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IAPE and Dow Jones contract negotiation teams have largely taken a break from bargaining this week. Union and company officials met briefly on Tuesday to discuss job classification and pay scale issues, and again this morning to review various data reports the company provides to IAPE. Negotiations over “big ticket” proposals are expected to resume next week.

From the union’s perspective, job security must be included in those larger issue conversations—and a key component of job security must be a better understanding of how Dow Jones plans on integrating artificial intelligence within its products.

Speaking of AI . . .

Last week, we invited IAPE members to participate in a survey conducted by our parent union, The NewsGuild, and the initial response from our own members has been fabulous! Thanks to those who have already taken part!

The deadline to respond to TNG’s survey is Friday, Sept. 22. We would love as many additional IAPE members as possible to help influence our parent union’s position on AI issues, and help inform the Guild’s approach to bargaining over AI advances. See your email for details and submit your responses today!

(One lucky survey respondent will win swag from TNG-CWA’s online union store.)

IAPE on the Road
One very important aspect of developing member support for any union negotiation campaign is boosting union visibility in all our workplaces. IAPE officers, directors and staff will be working to do just that over the next few weeks, leading up to the Oct. 30 expiration date for our now-extended contract.

Today, IAPE President Jodi Green and Executive Director Tim Martell are in San Francisco for a meet and greet with members and an update on contract negotiations.

Next week, union officers and staff will be available in Princeton on Sept. 20 and New York on Sept. 21—see your calendar for local meeting details. On Sept. 27, members in Chicago will be able to hear first-hand from IAPE reps and talk about contract negotiations.

Whether you get to meet with IAPE representatives this month or not, your support for your union bargaining committee is always appreciated! Please continue to watch for ways you can get involved in member actions—by wearing union t-shirts, joining IAPE social media campaigns, or any other mobilization activity we’ll be advertising soon!

TNG Strike School
Our friends at the Guild have been working on more than just AI issues lately. In recent months, union siblings at Guild shops like The New York Times and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have participated in short-term strikes on their way to negotiating amazing new contract settlements with their employers. And, of course, Guild members at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have been on strike for almost one year.

To better explain the process of going on strike, officers and staff at the Guild and activists from various locals will be holding TNG’s second annual Strike School on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 11:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. EDT. They’ll also have a special guest from the United Auto Workers talking about what their union is doing to prepare for what could be the nation’s largest strike in decades. Plus, TNG and CWA leadership will also speak about building worker power, including new CWA President Claude Cummings.

Through a series of interactive workshops and panels, you’ll learn the following from a diverse group of leaders about:

• What makes strong contract campaign 

• How you and your coworkers can build a militant and responsive workforce that’s excited and ready to take action 

• How to identify who the targets are that can actually move things at the bargaining table

• How to set the foundation of escalating actions up to a strike nuts and bolts of running a strike.

This class is available to all Guild members, including those of us in IAPE. If you are interested in attending, see your email for registration details!

A Photo Finish!

NLRB Declares Photo Eds, Lead Photo Eds Part of IAPE Unit

New Members Vote 33 to 0 to Join Union

364 long days after filing a petition at the National Labor Relations Board, Photo Editors and Lead Photo Editors working for The Wall Street Journal have finally been certified as IAPE-represented employees.

NLRB Region 02 agents confirmed results of an employee vote this morning at the Board’s Manhattan offices, following the counting of mail-in ballots. 33 out of 40 eligible employees voted to join IAPE. There were no ballots delivered opposing union representation. Two ballots were ruled “ineligible” by the Board.

“Today was a great day!” said IAPE President Jodi Green, outside the NLRB offices following the ballot count.

Today’s bargaining unit certification is the culmination of a years-long effort by Photo Editors and IAPE representatives. Dating back to 2017, the union had repeatedly tried to convince Dow Jones that Photo Editor employees should not be considered management, but rather union-eligible employees like their newsroom colleagues.

Frustrated by the company’s refusal to recognize their union-eligible status, employees finally turned to the NLRB for assistance last year. After a union card-signing campaign led by IAPE Organizer Marissa Dadiw, Photo Editors and Lead Photo Editors filed a petition for a representation election on Sept. 9, 2022.

