Evan IS Free Now!

490 days after he was unjustly detained by Russian authorities, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is finally coming home.

Once reports of a prisoner exchange, possibly involving Evan and others, started filtering out of Russia on Wednesday, Journal colleagues were hopeful and cautiously optimistic, but reluctant to make or share any comments until the news everyone had hoped for was 100% verified.

WSJ Editor in Chief Emma Tucker confirmed the news we all have been hoping for in a statement this morning.

“A few moments ago, Evan walked free from a Russian plane,” Tucker wrote, in an email to staff. “He will shortly be on a flight back to the U.S. I cannot even begin to describe the immense happiness and relief that this news brings and I know all of you will feel the same. This is a day of great joy for Evan and his family, and a historic day for The Wall Street Journal.”

“The strength, determination and resilience that Evan, his parents and his sister maintained throughout this long ordeal have been incredible. They have been an inspiration to all of us in the newsroom, to colleagues across the company and to supporters who have campaigned so hard for his release.”

Tucker assured staff that the company intends to continue supporting Evan after this ordeal. “We have a plan in place to ensure Evan is well looked after,” she said. “We want him to take as much time as he needs to recuperate privately and are doing everything we can to support him and his family.”

WSJ staffers have publicly refuted the ridiculous assertion that their colleague was a spy since Evan was first detained on March 30, 2023. Family, friends and colleagues insisted Evan was innocent of trumped up charges through the conclusion of a sham trial two weeks ago, when he was sentenced to serve 16 years in a Russian prison.

Throughout Evan’s unjust detention, co-workers shared Evan’s incredible work covering Russia and Ukraine. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Evan’s release “immediately and without conditions.” NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss urged the Biden administration to “take all necessary steps” to secure Evan’s release from prison.

“Journalism is not a crime,” Schleuss wrote. “No journalist should be arrested for doing their job.”

WSJ Editor in Chief Emma Tucker had encouraged staff to use the hashtag #istandwithevan in social-media posts after Evan’s arrest. IAPE members, Dow Jones employees and supporters everywhere quickly changed their social media avatars and members distributed “Free Evan Now” buttons as fast as IAPE could deliver them.

And now, we are finally able to change that message.

Evan IS free now. Welcome home, Evan.

Be a Steward!

And join us Wednesday for steward training

IAPE is on the lookout for new stewards to join our ranks of volunteers. Stewards are regular union members who talk with fellow members, identify common issues and problem solve, all to create a more positive work environment.

We have some exciting training opportunities—starting tomorrow evening—to help you kick off your role as an IAPE steward. “Organizing and Outreach” will explore how to talk to colleagues and keep people connected and engaged with IAPE in between contract negotiations. We’ll talk about the importance of listening, how to make new connections, and tips on moving colleagues to action. And, of course, we’ll practice!

This session will be held Wednesday, July 31 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. EDT. Register for this Zoom event at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuf--vqjwtGN0Ld7-yvWxsd7qIcJqo30d6

For other upcoming IAPE steward training classes, see our Events Page!

WSJ: Stand for Press Freedom, Reinstate Selina!

Join the call for Selina Cheng to be reinstated!

On July 17, 2024 Selina Cheng was terminated by The Wall Street Journal after she refused her supervisor’s request to withdraw from an election in Hong Kong’s leading media professional group.

Cheng was told she was fired because of restructuring, but believes that the real reason was her election as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, a trade union for journalists that advocates for press freedom.

Cheng has issued a statement claiming her WSJ supervisor told her that employees of the Journal should not be seen as advocating for press freedom in a place like Hong Kong.

If true, we find this behavior unconscionable.

We call on The Wall Street Journal to restore Cheng to her former position and to provide a full explanation for management’s decision to dismiss her.

The Wall Street Journal should fight for press freedom and stand with journalists, as it is doing by fighting the unjust imprisonment of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia.

In the United States and in Canada it is illegal to discriminate or terminate an employee for showing support for a union. Unfortunately because Cheng is overseas, she can’t be represented by the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees, a local union of The NewsGuild-CWA. However, IAPE and NewsGuild members stand with Selina Cheng.

Join the support for Selina by signing our petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/wsj-stand-for-press-freedom-reinstate-selina

Town Halls, Comp Time and More

Some Monday afternoon reminders

IAPE members, don’t forget to register for one of this week’s Town Hall meetings! IAPE officers, directors, stewards and staff are hosting open forums to talk about new contract changes, and address your questions. IAPE reps will also talk about exciting opportunities to get involved with your union and how to keep IAPE moving forward!

