Updates: A Welcome, Glint Guidance, Telehealth Info and More!

We’re taking advantage of a lull in return-to-office negotiations (or, our attempts to negotiate with the company) and catching up on some other IAPE news today. We have added a new staff member, we have our annual reminder about performance evaluations and we have some news you may have missed about telehealth appointments. Please also read on for a holiday pay reminder, an invitation to join IAPE’s steward ranks and some tips on negotiating for a merit pay raise. It’s IAPE update day!

IAPE Welcomes Marissa Dadiw!
IAPE TNG/CWA Local 1096 is pleased to announce the hiring of Marissa Dadiw as a full-time organizer to bolster union membership.

This position was made possible through funding by IAPE parent unions, The NewsGuild and the Communications Workers of America. IAPE will be responsible for providing benefits and payment of employer taxes. IAPE’s Board of Directors approved the addition of Marissa to IAPE staff by a majority vote (9-7 with 3 abstentions).

Marissa will be responsible for identifying non-union areas of Dow Jones and News Corp interested in IAPE representation. She will also work with TNG organizers as they continue to unionize throughout peer media outlets and other previously underrepresented industries.

Originally from California, Marissa is a communications professional with a background in book publishing. Following three years as a volunteer member organizer with TNG, she worked in New York for the News Media Guild, a local who represents our union siblings at Associated Press, The Guardian US, and other outlets. Marissa worked as an NMG organizer for two years and helped bring in three new units to the local. Most notably, she assisted staff at her former employer, Oxford University Press, form a union and join The Guild last year.

Welcome to IAPE, Marissa!

Guidance for Goal Discussions and Performance Reviews
As Dow Jones departments and managers move ahead with year-end performance conversations, IAPE members are once again reaching out to the union office for guidance. 

So, here’s our annual reminder: all IAPE-represented employees may decline self-assessments, self-ratings, and department feedback requests. Dow Jones has confirmed for IAPE that, “Employee self-reflection remains optional but strongly encouraged,” and that self-ratings are also optional.

As we have said before, if you want to rate yourself or offer comments about your achievements over the past year, feel free. Nobody will do a better job of singing your own praises than you. But beware: any critical notes you provide may be held against you in your manager’s final assessment of your performance.

If you have any questions or concerns about performance discussions with your manager, please let us know, or contact your local IAPE representative.

ICYMI: Telehealth Benefits Extended
If you didn’t read all the way to the bottom of last Friday’s benefits email from Dow Jones, you may have missed this news: “In response to recent legal developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, News Corp has made additional temporary changes to benefits offered under the News Corp Comprehensive Health, Welfare and Cafeteria Plan and the News Corp Retiree Medical Plan.”

The linked notice, updated this month, describes new temporary coverage of eligible over-the-counter COVID-19 tests and additional temporary coverage for telehealth visits.

If you or your dependents are covered under one of News Corp’s Aetna medical plans, you will not be required to pay any cost for covered telemedicine visits that occur on or after April 1, 2022 and before January 1, 2023.

Happy Holidays – File for Your Pay!
Monday is Memorial Day, and for IAPE-represented employees working in the United States, a holiday recognized by the IAPE/DJ contract. We hope you are able to enjoy a safe and happy long weekend with family and friends. However, if you are required to work on Monday, you are entitled to Holiday Pay: time and one-half for any regularly scheduled hours, and double-time for any hours in excess of your regular day (plus another day off, or an additional day's pay—at the discretion of the Company).

Similarly, Monday, May 23 was Victoria Day, a holiday for our members in Canada. IAPE-represented employees in Canadian locations who were required to work on Monday are entitled to the same Holiday Pay benefits described above.

Holiday Pay must be claimed via the Company’s Workday system; if you encounter any difficulty in filing for additional compensation via Workday, please let us know and we’ll help you get paid for the time you worked.