“It feels amazing!” Dadiw said. “It definitely got emotional toward the end.”

An NLRB hearing investigating the union eligibility of Photo Editors was held over multiple days in November of last year. On Aug. 1, Region 02 Director John D. Doyle Jr. issued a decision granting union eligibility to Photo Editors and Lead Photo Editors, and ordering a mail-ballot representation election.

During that hearing, IAPE was represented by Adam Bellotti from the Washington, DC firm of Bredhoff & Kaiser. Dow Jones was represented by lawyers from Cozen O’Connor, an employment firm based in Philadelphia.

In one final, desperate act of defiance—and perhaps a final opportunity to ring up billable hours—a Cozen associate attempted to challenge multiple Photo Editor ballots during today’s vote count, but all complaints were dismissed. For no apparent reason, the company’s representative refused to sign the final certification document following the count.

IAPE will now seek an immediate agreement with Dow Jones to place Photo Editors and Lead Photo Editors into the existing bargaining unit, so they may be covered by a collective agreement. That contract is currently under negotiation by the union and Dow Jones management.

Bargaining Update: A Slow Trickle of Progress

IAPE and Dow Jones negotiators met today to review new union proposals, mostly responses to company offerings from Aug. 22 and Aug. 31 bargaining sessions.

In its latest proposal document, IAPE confirmed tentative agreements on shift differential payments for night shift work—the new top-up amount will equal $155 per week—and processes for assigning newly-classified jobs into the IAPE and Dow Jones introductory pay tier structure.

The union presented new counter proposals on stand-by pay and advance notice of disciplinary meetings—both of which were agreed to by the company—layoffs involving outsourcing and a cap on in-office working days through the end of 2025. IAPE also requested information about the new Dow Jones “PerformancePlus” employee evaluation system, announced earlier in the day by CPO Dianne DeSevo.

Dow Jones representatives explained that PerformancePlus is not a new evaluation platform, but rather a new “brand” for the People team. The company then shared a new document withdrawing a proposal to make self-evaluations mandatory for IAPE-represented employees, and modifying earlier proposals on seniority groups and return-to-office issues.

Union representatives reminded Dow Jones they are still awaiting information regarding health care costs. Company negotiators assured the union a response will be available soon. Management also expressed concerns about IAPE’s current wage proposal—annual raises of 12%, 8% and 8%—calling it “a difficult proposal for (Dow Jones) to respond to.”

There was no discussion of new beverage stations in New York.

Negotiations will resume next Tuesday in Princeton.

We Love a Parade!
Members in New York and the tri-state area, if you’re looking for something to do on Saturday morning, we have a perfect suggestion, and a great way to show your support for the IAPE contract team!

Join us for the New York City Labor Day Parade! We’ll meet up with our union siblings from the NewsGuild of New York at 45th Street and 6th Avenue between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. EDT (and we expect it will be closer to 11:00 before we join the parade crowd).

Wear your favorite IAPE t-shirt! If you don’t have an IAPE tee in your closet, a red or black top will be fine. All are welcome—bring the whole family!

Tomorrow: Photo Editors Join IAPE!
It’s almost here, a day we’ve been looking forward to for nearly one year! Tomorrow, Region 02 officers from the National Labor Relations Board will count ballots from WSJ Photo Editors voting to be included in the IAPE bargaining unit! All ballots will be commingled and counted at the NLRB offices starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Area members are welcome to attend. An IAPE contingent will gather shortly before 10:00 a.m. outside the office for group photos to memorialize this long-awaited day. IAPE (or red) t-shirts are mandatory, and masks are strongly encouraged.

Because NLRB staff require advance notice of any anticipated audience, so they can assign an appropriately-sized meeting room, please let us know if you are planning to attend.

The Region 02 office address is 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 36-130, New York, NY 10278. For commuters, the nearest train stops are Chambers Street A, C, J, City Hall N, R, W, or Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall 4, 5, 6.

