Wednesday in Princeton: IAPE 101

IAPE 101, the union’s orientation class for newcomers and Q&A session for veteran members, makes its in-person return to Princeton on Wednesday afternoon. If you are working in the Princeton office on Wednesday, please join IAPE representatives at 2:00 p.m. in the Barcelona conference room on the 2nd floor (PRI-2-F02.CG32).

Members working from home or in other locations may join our remote feed. Please register through the IAPE Events Page to attend or receive your meeting link.

IAPE 101 is a half-hour class addressing the basics of IAPE membership: What is a union? How does IAPE function? How does IAPE fit into Dow Jones? What are the benefits of union membership?

This week, we’ll have plenty of time for Q&A, especially for those of you who have questions about upcoming contract negotiations.

Contract Trivia: Personal Days?

Congratulations to Princeton member Jasmine Hamada, this week’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Jasmine’s response was selected from several correct answers to last week’s question: negotiations for the renewal, modification or extension of the contract may be instituted by either IAPE or Dow Jones within sixty days prior to its expiration. (see Article XXVI – Duration and Renewal, Section B).

Next Friday is St. Patrick’s Day—unfortunately not a holiday recognized by the IAPE contract. However, if members are able to schedule time off with their manager, they can use available personal days or “floaters” to take the day off, which brings us to today’s question:

How many personal days does an IAPE-represented employee on a four- or five-day workweek receive at the start of each year?

Special “Bonus Entry” if you can tell us how many floaters an employee receives until the end of a calendar year if they are hired after October 1!

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the relevant section. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 prize from IAPE.

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*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

Help Wanted: Join the IAPE BOD

The IAPE Board of Directors has vacancies available to be filled immediately by union members in good standing. Currently, the IAPE Board has openings for the positions of Classification Director - News, Classification Director - Technology and Classification Director - Sales/Administrative, as well as an opening for a Location Director in our Southwest region, covering the area within and around Texas and southern California.

Duties of an IAPE director are described in detail in the union’s Bylaws.

To summarize, IAPE board members are the collective voice for union members on matters of union governance including: 

• How to respond to workplace issues and company announcements

• How IAPE spends money 

• Whether to proceed to arbitration on grievance matters

Directors raise member issues with their board colleagues and bring relevant union information back to their constituents.

IAPE directors are also responsible for working with President Jodi Green and union staff in developing proposals for contract negotiations—some even serve on the IAPE Bargaining Committee.

Mid-term vacancies on the IAPE board may be filled by appointment of current directors. Individuals appointed to any of these vacancies will be eligible to serve the remainder of the current term, which expires on Nov. 30 of this year. Nominations for 2023 elections will open in June, so think of this interim period as a try-out to see if you might be interested in running for union election later this year!

The IAPE board currently meets virtually for a one-hour meeting once each month. A slightly-more-detailed, biannual, in-person (when possible) meeting is held in the spring and fall of each year. Between-meeting discussions on issues (of varying degrees of importance) are generally conducted via a Signal group channel.

If you are interested in volunteering for the classification vacancy relevant to your job title, or if you work in the Southwest region and would like to be the regional rep, please email union@iape1096.org to arrange a meeting to discuss these representative roles.

Still Open: IAPE Survey on Retirement Savings
In case you haven’t responded to our survey on the Dow Jones retirement savings program—and based on survey results thus far, that’s almost all of you—we’re going to keep this latest contract survey open for another week. Please take a few minutes to tell us how you would like Dow Jones to change the current plan! See your email for a survey link.

This week’s survey is formatted differently from earlier questionnaires, but still won’t require much of your time. After the initial two questions about your length of service and Dow Jones business unit, we’re seeking your multiple choice feedback on six questions about retirement savings, followed by a, “what changes would you like to see” short answer question.

All responses—on this and all contract surveys—help your union as we develop proposals for 2023 contract negotiations with Dow Jones.

How do you Identify?

