IAPE on our elections blog. See the latest posts from the candidates and find times to meet them yourself.

IAPE @ Work: Back to the Table

Back to the Table on Covid Benefits; Board Sets Budget for New FY 

IAPE’s board of directors today sent Dow Jones representatives a request for negotiations for enhanced assistance to address the added costs and burdens our members are experiencing as a result of working from home for months.

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Members of IAPE's board, staff and legal counsel at the Fall board meeting Saturday Sept. 26. Not all participants are photographed.

IAPE’s leaders convened over the weekend for the Fall board meeting and the feedback from every corner of our membership is that the $150 equipment allowance Dow Jones offered in the spring covered only a very small portion of the out of pocket expenses required to work effectively from home. While we appreciate the Work-Life leave benefit the company created after the union made a request for a separate bank of paid time off to use in the pandemic, our members caring for dependents while simultaneously working are in need of more support to meet the new and unexpected costs caused by Covid-19. 

Dow Jones has repeatedly asked “How Are You?” since the start of the pandemic—sending out four separate surveys to find out what the union has been telling them for months. Unfortunately, none of the answers given by members—or whatever insight gained from a benefits consultant engaged by the company—appear to have changed the company’s response on work-from-home and caregiving expenses.  

If you are incurring additional costs please fill out this form. We don’t have to use your name but we do want to be sure the company hears what kind of expenditures people are making to continue to do the best work they can for Dow Jones.

The board also set the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1 and had a detailed discussion about IAPE’s finances and spending over the past year. You can find the new budget and information about IAPE’s finances from previous years on our website. 

Watch Your Mail for the IAPE Ballot

IAPE members this year will decide on two important matters: the next president of the union and whether to approve the elimination of our dues cap.

Those eligible to vote in these referenda (those who were paying dues by Sept. 21) will be receiving a paper ballot from the American Arbitration Association starting Monday Oct. 5. Ballots will be due back to AAA’s headquarters in New York by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 4.

Questions about voter eligibility can be sent to the elections committee or Kirstin Horn. Voters with missing or damaged ballots will be directed to request replacements by calling AAA’s Duplicate Hotline 1-800-529-5218 Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This number is to be utilized only for duplicate ballot requests. Members may also make requests by emailing requests to Sacha Ulerio at ulerios@adr.org. Voters are asked not to call prior to Oct. 12 to allow sufficient time for the delivery of all ballots.

An IAPE Welcome to Our Intern

IAPE’s first ever intern, Kirstin Horn, joined the virtual front-office earlier this month. Kirstin will focus on welcoming new members, enhancing our steward network and will assist in managing our member information. Kirstin is a senior at Cornell University completing a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations. She is completing her honor's thesis researching unionized political campaigns and serves as president for Cornell's Shakespeare Troupe.

You can meet Kirstin at the IAPE training sessions happening next month:

• Steward Training on Oct. 7, 2 p.m. ET. 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.

• IAPE 101 on Oct. 28, 2 p.m. ET. 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. 

Register here to attend.

Investing in Equity: IAPE Dues Vs. Peers; Election News and Board Meeting Notice

Why Vote Yes: IAPE Dues Vs. Industry Peers

Since the launch of our campaign to remove the dues cap earlier this month, IAPE members have been getting involved by attending town halls and talking to our stewards to learn how IAPE puts dues money to work. The IAPE board encourages members to vote YES to remove the cap, which results in lower paid members contributing a higher portion of their wages towards union dues. This measure will be on the ballot along with our election for the next union president. 

In addition to creating an equitable dues structure, another compelling reason to vote yes is a comparison of how our dues stack up when compared with our industry peers across the country.

IAPE currently assesses its dues at a rate of 0.7% of gross, regular pay—a number that is not changing with this referendum. How does that rate compare to other media guilds? See for yourself:

Our rate is nearly half of that of the New York Guild and Los Angeles Guild, and less than half of our peers in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and the Pacific Media Workers. 

With this vote, IAPE is hoping to remove its current $22.04 biweekly cap. We believe it will bring equity to our dues structure and provide investment in the future of the union and a stronger contract in the next round of bargaining. 

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If you missed our town hall meetings last week, fill out this Google form to schedule a session with an IAPE officer or steward to learn more about the proposal.

Read our summary and FAQ of the proposal for more information, and feel free to calculate how your dues might be affected by the proposal with our handy calculator. 

Voting Starts Next Month 

On Oct. 5, ballots to vote on both the dues cap referendum and the next IAPE president will be mailed to home addresses of members in good standing. Members will decide between Jodi Green, Content Ops Specialist in Princeton, and Stephen Nakrosis, Rewrite Editor in New York, to serve as their next union president. 