Next Week: IAPE Town Hall Meetings
All members are encouraged to join one of two IAPE virtual town hall meetings on Monday, Sept. 11. Meeting times are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT. See your email for calendar invitations (and let us know if you have not received an invite). Members of the IAPE Bargaining Committee will be present to provide updates from contract negotiations.

If you have contract questions or comments between now and Monday, please send those along to union@iape1096.org.

NY-Area Members: Join Us!

Attention IAPE members who live or work in the tri-state area! We have two exciting activities for you to participate in this week—read on for more information!

First, and definitely the event we have been looking forward to the longest, is Friday’s counting of the ballots for WSJ Photo Editors voting to be included in the IAPE bargaining unit! All ballots will be commingled and counted at the National Labor Relations Board Region 02 Office at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8.

All are welcome to attend and support your soon-to-be fellow members! Attendees will gather shortly before 10:00 a.m. outside the office for group photos to memorialize this long-awaited day. IAPE (or red) t-shirts are mandatory, and masks are strongly encouraged.

Because NLRB staff require advance notice of any anticipated audience, so they can assign an appropriately-sized meeting room, please let us know if you are planning to attend.

The Region 02 office address is 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 36-130, New York, NY 10278. For commuters, the nearest train stops are Chambers Street A, C, J, City Hall N, R, W, or Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall 4, 5, 6.

March in Saturday’s Labor Day Parade
Our second exciting option is an invitation to join IAPE staff and members in Saturday’s New York City Labor Day Parade! We’ll meet up with our union siblings from the NewsGuild of New York and show our support for the IAPE bargaining committee, and the labor movement as a whole.

Our meeting spot and time on Saturday morning: 45th Street and 6th Avenue between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (and we expect it will be closer to 11:00 before we join the parade crowd).

Again, IAPE tees (or your favorite red or black top) are fashion musts. All are welcome—bring the whole family!

See you Saturday morning!

IAPE Election of Officers: Nomination & Election Announcement

In accordance with the rules for the 2023 election of officers for IAPE TNG/CWA Local 1096, the union Elections Committee has determined the following members in good standing have been properly nominated, unopposed, and are declared "elected" to the office for which they were nominated for the term of office beginning December 1, 2023 and running through November 30, 2026:

Officers: 

• President/CWA Delegate – Jodi Green

• Vice President/CWA Delegate – Patricia Corley

• Treasurer/CWA Delegate – Austen Hufford

• Secretary/CWA Delegate – Tim Merle

 Location Directors:

 (Candidates must be employed in the geographic location they wish to represent) 

• Canada – Vipal Monga

• Mid-Atlantic – Somyyah Butte, Ariana Vera

• Midwest – Doug Cameron

• Northeast – Laura Casey, Frank Matt

• Northwest – Georgia Wells

• Southeast – Jess Bravin, Ted Mann

Classification Directors:

(Candidates must be employed in the job classification they wish to represent)

• News – Stephanie Armour

 CWA At-Large Delegate: 

• Tim Martell

The Election Committee confirms that no nominations were received for the following positions and has declared them “vacant” as of the beginning of the next term of office:

• Location Director – Mid-Atlantic (1)

• Location Director – Northeast (2)

• Location Director – Southwest

• Classification Director – Administrative/Advertising

• Classification Director – Technology

IAPE Bylaws state that vacant Location Director and Classification Director positions may be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors on recommendation of the Executive Council.

Congratulations to the 2023-26 members of the IAPE Board of Directors!

Bargaining Update: A Short Meeting Before a Long Weekend

Also, Join Us For The Photo Editor Vote Count!

Dow Jones and IAPE bargaining teams met briefly Thursday morning and reviewed a new proposal document containing five proposals from the company, responses to items presented in the union’s Aug. 29 proposal.

Wages were not discussed during today’s bargaining meeting.

Dow Jones and IAPE have reached tentative agreements on shift differential—once a new contract is in effect, the new differential rate for assigned evening and night shifts will be $155 per week—and on procedures for slotting newly classified job titles within the IAPE and Dow Jones tier structure.

IAPE reps pledged to review management proposals on stand-by pay—Dow Jones continues to insist on the ability to pay stand-by amounts in half-day increments—and contract language defining advance notice of disciplinary and investigatory meetings.