Today:

• Take two minutes to help IAPE gather important demographic data

• See below for this week’s contract survey: retirement savings

• Results from our performance evaluations survey

How do you Identify?
The collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones requires that the company provide the union with certain information about the union-represented population, but the data management provides are limited to the basics: job details—like title, department and salary—date of birth, race and ethnicity and very basic gender information.

While these data points are helpful when we conduct our individual pay reviews or larger studies of pay disparities, additional information for deeper dives into Dow Jones employment trends—including pay and staffing decisions—would be helpful. That’s where you come in.

Today, we’re asking how you identify. This short survey—see your email for a link, just two questions, plus two short-answer sections to elaborate if you wish—marks IAPE’s first attempt to gather more complete data about the union-represented workforce. Please take two minutes to respond. And thanks!

IAPE Contract Survey: Retirement Savings
In case you missed Friday’s note, this week we also would like to know how you feel about the Dow Jones retirement savings plan. Do you contribute enough to receive a full match from Dow Jones? Are you a pre-tax or Roth post-tax contributor? How would you like to see Dow Jones change the plan? Take this week’s contract survey (see your email for a link) and let us know.

Survey Results: Performance Evaluations
Based on responses from approximately 10% of the IAPE-represented population, 84% of current members received a performance evaluation in 2022, but only 64% believe their rating accurately reflects their performance. And 20% of members say their manager failed to explain how performance evaluations are used.

We give Dow Jones a “needs improvement” on its ratings system.

Thanks to all who responded to last week’s survey, and our prior questionnaires:

• Health care coverage

• Wages and hours

• 30 contract issues

Contract Trivia: When can Negotiations Begin?

Also, scroll below to tell us how you feel about your retirement savings!

Congratulations to Barron’s staffer Nicholas Jasinski, this week’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Nicholas was one of several IAPE members who knew the daily non-weekend, non-holiday standby pay rate for overtime-exempt employees is $51 (see Article III – Job Classification and Wages, Section I.2).

Today marks 120 days until June 30, 2023, the expiration date for the IAPE/DJ contract. While it would be wonderful if we could sit down with the company and begin negotiations for a new agreement now, the contract actually defines when we can expect to begin bargaining. So, this week, we’d like to know:

How many days prior to the expiration of the contract can the union or the company institute negotiations to renew, modify or extend the agreement?

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the relevant section. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 prize from IAPE.

IAPE Contract Survey: Retirement Savings
Since negotiations are set to begin later this year, we are continuing to compile survey responses from IAPE members. This week, we would love you to tell us how you feel about your retirement savings. You can find a link to today’s survey in your email.

The retirement savings plan has remained relatively unchanged since IAPE and Dow Jones reached agreement on its current format in 2010, except for the addition of a Roth post-tax contribution option in recent years. If there is something you would like to see changed in the current plan, please let us know!

Note to members in Canada: today’s survey is specific to employees participating in the 401(k) program in the United States. If you have questions, concerns or suggestions for your Registered Retirement Savings Plan, please send us a note.

We are still compiling responses to last week’s survey on Dow Jones performance evaluations. Watch your email next week for those results.

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*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

IAPE Settles Vision Plan Grievance

Don’t Buy Those Glasses Until April!

A grievance filed by IAPE in December has been settled, resulting in a vision plan benefits increase starting in April for union-represented employees. Dow Jones will hold a new open enrollment this month so members can re-register for its vision plan, providing an additional $40 allowance for eyeglass frames.

Plan premiums will increase slightly per pay period:

• From $1.40 to $1.72 for employee-only coverage

• From $2.81 to $3.85 for employee-plus-spouse coverage

• From $4.21 to $5.18 for employee-plus-child(ren) coverage

• From $5.92 to $6.91 for family coverage

During grievance discussions, Dow Jones insisted it would not be able to migrate IAPE-represented employees into the more-generous vision plan until April 1. Despite IAPE’s urging, the company refuses to reimburse IAPE-represented employees who have purchased glasses already this year and only received the $110 allowance for frames. In order to take full advantage of the frames increase, the union recommends waiting until April, when the new plan takes effect, before making any purchases you may be considering now.