Members can choose from two sessions: Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT and Thursday, July 25 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. To receive your remote meeting calendar invitation, register here!

Union members are also invited to attend IAPE steward training sessions on July 31, Aug. 13 and Aug. 29, and a legislative information session hosted by our parents union, The NewsGuild-CWA tomorrow evening. See the IAPE Events Page for details and registration links.

How Was Your Weekend?
Nothing like breaking news to disrupt a weekend, right? Or a worldwide software outage? Or mandatory overtime?

Whether you work in News and needed to join in on unscheduled coverage over the past two weekends, or you’re a Technology employee assigned Saturday work to make sure systems are running smoothly, or a member in Due Diligence required to clean up a backlog of reports, chances are you’re entitled to extra compensation.

Do you know how to file for that?

Overtime-exempt members are entitled to Comp Time whenever they are assigned work on Scheduled Days Off—members can claim a maximum of eight hours of work per SDO at 1.5X for a total of twelve hours of comp time per day—which can be used as soon as you can schedule time off, or can be cashed out after 30 days.

Overtime-eligible employees are entitled to 1.5X pay anytime a manager assigns work in excess of seven hours in one day, or 35 hours in a regular week.

For more details, see IAPE advisories on Comp Time and overtime pay. If you have any questions about eligibility or filing for your time, contact the union office.

IAPE Town Halls, Steward Training and More!

Events! We have events!

Join your fellow members for upcoming IAPE events! Choose from two union Town Hall meetings to discuss the new contract between IAPE and Dow Jones, and attend one of IAPE’s new steward education classes and learn how to engage with fellow members.

As an added bonus, all IAPE members are invited to attend an information session hosted by representatives from The NewsGuild-CWA.

Visit the IAPE Events Page for details, or scroll below for more info and registration links:

IAPE Contract Town Hall
Join union officers, directors, stewards and staff for a town hall meeting to talk about our new contract! It has been over one month since IAPE and Dow Jones reached agreement on a four-year deal, and three weeks since members voted overwhelmingly to approve a new collective bargaining agreement.

So, let's get together to talk about new contract changes, and address any questions you might have. IAPE reps will also talk about exciting opportunities to get involved with your union and how to keep IAPE moving forward!

We have two remote meeting sessions to choose from: Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT and Thursday, July 25 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Select your choice and register here: https://forms.gle/SCkXEEkgVL1cXQSy7

NewsGuild Legislative Info Session
Tuesday, July 23 - 8:00 p.m. EDT

Hear about two recent TNG-CWA journalism legislative wins in New York State and Illinois and get updates on the ongoing fight to take on big tech and pass strong pro-journalist legislation in California.

https://bit.ly/3zBG00Y

First IAPE steward training: Organizing and Outreach
Wednesday, July 31 - 7:00 p.m. EDT

Come learn more about how to talk to colleagues and keep people connected and engaged in between contract negotiations. We’ll talk about the importance of listening, how to make new connections, and tips on moving colleagues to action. And, of course, we’ll practice!

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuf--vqjwtGN0Ld7-yvWxsd7qIcJqo30d6

Second IAPE steward training: Contract Enforcement and Education
Tuesday, August 13 - 7:00 p.m. EDT

This training will focus on the role of stewards in educating their fellow members about their rights under the contract and how to enforce those standards and protections. We’ll discuss how to listen and learn from fellow members, as well as ways of keeping folks connected and informed.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkceGurDgjGdc3HyxkRAx1J9jAbqeOIMrq

Third IAPE steward training: Union Representation and Legal Rights
Thursday, August 29 - 7:00 p.m. EDT

Our last session will go over the specific legal rights of stewards and their roles as union representatives. We’ll practice that member advocacy, and we’ll learn about the details of IAPE’s processes for discipline and grievances.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcuitrTkvHdCg5uTObFSYjnmkBh6-6Yi-

Celebrate the Contract!

Now that a contract between IAPE and Dow Jones has been ratified, it’s time to celebrate! Catered lunch courtesy of the union will be served on Wednesday, July 17 in New York and Princeton—with more being planned for our other offices.

New York folks will start at 1:30 p.m. EDT at the Central Park conference room for some Dig before migrating down to eat at the third floor cafeteria. Members in Princeton will meet at 12:00 p.m. EDT at the IAPE office.

For our remote coworkers, please join us on Google Meet. We’ll send a link the day of so look out for an email.

But wait, there’s more!