Check out statements from both candidates on our elections page to hear about their visions for the future of IAPE. 

Board of Directors Meeting

The IAPE Board of Directors will hold its final meeting of this term of office this Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 10 a.m. ET. Directors will discuss current union matters and will set a budget for the next IAPE fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This meeting is open to all IAPE members; please email union@iape1096.org to receive a Zoom invitation. 

If you aren’t able to join us you may deliver comments via email, which will be read (with your permission, of course) into the record. Please feel free to submit comments to union@iape1096.org.

Contract 101 on Wednesday

Sign Up to learn more about the job security provisions in our collective bargaining agreement. IAPE will hold our Contract 101 class Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET. This class features a rotating topic and this week we’ll be diving into just cause, seniority and much more. Registration for this class is open to all IAPE members—see our events page for details.

Notification of Referenda to Remove IAPE Dues Cap

Dear IAPE Members, 

The board of Directors of IAPE Local 1096 recommends and presents for membership vote the removal of the $22.04 cap to the bi-weekly dues assessment effective with the first pay deposit in January. 

This change requires approval of the majority of members voting in a secret ballot, as outlined in Article XVII, Section A of the union’s bylaws, and will be decided along with the election of officers and directors in the Fall.  

IAPE’s dues assessment of 0.7% of bi-weekly dues is the lowest among our peers, nearly half of what our counterparts at The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and many other news organizations pay for union representation. Removing the cap, which results in the lower paid members contributing a higher portion of their pay towards dues, is a matter of equity. About 44% of our members would see no change to their dues if this measure is passed. Of those affected, about a third would see an increase of less than $5 per pay period. Going forward, individual dues payments for all members would be adjusted as members’ pay rates increase.

The funds added to IAPE’s operating budget from the dues cap removal would go towards hiring a full-time professional staff employee to serve members, defend our contract and help prepare for an even stronger contract campaign in 2022. IAPE will also be able to invest in more legal support to consult on contract matters and union governance, areas that have not received adequate resources or attention for many years. Additional funding will permit IAPE to continue paying for a robust annual audit of finances and greater scrutiny of our regulatory filings, and allow the union to avoid deficit spending and maintain its healthy reserve funds. 

IAPE was formed by a group of Wall Street Journal reporters as an in-house union more than 80 years ago. For more than half a century, IAPE was completely volunteer run, members negotiated contracts and fought for workplace rights while doing their full-time jobs. The union eventually hired staff to support our operations and to help with member representation, though IAPE hasn’t had the resources to keep more than one full-time permanent position on payroll in its history and the union’s expression has mostly depended on the strength of its volunteer leaders. 

With ever increasing demands on our workforce and the heightened need for union presence in our working lives, the constraints of operating on a volunteer model are no longer sustainable. 

We strongly encourage you to vote YES on removing the dues cap so we can bring equity to our dues structure and invest in the future of the union. 

Important Information: 
Dues Referendum Summary & FAQ
Dues Calculator

Town Hall Meetings:
Sept. 15, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Sept. 17, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Sept. 18, Noon to 1 p.m. ET
RSVP here

IAPE Bulletin 8/24/2020: Nomination Deadline, Holiday Pay

Election 2020: Nomination Deadline in One Week!

If you or a fellow member have been considering running for an IAPE officer or director position, you only have one week left to submit nominations to elections@iape1096.org. All nominations must be received by 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 31 using this form. 

Serving on the IAPE board is a great opportunity to advocate for your colleagues and work to bring positive changes across Dow Jones. You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

IAPE Committees Meet With DJ Thursday

The union’s Grievance, Classification and Labor/Management committees reconvene for regular monthly meetings with Dow Jones representatives this Thursday, Aug. 27. 

In addition to a dispute over the Columnist job title, IAPE is pursuing a grievance against Dow Jones over a warning letter issued to an employee the union believes to be a retaliatory action by his manager and a violation of our contract’s just cause protections. IAPE has also grieved that Dow Jones failed to properly inform employees summoned to investigatory meetings of their right to union representation during those meetings, filed a challenge over misclassifications of a number of employees currently holding non-union titles —including News Editor and Assistant News Editor—but performing work in line with IAPE-represented colleagues, and issued a grievance over the company’s failure to implement Workday updates and automated processes to allow for easier and more accurate filing for comp time, as agreed during 2019 contract negotiations.

The IAPE Classification Committee is pursuing a reclassification request on behalf of a New York employee who believes they are performing work outside of their job title, and the Labor/Management group continues to discuss COVID-related matters, as well as a complaint about News managers in certain departments attempting to assign reporters to “standby” duty (the contract’s standby provisions do not apply to newsroom staff).