Prior to open enrollment for 2023 health insurance benefits, Dow Jones CPO Dianne DeSevo announced an increase in annual eyeglass frames coverage for non-union staff from $110 to $150. “IAPE members will retain the same Vision program from 2022,” Ms. DeSevo said.

IAPE’s grievance stated, “By restricting IAPE-represented employees from participation in the new plan, and by failing to notify the Union of changes to the Vision Plan, the company has violated the collective bargaining agreement.”

The company argued that offering enhanced vision coverage to IAPE-represented staff also would have violated the 2022-23 agreement to preserve 2022 benefits without any change in premium rates. The union noted that the company failed to even notify IAPE negotiators of the new 2023 plan during contract negotiations last year.

Wednesday in New York: Contract 101

Tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. EST join IAPE representatives for a Contract 101 primer covering the collective bargaining process. We’ll explain how contract negotiations occur and what IAPE expects to face when our bargaining team meets with Dow Jones later this year.

Members in New York, we’re excited to offer this class live and in-person! Meet us in the Yankees conference room on the 5th floor of 1211 AOA (F05.AG45). For those in New York and elsewhere not able to meet in the building, you can still attend via Google Meet. Please register on the IAPE Events page to receive your meeting link.

New York members, IAPE reps will also be available in the building throughout the day to answer any questions you might have. Watch your email tomorrow morning for location details.

As always, if you have questions about the bargaining process, or other work-related matters, feel free to email the union at union@iape1096.org.

IAPE Contract Survey: Performance Evaluations
If you haven’t had a chance to respond to our survey about Dow Jones performance evaluations, please see our survey link in your email to tell us about your experiences with the annual review process, and what management should know about its ratings system.

Have You Had a Pay Review Lately?
The Dow Jones fiscal year ends in June, which means that for the next few months management will be focusing on budget preparations for next year.

What does this mean for you? Well, it might be worth making your pay part of their budget considerations.

March to June is the period when IAPE receives the most pay review requests. Our pay reviews pull data directly from Dow Jones payroll reports to show how you stack up in comparison to colleagues with similar titles, DOBs, hire dates, locations, departments, and managers.

IAPE members receive contractual raises, but in a year when we are set to negotiate the contract, these raises will be pushed off until the conclusion of negotiations.

Despite the contract negotiations, IAPE members always have the option to request a merit-based pay increase from their manager. Having numbers directly from the Dow Jones payroll reports, and a list of ways you have met or exceeded goals can go a long way.

If you’re interested in a pay review, email us at payreview@iape1096.org.

Contract Trivia – We Pitched a Shutout

We have no trivia winner to congratulate this week. Our question last Friday, how many specific holidays are recognized by the IAPE/DJ contract, produced several responses. The majority of members found our nine holidays in the United States, but forgot about additional days for members in Canada. Two responses were close, but not quite right.

For the record, the collective agreement recognizes 18 specific holidays. Three on both sides of the border (New Years’ Day, Labor [or Labour] Day and Christmas Day), six additional days for members in the U.S. (Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day and Thanksgiving—in November), six days for all members in Canada (Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Truth and Reconciliation Day, Thanksgiving—in October—and Boxing Day), two days for members in Ontario (Family Day and Civic Day) and St. Jean Baptiste for members in Quebec. (See Article VIII-A and VIII-B for full details.)

Better luck this week! Here’s our next question:

Stand-by pay applies to IAPE-represented Employees who are required to immediately respond to calls on a 24-hour basis, except for newsroom Employees whose duties to report and write breaking news stories may require them to respond to news events whenever they occur. What is the daily, non-weekend/holiday stand-by pay rate for overtime exempt employees?

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the answer. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 gift card from IAPE.

Next Wednesday: IAPE in New York
IAPE members at 1211 AOA, your friendly union representatives will be back in the building on Mar. 1 to answer any workplace or union questions you might have. And we’ll have swag! If you’re working in the office next Wednesday, keep an eye on your email for notice of our location. If you have time to take a break at 2:00 p.m., please join us for an in-person edition of Contract 101 (again, location TBA). Members outside of New York can join remotely. Please register here.