Next Week: Steward 101
With contract negotiations set to begin soon, IAPE is looking to bolster its steward ranks. What’s a union steward? A steward can be IAPE’s eyes and ears in a department, sharing union and workplace information with members or with IAPE’s elected representatives and staff. A steward might help organize union events and activities or participate in committee planning. Stewards even assist other members during meetings with management and Human Resources!

If you’re interested in becoming an IAPE steward, we invite you to join us Wednesday, June 1, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, for our Steward 101 class. This half-hour Zoom presentation is a great way for union members to learn more about the next level of IAPE participation.

Register on the IAPE Events page. Do you have questions about becoming a steward, but you aren’t available to attend next week’s class? Reach out to IAPE rep Marlena Fitzpatrick for some individual Q&A!

Compensation Questions? Get a Pay Review!
Have you been thinking of approaching your boss to have a conversation about your pay? Ever wonder how your salary compares to peers in your department? The IAPE pay review might be a helpful tool for you. Using information available to the union, your IAPE reviewer may be able to provide you with a closer look at your rate of pay relative to fellow members in the same title, department, location, hire date range and even age range.

If you’re thinking of asking for a merit raise this year, consider an in-depth look at your rate of pay before meeting with your manager. Request your own salary analysis by emailing payreview@iape1096.org.

Dow Jones Flip-Flops on Return to Office Plans

Last week, WSJ Editor in Chief Matt Murray told an all-staff meeting that the news department would like employees to spend two days per week in-office beginning July 11, and "hopefully, by the end of the year we can get up to three days. I have no timetable for that."

But when IAPE representatives met yesterday with DJ corporate attorneys for legally-required return-to-office negotiations, we got a different story. 

According to Dow Jones, what Matt said is not what Matt meant. The company’s proposal for News staff resuming mandatory in-office work remains unchanged: two days per week in July, rising to three days per week in August.

If we can’t rely on the words of the Editor in Chief during a well-attended forum with staff, how can members have any faith in claims that management intends to be “flexible” when addressing individual concerns surrounding work requirements?

That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. That’s why we’re asking you to voice your concerns to your managers about vague and arbitrary plans for returning to workplaces. That’s why we’ve been seeking your feedback and crafting proposals to reflect what you tell us you need.

That’s why we need agreements in writing covering terms and conditions of return to office plans for all Dow Jones business units employing IAPE-represented workers.

The latest proposals from the union call for an in-office schedule for News similar to the one described by Matt last week, as well as a reduced in-office requirement for Experience staff. Dow Jones clarified that its Experience proposal, which originally called for three days of in-office work per week with a beginning date of “likely in September,” should actually have stated “up to three days per week.” The company has not provided the union with a revised proposal document.

IAPE expects to meet again with Dow Jones later this week or early next.

They Hear You Loud and Clear

Earlier today, newsroom staff from The Wall Street Journal received an update about return to office plans from WSJ Editor in Chief Matt Murray. Return-to-office policies are a subject of bargaining between the company and the union, and while negotiations remain ongoing, we were pleased to learn that management's proposal has moved closer to our position in recent hours. 

“As of the week of July 11, we are asking everyone to return to work at your assigned offices at least two days a week,” Matt wrote in his department email. “My expectation and hope is that we will be able to upgrade to three days later in the year.”

On April 29, Dow Jones proposals called for News staff to return to offices at least three days per week beginning in June. Following IAPE suggestions for members to express concerns to management, the company modified its News proposal on May 3 to two days per week beginning in July, followed by three days per week in August. And today, management reduced the in-office requirement further, just like you asked. 

Member action works.

To be clear, the plan suggested by Matt today is not a “done deal” and is still subject to negotiations with the union. IAPE and Dow Jones must reach agreement over required days in office as well as details around anticipated effective dates.

The union and the company are also negotiating a new Flexible Work policy to replace the old Work Anywhere policy, including annual equipment reimbursement rates for employees classified as hybrid or remote.