If you have a contract concern, a classification question, or believe the union should be challenging something going on in your department, please contact IAPE so we can add your issue to our regular meeting agenda.

Holiday Pay: Labor Day Is Fast Approaching

We’re two weeks away from the last holiday of the summer, Labor Day on Sept. 7. 

Remember: if you’re scheduled to work on the holiday, Article VIII of the IAPE/DJ contract requires that you receive Holiday Pay: time-and-one-half for regular hours worked, double-time for hours in excess of your regular schedule, and the option to receive another day’s pay instead of a comp day for working on Labor Day. Don’t forget to file!

And while we’re on the subject of time off, don’t forget that the company has announced employees can carry over up to 5 days of vacation for this year to use by March 31, 2021, and that Life-Work Leave will be extended through that same date. Employees can now apply for up to 4 hours of leave per day, with a maximum of 10 hours per week.

IAPE Bulletin 8/17/2020: Check your bonus, nomination deadline

Did You Notice Your Bonus?

IAPE-represented employees eligible for our 2021 bonus should have received a second pay deposit on Thursday, August 13th. Under the terms of the IAPE/DJ contract, eligible employees were entitled to a payment equal to 0.5% of their salaries as of June 30th (so, before the calculation of your new rate of pay effective July 1st).

The contract refers to the 2021 bonus as “targeted at 0.5%” and states, “The actual lump sum payment will track the funding level of the Company’s management bonus (‘AIP’) plan, as determined by the Company, from 0% to 200% funded. For example, funding of the AIP at 90% would result in a lump sum of .45%. Funding of the AIP at 110% would result in a lump sum of .55%.”

The company’s management bonus was funded at 100%.

Election 2020: Nomination Deadline

There are only two weeks left to nominate yourself or a fellow member for the upcoming IAPE election of officers and directors. Nominations must be received by Aug. 31 using this form and submitted to elections@iape1096.org. The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. 

Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website. 

Training Reminder, Steward 101

Whether representing a member during a meeting with managers, acting as an information source for members wondering about the union, or helping to organize IAPE events and activities, stewards are the lifeblood of our union. Are you interested in becoming an IAPE steward? Please join us for our Steward 101 training this Wednesday, August 19th at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

We’ll be talking about all the ways members can get involved as stewards and will describe the importance of effective stewards in a union structure. This is another of our series of remote training classes. To register for this or any of our upcoming classes, please visit our events page. 

IAPE Bulletin 8/4/2020: WFH Update, Nomination Reminder

Work 2021(?)

IAPE recently learned that Dow Jones is planning a broader shift to work from home under an effort known as Work 2021. 

We understand that the company will give up leases on some small offices altogether, and we are awaiting response to our request for more information on Work 2021. Dow Jones is required to meet with the union to discuss the effects of any elimination of office space and we appreciate our members notifying us of the planned changes. 

We have requested more details including the offices affected, the impact on employees working in larger offices, and reimbursement of work-from-home expenses such as internet, furniture and equipment in case workers are asked to permanently convert their homes into offices. 

Members have also reported being notified by managers that they will be able to carry over five vacation days to March 2021, and that employees can now take Work-Life Leave in four hour increments (ten hour per week maximum remains). 

IAPE has pushed for appropriate accommodations for members working from home since the start of the pandemic, including more paid time off, an allowance for technology, equipment reimbursement and vacation carryover. 

Safety is the most important concern, and making sure IAPE-represented employees have the resources to carry out their work effectively remains a priority. We encourage you to talk to your manager about your specific needs and to talk to your representative or reach out to the union office if you are experiencing any issues. 

We know that for many employees, losing access to shared office space with colleagues is not ideal and we will continue relaying your concerns to the company. 

IAPE Election 2020

Nominations for IAPE’s election of officers and directors are now open. Any member in good standing can nominate themselves or another member in good standing for an eligible position through Aug. 31 by using this form and submitting to elections@iape1096.org. The election committee will declare an eligible candidate who is unopposed at the deadline as winner by acclamation. The committee will post the nominees for contested positions by Sept. 4. 

Ballots will be mailed out by Oct. 5 and will be due back to the election provider by Nov. 4 to be counted. Official descriptions and duties of the roles can be found in the bylaws. 

A reminder that the election this year will be conducted via mail ballot, so please make sure we have your up-to-date mailing address so we know where to send your ballot in early October. 

You can read more about the nomination process and official guidance on rules around campaigning in the candidate toolkit on the election page of the IAPE website.