Dow Jones is continuing to consider IAPE’s proposal to include weight management and nutrition counseling programs as eligible expenses under the IAPE physical fitness reimbursement benefit.

The union and the company also discussed respective job security proposals currently on the table. While the conversation was productive, no new positions were exchanged today.

With the long weekend ahead of us, IAPE and Dow Jones teams agreed to skip a bargaining session scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 5 and will meet again next Thursday, Sept. 7.

Happy Labor/Labour Day!
IAPE officers, directors and staff send very best wishes to all members for a safe and happy Labor (or Labour) Day weekend. The Union office will close early on Friday and be closed on Monday for the holiday—our favorite one of the year!—but will reopen as usual on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Members in New York and New Jersey, watch your email next week for details about joining the New York City Labor Day Parade on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Remember: if you’re scheduled to work on Monday, 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. Don’t forget to file for your pay in Workday! And remember: in addition to Holiday Pay, YOU have the option to request either an additional day’s pay OR a comp day for working on a contract holiday.

Happy Labor (Labour) Day!

Photo Editors: Counting the Days Until We Can Count Votes!
Nearly one full year after WSJ Photo Editors filed with the National Labor Relations Board to be represented by IAPE, NLRB agents will count representation election ballots on Friday, Sept. 8! All ballots will be commingled and counted at the NLRB Region 02 Office starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

The vote count is open to the public. IAPE members interested in attending are welcome, and should join IAPE staff and our soon-to-be-new-members outside the Board office shortly before 10:00 a.m. for group photos. Masks are strongly encouraged—IAPE (or red) t-shirts are mandatory!  :)

Please RSVP by early next week if you plan to attend!

Bargaining Update: Working on a Wage Package

Contract Extended Through October 30

IAPE and Dow Jones contract negotiations continued yesterday in Princeton. The union bargaining team delivered its sixth proposal to the company, highlighting some select issues including a new wage proposal.

IAPE reduced its proposal for a 2023 pay raise, but filled in numbers previously indicated as “TBD” for 2024 and 2025. The union’s new wage proposal: a 12% raise effective July 1, 2023, followed by 8% pay increases on both July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025.

The company was quick to note the IAPE wage package now totals 28% over three years. IAPE representatives asked whether management would like to discuss Dow Jones’s stellar financial performance in recent years.

Management said they would respond to the union’s proposal during the next bargaining session scheduled for Thursday.

IAPE also offered new proposals on shift differential and standby pay, and responded to company proposals on minimum pay increases and pay scales, coordination of benefits, job security, performance evaluations and return-to-office issues. Discussions about advance notice of disciplinary and investigatory meetings continued toward what may become a tentative agreement.

Dow Jones representatives asked whether management should consider the union’s latest proposal to be representative of all priority issues for IAPE. The union team noted, and Dow Jones agreed, that the company owes IAPE a response to information requests about company health care costs before negotiations over benefits can continue.

IAPE representatives also pointed out that it has requested information about current company “task forces” reviewing artificial intelligence, and said that the company should consider AI matters to be a significant issue to be negotiated. The Dow Jones team reiterated its position, that the company should have complete flexibility to implement advances in AI—without contractual restrictions—wherever it deems new technology to be appropriate.

IAPE disagrees.

Tomorrow, IAPE and Dow Jones reps will meet in a virtual bargaining session, and the contract will continue to be in effect. Company and union representatives agreed at the outset of yesterday’s meeting to extend the collective agreement through Oct. 30. The first, automatic, sixty-day extension of the CBA was scheduled to expire today.

Bargaining Town Halls
All members are encouraged to join one of two IAPE virtual town hall meetings on Monday, Sept. 11. Meeting times are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT. See your email for calendar invitations (and let us know if you have not received an invite). Members of the IAPE Bargaining Committee will be present to provide updates from the contract table.

If you have contract questions or comments between now and Sept. 11, please send those along to union@iape1096.org.