Our proposals have always been reasonable and in line with IAPE member survey results. We have proposed that all “hybrid” employees have a maximum of two days required in the office and to be given four weeks of “work from anywhere” time. The policies we're seeking actually are closer than the company's to the best-practices described in news articles about the workplace published by the Journal and Barron’s.

IAPE also has active proposals for required in-office work for other business units: Experience, Baron’s Group, New Ventures, Media Sales, B2B, Membership and Print Services. We have yet to receive a Finance proposal.

To members in those departments, we encourage you to take similar action (if you have not already) and tell your managers how you feel about your return to office plans. We also encourage you to support IAPE negotiating positions by updating your Gmail, Slack and Zoom profile pictures.

As we said yesterday, your voice matters.  Dow Jones management hears you.

Town Hall Meeting? Change Your Profile Pic!

IAPE members—especially those of you in News who have been summoned to a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday—we have a request:

Change your Gmail and Zoom profile pictures.

As we continue to push for fair Return To Office agreements, members have asked how they can demonstrate their opposition to the company’s inflexibility over the proposed number of days in office for certain business units. We’re asking you to take part in this simple action: choose from one of our sample profile pics for Gmail or Zoom, and turn your camera off when attending your next virtual department meeting. You and your colleagues can send a clear message to management (unless, of course, they opt to hold a tileless Zoom meeting).

We don’t mean to suggest that our message—your message—has not been clear enough: Dow Jones employees demand flexibility, and working from home works well, as recent company financial results demonstrate. The world is different now, and you've asked for flexibility to address changes in everything from childcare to public transit.

Also this: the company has an obligation to negotiate in good faith with the union over RTO matters, as we have reminded Dow Jones by twice filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board since the beginning of 2021.

To our friends in News: no, we have not reached an agreement with Dow Jones over newsroom return to office plans. We expect Wednesday’s meeting to be an announcement of the company’s latest proposal shared with the union, which differs slightly from what we reported last week. Instead of a requirement to spend three days per week in a WSJ office starting in June, the company is now proposing two days per week starting in July and three days per week in August. We also expect management to complain about the union sharing “inaccurate” information.

On the contrary: we are committed to sharing important information with you, our members—and encouraging you to continue expressing your thoughts and opinions to your managers. Your voice matters.

So, keep up the good work. And seriously, change your profile pic.

Mandatory Return to Office Days: Company Refuses to Budge

You want to keep flexibility. We're working on it.

“Employees should take it up with their managers.”

That’s the message IAPE received Friday from Dow Jones representatives during ongoing discussions over Return to Office plans. This follows a union proposal to reduce the required number of in-office days for News staff being pushed by management.

For weeks, IAPE has been reviewing company plans for several Dow Jones business areas. While each plan is different, IAPE believes the plans call for most employees to be categorized as "hybrid" workers, with a combination of at-home and in-office days.

The union has presented proposals in line with wishes of IAPE members: more employee flexibility and fewer mandatory days at Dow Jones offices. Company officials have been reluctant to move away from their initial proposals.

IAPE members want Dow Jones to thrive. We believe—you’ve told us—that a flexible work-from-home policy is the best way. 

Working from home…works. For more than two years, members on the business and news sides have successfully adapted to client needs and world events. We’ve chronicled the pandemic, the 2020 election and the invasion of Ukraine, all while providing Dow Jones with a growing subscriber base and the highest profit in more than a decade. 

Management plans received by IAPE call for varying degrees of in-office work for hybrid employees that could start as early as June:

• WSJ Newsroom - At least three days per week

• Experience - Three days per week

• Barron’s Group - Two or three days per week

• New Ventures - Two days per week, plus monthly all-hand meetings

• Media Sales - At least two days per week

• B2B - Up to two days per week

• Membership - Up to two days per week

• Print Services - Three days per month

• Customer Service - One day per month

If you were hired during the pandemic, unless your offer letter explicitly states that you will remain a remote employee, Dow Jones intends for these RTO requirements to apply to you, too.