If you're in New York, members are also hosting an "unofficial" happy hour after work near 1211 (location TBD). This portion of the day is NOT on IAPE’s tab, but we still encourage you to come and celebrate with us if you're able! Let's toast to our collective power and discuss all the options we have to keep it going.

FYIAPE: New Disciplinary Meeting Procedures

In addition to pay raises, the recent contract agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones produced changes to several sections of contract language. Included among those are new procedures when an IAPE-represented employee is summoned to an investigatory or disciplinary meeting.

Under the former contract, management was generally required to provide an IAPE-represented employee with three hours’ advance notice of a meeting, and needed to advise the employee of their right to request union representation.

The new agreement reduces that advance notice to two hours—or a single hour if management confirms the availability of an IAPE representative beforehand—and the company now has an obligation to provide simultaneous notice to both the employee and IAPE.

This new requirement applies to investigatory and disciplinary meetings. The new contract will also confirm that meetings where employees are terminated qualify as disciplinary.

These new procedures were supposed to take effect upon ratification of the new agreement, though a handful of members were summoned to meetings last week without the required notice provided to IAPE. But hey, mistakes occasionally happen. It is understandable that it might take time for Dow Jones managers to become fully aware of all new contract terms.

Similarly, it is understandable that an employee might believe a manager has their best interests at heart, and isn’t compiling a memo of trumped up performance complaints to lay the groundwork for a bogus dismissal.

We digress.

Even with the presence of this new contract language, if you receive an invitation to an investigatory or disciplinary meeting, the union strongly recommends that you reach out for assistance. If you don’t hear from us first, contact IAPE at union@iape1096.org.

Warnings, Rights and the PIPs
An uptick in disciplinary meetings at Dow Jones—union representatives are on pace to represent twice as many members during meetings with management and HR in 2024 as they did in 2023—has prompted IAPE to rethink how the union addresses performance warnings, progressive discipline, and performance expectations from management, sometimes referred to a “performance improvement plans” or “PIPs.”

For starters, IAPE is currently pursuing five active grievances challenging performance warnings issued to members and is considering several more.

A grievance, however, is only a partial solution, and the grievance process can take a very long time to play out. What should a member who receives a performance warning do to protect themselves in the meantime?

IAPE Vice President and Grievance Committee Chair Tricia Corley and IAPE Secretary Tim Merle—along with input from the IAPE Board of Directors—have prepared this Member FAQ as a handy guide to performance warnings and investigations at Dow Jones.

Covering everything from what to do to who to trust, this guide addresses questions many members ask, and some that they should. If you don’t have time to give it a read today, you’ll be able to find it again linked under the Resources tab on the IAPE website.

Raises and Retro: See You in September

Dow Jones has advised IAPE that pay increases, retroactive pay and lump sum bonuses resulting from the new collective bargaining agreement between the company and the union will likely be processed and paid with Sept. 5 pay deposits.

Many thanks to our hard-working members in the Dow Jones Payroll department who are busily processing thousands of pay rate changes for union and non-union staff, as well as updating IAPE pay tiers and scales for more than 300 classified job titles for the first time since 2021.

IAPE Slack: We’re Still Here!
The IAPE/DJ contract may be settled, but the union conversation in Slack continues! Are you a union Slack member? If not, you’re missing out on current news, maybe a little gossip, and important tips—like what to do if you find yourself invited to a disciplinary meeting!

Join the conversation—request your access to IAPE slack here.

CONTRACT RATIFIED!

Record turnout approves new four-year deal

IAPE members have voted by an overwhelming margin to approve a new contract with Dow Jones & Company.

Following the conclusion of a weeklong online voting period, election provider TrueBallot Inc. certified that IAPE members accepted a tentative agreement by a 97% margin. 1,042 union members voted to approve the deal, compared to 29 members voting to reject.

Nearly 81% of eligible IAPE voters cast a ballot during the ratification process, a new record-high turnout for the union.

“Visible membership support and participation were the only reasons IAPE was able to negotiate this industry-leading contract,” said IAPE President Jodi Green. “It is no surprise our members continued to speak loudly during ratification, and voted in record numbers.”

IAPE informed company officials of the election results earlier this morning.

With a new contract in place, Dow Jones will soon begin processing combined year one and two pay increases of 8.00%, retroactive pay increases of 4.25% with minimum payments of $4,250, and ratification bonuses equal to the greater of $1,000 or 1.00% of pay.

Additional raises of 3.75% will be paid on July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026. When introductory scale increases and minimum dollar pay raises are factored in, the new contract will increase pay for IAPE-represented employees by 16.43% by the time it expires on June 30. 2027.