Join us for Labor Day Activities
Also watch your email for upcoming notices about Labor Day activities. IAPE is inviting members in the New York and New Jersey area to join union officers, directors, staff and Guild siblings from other area unions in walking in the New York City Labor Day Parade, scheduled for the Saturday after Labor Day, Sept. 9, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Details about a meet-up location for IAPE members will be available soon!

Tomorrow: #TshirtTuesday

The IAPE bargaining committee will return to the contract table tomorrow to resume negotiations for a new collective agreement. During a contract meeting on Aug. 22, Dow Jones management presented its fifth proposal and continued to insist on a 3% wage increase for 2023.

Union members are encouraged to wear their favorite IAPE t-shirts tomorrow—whether you are working in a Dow Jones office, on assignment or working from home—in support of the bargaining team. We’d love to see photos of any displays of IAPE support! Send your pics to union@iape1096.org.

Election Deadline Thursday
The deadline to nominate a fellow IAPE member for any officer or director position on the IAPE Board is Thursday, Aug. 31 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Self-nominations are also welcome! See IAPE’s Election 2023 page for complete details about Board seats and the nomination process.

Logo Contest: Get Your Entry in Soon!
IAPE’s logo contest—announced in June and extended through the end of this month—is an opportunity for members to design a fresh look for the union. If you’ve been thinking about submitting your own idea, but haven’t had time to finish your design, you still have a few days!

The final deadline for entries is Thursday, Aug. 31 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Send your suggestion to logocontest@iape1096.org.

Bargaining Update: Deja Moo

We’ve Heard This Bull Before

Dow Jones management presented a fifth proposal document to the IAPE bargaining committee during negotiations held in Princeton on Tuesday. The company document contained a small number of updated proposals and—again—a rejection of 42 union proposals covering compensation, benefits, job security and “miscellaneous items,” including the use of artificial intelligence in company products.

Management’s wage increase offer, three percent in 2023 with raises for 2024 and 2025 to be discussed, remained unchanged.

Two tentative agreements were reached yesterday: Dow Jones accepted an IAPE proposal to require notification of a nine-month probation period for new employees in all offer letters, and the company agreed to add “gender identity and expression” as a protected characteristic within new anti-harassment language negotiated between the parties.

Dow Jones presented six changes to previous proposals: minimum scales, shift differential pay, stand-by pay, structure of seniority groups, notice of meetings and union membership for remote workers. See an IAPE explanation of those proposal changes here.

Dow Jones also withdrew a proposal to reduce the consideration period for employees eligible to volunteer for layoffs to seven days, as well as a proposal to remove any requirement to periodically provide the union with department head listings. Management said both proposals were withdrawn “to narrow the issues between” IAPE and Dow Jones.

When withdrawing the department head proposal, Dow Jones representatives suggested that IAPE “look at doing the same.” However, the union’s current proposal with regard to departments is to change how a “department” is defined in the collective agreement, to allow for greater seniority protection for employees.

Earlier in the day, IAPE delivered two requests seeking information about the makeup of company “task forces” investigating AI issues, and information about company health care costs for calendar years 2019-22, and projections for 2023-26.

On Thursday, IAPE and Dow Jones will discuss union proposals related to job classifications. Negotiations over all other issues will resume on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Bargaining Town Halls
Keep an eye out today for two meeting invites for our next set of Town Halls on Sept. 11 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT. Zoom capacity will be restricted to the first 300 attendees for each meeting.

#TshirtTuesday Tomorrow

IAPE members, whether you’re working from home, in an office or in the field tomorrow, we have a wardrobe suggestion for you: your favorite IAPE t-shirt.

Your IAPE bargaining committee will be back at the negotiating table again tomorrow morning and is calling for all union members to display their union support by wearing an IAPE shirt while at work. If you don’t have an IAPE tee, any red or black item will do. Remember to send your IAPE photos to union@iape1096.org.

Let’s all join together to show Dow Jones we won’t stand for substandard contract proposals from management! In case you missed last week’s news, Dow Jones was disappointed at the union’s response to its Aug. 8 proposal package. You may also have missed the company’s own negotiation update. We thought that message needed a few revisions.

Thanks for supporting your contract team!