IAPE is fighting to make these plans more flexible. IAPE has also cautioned Dow Jones over potential large-scale departures of employees should management insist on having employees return to offices.

Dow Jones has published many articles that support the main ideas of our proposals. “Flexibility has become the top worker demand,” Barron’s writes. “People who worked from the office one to two days a week were more productive,” WSJ reports. “Two-thirds of respondents say they would consider looking for a new job if forced to return to the office full-time,” MarketWatch says.

Dow Jones reps have pledged to be flexible in addressing individual circumstances, and have suggested that employees should speak directly to managers if they have concerns about in-office schedules.

That’s not a bad idea.

If you are concerned that your department heads or the proposals by the company aren’t considering your needs, we suggest dropping them a line. Maybe something like, “Please negotiate fairly with the union over return-to-office issues and the required number of days working in-office.” Perhaps you would rather explain how you will be impacted by a switch back to in-office work.

Maybe you would prefer to email your immediate supervisor—they may feel the same way about RTO as you.

If contacting management to complain about the company’s inflexible proposals isn’t your style, you can always email IAPE. We’ll share your message for the company—anonymously, of course. We’ve already shared the results of our return-to-work survey, which show overwhelming support for minimal in-office days.

Dow Jones and IAPE will resume discussions on Tuesday afternoon. That’s plenty of time for you to contact your manager and union representatives. Let everyone know how you feel about the need for flexibility with in-office work.

“But My Manager Said . . .”

If any Dow Jones manager claims to have knowledge of a plan to return to in-office work during the month of May, they’re wrong.

IAPE and Dow Jones representatives are still discussing business unit plans for resuming in-office work. Except for agreement on a date of June 1, 2022 as a Return To Office date for staff in Media Sales, with the remainder of that unit’s business plan still under review, no other RTO dates have been finalized.

If you have heard directly or indirectly from a manager that you must resume working from a Dow Jones office location during the month of May, you have received incorrect information.

(And if you would like to pass that news along to IAPE, please do.)

Dow Jones has provided IAPE with new draft plans to review for the Experience, Membership, Print Services and Barron’s Group business units. The company and the union will resume talks tomorrow about these and other RTO items.

Especially effective dates.

Reminder: Join us for Cinco de Mayo Contract Trivia!
If you’re interested in learning more about the IAPE/DJ contract, as well as a chance to meet some fellow IAPE members, be sure to sign up for our next Kahoot! Contract Trivia event, scheduled for May 5 at 6:00 p.m. EDT/3:00 p.m. PDT. IAPE rep Marlena Fitzpatrick will host this fun-filled event intended to highlight some of the areas of the contract we expect to discuss with management when negotiations begin soon.

Whether you think you know the contract from cover to cover, or you’re an IAPE newcomer and haven’t had a chance to get beyond the first page, this trivia contest is open to all. And we have prizes! Register today and join us for some entertaining after-hours (depending on your schedule) contract discussion.

BYO Margaritas and tacos!

Still Talking About RTO

Media Sales, News among the business units under discussion

Another Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by IAPE

Let’s see, where were we?

It has been more than a month since we provided an update on discussions with Dow Jones management over Return To Office plans. In our last recap, we told you about reports of individual department heads providing RTO details directly to staff prior to the company reaching any agreement with the union. Dow Jones representatives denied any such communications, especially an IAPE complaint about management in Media Sales informing staff of a requirement to begin in-office work on May 2.

Then, on Mar. 21, Dow Jones provided IAPE with a draft RTO plan for Media Sales employees with a proposed return date of—you guessed it—May 2.

In response, IAPE filed a new Unfair Labor Practice charge against Dow Jones. A similar action  taken by the union last year resulted in a settlement requiring management to negotiate in good faith with IAPE.