Contract Survey: Evaluations
We have received plenty of great short-answer feedback within our latest survey on Dow Jones performance evaluations—and the yes/no responses are interesting, too. This survey will remain open until next Thursday. You can find a link to this survey in your email.

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*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.

IAPE Contract Survey – Performance Evaluations

With the 2022-23 contract set to expire on June 30, and negotiations beginning in just a few months, we are continuing to compile survey responses from IAPE members. This week, we are seeking your input on questions about performance evaluations at Dow Jones. You can find a link to today’s survey in your email.

The performance evaluation process has been a frequent discussion topic during contract negotiations between IAPE and Dow Jones, with management proposing mandatory self-evaluations during 2019 contract talks. For IAPE-represented employees, providing goals or assessments of one’s own performance is always optional, as we have noted several times in the past.

Please take just a few minutes to answer our evaluation questions, and be sure to tell us what Dow Jones should know about its performance evaluation process.

ICYMI: Survey Results
IAPE members have spoken! Here’s how you responded to other contract surveys conducted this year:

• Health care coverage

• Wages and hours

• 30 contract issues

IAPE Contract Trivia

Read your contract and win a prize!

See below for healthcare survey results!

Our first trick question of the year! Congratulations to San Francisco member Marc Hawthorne, this week’s winner of our 2023 trivia contest and a $50 prize. Marc’s entry was chosen from just a handful of correct responses to last week’s question: the maximum number of weeks’ worth of severance the company is required to pay when a position is eliminated is 56—that’s a total of 52 weeks’ wages for IAPE-represented employees with at least 24 years of continuous service, plus an additional four weeks’ pay in the event a position is eliminated due to outsourcing (see Article VII -- Severance Pay, Section A.2).

Monday is a holiday for IAPE-represented employees, President’s Day here in the United States and Family Day for our members working in the Canadian province of Ontario. We’re sure everyone is looking forward to the long weekend—unless you have been assigned a work shift on Monday. (If you have, file for your Holiday Pay!)

Thinking about holidays, this week we want to know:

How many specific holidays are recognized by the IAPE/DJ contract?

Think you know the answer? Email union@iape1096.org and let us know. Not sure? Scroll through our contract posted on the IAPE website to find the answer. Members in good standing* will have one week to find the answer within the current collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones, and email that answer back to us. Next Friday, one winner will be selected at random from all the correct responses, and that winning member will receive a $50 gift card from IAPE.

Health Care Survey Results
Thanks to all who completed last week’s survey on Dow Jones health care coverage. The responses have been compiled and answers are similar to those from surveys in previous contract years: POS II is still the most popular coverage option, selected by 67.8% of respondents. Uncovered costs, network of providers and plan premiums are still the top three factors for members when selecting health care coverage. And the IAPE fitness reimbursement benefit is still the overwhelming choice—by 90.1% of members—compared to the Virgin Pulse data collection and fitness plan offered to non-union staff at Dow Jones.

Responses to new questions concerning dental and vision coverage were illuminating. 93.5% of members responding to last week’s survey purchase Dow Jones dental coverage and 83.4% opt in to vision benefits. Members are mostly satisfied with dental coverage—57.8%—but only 46.3% of respondents are happy with the company vision plan.

We’ll take a break from surveying over this long weekend, but will be back with new questions over the next few weeks.

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*The IAPE contract trivia question is a weekly contest for members of the IAPE/DJ bargaining unit in the United States and Canada, working under the terms of the collective agreement between Dow Jones & Company Inc. and the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE) TNG/CWA Local 1096, AFL-CIO,CLC, in effect from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. IAPE officers, IAPE directors, IAPE staff, fee-paying non-members and non-members in right-to-work states (or new employees not yet paying dues to IAPE) are not eligible for prizes. Contest period lasts through 11:59 PM Eastern Time each Thursday. On Friday, one winner will be selected from the previous week’s correct answers by a random drawing. Winners are limited to one gift card prize every thirty days.