The new agreement also increases shift differential payments and standby pay rates by approximately 11% and makes more members eligible to sell one week of vacation back to the company each year. Covered employees working in the United States will also receive the Day After Thanksgiving as a paid holiday.

The union preserved its annual $700 physical fitness reimbursement, eliminated a distinction between primary and secondary caregivers eligible for paid parental leave and adopted a new bereavement leave policy providing five days of paid leave without any familial connection to the deceased.

IAPE successfully beat back several company proposals to increase health insurance plan copayments, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket limits. Dow Jones achieved flexibility to increase insurance plan premiums for employees with dependents in 2025 and 2026, and for all staff in 2027, but the union preserved a freeze on premium rates through the end of 2024.

IAPE also negotiated a cap of three in-office working days through Dec. 31, 2024.

New seniority rules will create larger departments for purposes of increasing job security for longer-tenured employees, and News members working in remote bureaus, with three or fewer will be included with the rest of their department, wherever their manager is situated, when determining seniority protection.

Seniority windows have been increased to three years for new hires and two years for members with more than three years of service. When Dow Jones elects to eliminate positions within these windows, but outside of strict seniority order, it will be required to pay an additional two weeks of severance pay.

The company will also be required to pay four weeks’ extra severance when positions are eliminated as a result of the introduction of new technology and will be required to provide additional notice to employees and the union when new technology or artificial intelligence makes layoffs necessary. Dow Jones will not be permitted to use voice recordings to create AI-generated speech without an employee’s consent.

A contractual exclusion for Wall Street Journal Photo Editors, who voted to join the IAPE bargaining unit in 2023, will be removed from the new agreement. Several other contract language modifications were achieved, including a requirement for the company to notify both the employee and the union at least two hours in advance of a disciplinary meeting, or with one hour’s notice when Dow Jones is able to confirm the availability of an IAPE representative.

IAPE and Dow Jones representatives will continue to meet to transform the tentative agreement into final contract language. A new collective bargaining agreement document will be distributed as soon as it is available.

Last Chance to Vote!

Ratification results to be announced Monday

IAPE members who have not yet voted on the union’s tentative contract agreement have until Saturday at noon EDT to cast their vote.

According to TrueBallot Inc., IAPE’s election provider, nearly 75% of all eligible members had voted through the end of the day Thursday. That rate of return has already surpassed the union’s previous record-high, 67.4% of all members during ratification for the 2022 collective agreement.

Invitations to vote via TrueBallot’s online system were delivered on Monday to Dow Jones email addresses on file for all eligible members. If you would like to vote before tomorrow’s deadline but you misplaced your ballot, or you don’t believe you received one in the first place (TIP: check your spam and Proofpoint filters!), email union@iape1096.org to request a replacement.

What’s Next for IAPE?
Results of the contract ratification vote—expected to be announced to members on Monday morning—will determine the union’s priorities for the foreseeable future. If IAPE members vote to accept the agreement, a new contract with Dow Jones will be in place through June 30, 2027.

IAPE representatives are already planning future Contract 101 sessions to continue explaining all the provisions of a new contract—what’s changing, what isn’t, and how members can use contract terms to their advantage.

We’ll have many opportunities for IAPE members to get involved with their union, including committees and working groups and social events just to name a few. We’ll maintain the successful IAPE Slack as a space for union members to communicate and share updates, and we’ll have more in-person events and ways for members to connect with union officials, staff, board members, stewards and—most importantly—each other.

Stay tuned for updates. To get involved in planning IAPE activities, send a note to union@iape1096.org.

Happy Holidays!
Best long-weekend wishes to IAPE members north of the border, who will celebrate Canada Day on Monday. Here in the United States, we’re all looking forward to Independence Day next Thursday, both for the holiday itself, and because that’s the date our contract’s Holiday Pay provisions change through the end of the calendar year.

Whenever an IAPE-represented employee is required to work on a contract holiday, they are entitled to 1.5X pay for all regular hours worked and 2X pay for hours in excess of a regular day. This rule applies to all employees, regardless of overtime status.

In addition to the time-and-one half or double-time pay, members working on a holiday are also entitled to an additional day off to be used later in the year, or an additional day’s pay.

For all holidays after July 3 in any calendar year, the discretion to choose the extra day or extra pay belongs to the employee.

So, whether you celebrate your holiday on Monday or Thursday, if you are required to work, make sure you file your Holiday Pay claim in Workday. If you work any holiday between July 3 and Dec. 31, please also remember to let your manager know whether you want extra time or extra cash. The choice is yours!