Since the filing of this new complaint, IAPE and Dow Jones have met to talk through RTO issues on Apr. 7, 12 and 14, and representatives will resume discussions this afternoon. Rather than prepare a company-wide plan, Dow Jones has presented IAPE with draft RTO solutions specific to business units—thus far, we have received and are discussing plans for Media Sales, News, Customer Service and New Ventures.

Management has also backed off its insistence on a May 2 return date for Media Sales staff.

While specifics from each plan vary, the company claims all plans will have “common themes,” including flexibility around employees’ personal situations as well as substantive and sufficient notice in advance of any required return date. IAPE and Dow Jones are actively discussing union proposals around these topics and others, including vaccination requirements for employees who work in office spaces and some amount of severance pay for employees who request permanent work-from-home assignments, but are denied permission and then choose to resign from Dow Jones.

Mindful of survey responses from IAPE members, the union continues to press for maximum flexibility for all employees.

Canceled: IAPE Contract 101
Because IAPE officials will be meeting with management reps this afternoon, we unfortunately must postpone today’s Contract 101 class which had been scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EDT. Please watch our Events Page for a makeup date, or to register for any other union classes and activities.

Contract Trivia – May 5
While you’re at our Events Page, be sure to sign up for our next Contract Trivia event. Whether you think you know the IAPE contract from cover to cover, or you’re a newcomer and haven’t had a chance to get beyond the first page, this event is open to all and is sure to be a fun-filled hour. And we have prizes! Register today and join your fellow members in some entertaining after hours (depending on your schedule) contract discussion.

IAPE Contract Trivia!

Let the games begin! We are so excited to launch our Kahoot!+IAPE Gaming Series.  Join us for our first iteration: So You Think You Know Our Contract and win prizes!

When: Sign up for one (1) of these sessions:

• April 14th (just in time for tax day): 3:00 p.m. EDT/ 12:00 p.m. PDT

• May 5th (cinco de mayo Margaritas welcomed): 6:00 p.m. EDT/ 3:00 p.m. PDT

How: 

• Register on the IAPE Events Page

• Download the Kahoot! App on your phone or tablet. 

*We recommend joining the event via Zoom on your computer while using Kahoot! to respond to trivia questions on a second device.

• At the start of the event, you will be provided a pin number to open the game on your phone or tablet.

Prizes:

• First place: $50 gift card

• Second place: $30 gift card

• Third place: $20 gift card

Join us, show off your contract knowledge, and enjoy a special fun time with your fellow union siblings!

IAPE Contract Survey – Health Care Coverage

IAPE members, it’s almost contract time again. The 2019-22 IAPE/DJ collective agreement will expire on June 30, 2022, and either IAPE or Dow Jones may initiate negotiations beginning May 1st.

Soon, the union Board of Directors will be finalizing contract proposals to present to management whenever we schedule our first bargaining session. Prior to bargaining, we want to hear from you!

Today, we’re seeking your feedback on health care coverage. You’ll find a link to today’s survey in your inbox.

One of IAPE’s goals with this next set of negotiations is to make our contract more inclusive. In that regard, if you or a dependent have given birth, had a miscarriage, transitioned or began the process, and/or are on medication such as PrEP, if you are comfortable sharing with union staff, we would love to hear what your experience with Dow Jones healthcare insurance has been. We understand the sensitive nature of these medical treatments and offer a safe place to share these experiences. Our email is union@iape1096.org, but if you'd like to set up a call please let us know.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to poll members about other issues-–but that doesn’t mean you can’t weigh in with questions of your own. If you have a suggestion for negotiations or an idea for a topic you’d like to see discussed this year, please reach out to your local IAPE Director, or send us a note.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Bonus Survey – IAPE Organizing?
In recent years, our union siblings throughout The NewsGuild and the Communications Workers of America have been organizing thousands of employees at media outlets, publishing houses and non-profit organizations across the country. From one week to the next, union watchers have seen workers at company after company join together, form new unions and join The Guild.

Now, our parent unions at TNG and CWA have invited IAPE to take part in this organizing boom with a proposal to fund the addition of a new IAPE staffer to focus on organizing projects.

There are no details to share at this moment—we’re at the very earliest point in these discussions with The Guild—and for obvious reasons, we can’t divulge the new groups seeking to unionize with TNG. But any IAPE involvement would represent a departure from our practice of only representing employees at Dow Jones and affiliated companies.

For that reason, the IAPE Board of Directors is asking for your response to this one question: Should IAPE represent employees at companies outside of Dow Jones and News Corp?

See the link in your inbox to answer via Google Form, or email your feedback to union@iape1096.org.

Tomorrow – IAPE 101
IAPE newcomers, you've been working for Dow Jones for a few weeks, maybe a few months, and you keep seeing these emails from IAPE—"your union"—and you might be wondering: what is this union stuff all about, anyway?

We're glad you asked.

If you have a few minutes to spare on Wednesday afternoon, please join us for our IAPE 101 class—an introduction to your union. We'll share some basic IAPE information, as well as some insight into the benefits of belonging to a union and how IAPE represents you as an employee of Dow Jones & Company.

See our Events Page to register. Zoom links will be emailed to attendees shortly before Wednesday's class.

Can't make it tomorrow, but you still have some questions about IAPE? Feel free to send those via email to union@iape1096.org or your local IAPE rep.

Welcome to IAPE!

IAPE Contract Survey – Wages and Hours

IAPE members, it’s almost contract time again. The 2019-22 IAPE/DJ collective agreement will expire on June 30, 2022, and either IAPE or Dow Jones may initiate negotiations beginning May 1st.

Soon, the union Board of Directors will be finalizing contract proposals to present to management whenever we schedule our first bargaining session. Prior to bargaining, we want to hear from you!

Today, we’re seeking your feedback on wages and hours. You’ll find today’s survey in your email inbox.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to poll members about other issues – but that doesn’t mean you can’t weigh in with questions of your own. If you have a suggestion for negotiations or an idea for a topic you’d like to see discussed this year, please reach out to your local IAPE Director, or send us a note at union@iape1096.org.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

FSA Funds – Don’t Forget Your Carryover Balance!
With so many other adjustments employees have had to make during the pandemic, it's easy to overlook some of the special Covid-related provisions that have allowed for changes to benefits that otherwise would have been tied to the calendar year. We’re thinking specifically of the ability to carry unused FSA funds into 2022, which you can read more about here. 

If you still have a copy of the Dow Jones employee benefits email from December 2021, you’ll also see this helpful FSA deadline list:

There are two types of deadlines to remember. Here is a breakdown of 2020, 2021, and 2022 for both categories:

• The last day you can submit an incurred expense

  • 2020 dates of service can be submitted until April 30th, 2022.

  • 2021 dates of service can be submitted until April 30th, 2022.

  • 2022 dates of service can be submitted until April 30th, 2023.

• The last day you can use money in your account balance for a given year

  • 2020 money transferred in with the 2021 balance on 12/11/21.  Forfeits if not used by 12/31/2022.

  • 2021 money can be used in 2022 but will forfeit if not used by 12/31/2022.

  • 2022 money for use in 2022 and will forfeit if eligible claims are not incurred by 12/31/2022.

IAPE Board of Directors Meeting
Your IAPE Board of Directors will hold its semi-annual meeting via Zoom this Saturday, March 26. All IAPE members are eligible to attend IAPE Board meetings—if you are interested in joining this gathering of your IAPE representatives, please register on our Events page. This meeting will, of course, be conducted via Zoom. Meeting invitations and access links will be emailed to confirmed attendees later this week.

If you’re not able to join us, but would still like to submit comments for the IAPE Board to consider, please contact your director or send a note to union@iape1096.org.