Steve Josefik — IAPE At 80

Remembering Key People And Events In Our Union's History

As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of IAPE, we'll take an occasional look back at key moments in our Union's history. Today, we remember one of the founding members of IAPE — originally known as the "Dow Jones News Department Employees Association of New York" — and his retirement from Dow Jones in 1975.

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From the IAPE Newsletter, April 1975

Josefik Retiring After 39 Years With DJ:
Helped Start Union in 1937

Steve Josefik with his wife, Ottie.

In May, 1937, a young reporter from Chicago, along with some other newsmen on the Wall Street Journal, got together and founded an association of Dow Jones employees. The young reporter was Steve Josefik, and he had been with DJ for little more than one year.

Today after 39 years with DJ - and 38 with IAPE, Steve Josefik is retiring - and going back to Chicago, with his wife of many years, "Ottie," formally Othelia. Daughter Duane and her son, Andrew, make up the rest of the family. The Josefiks have lived in Jackson Heights, a part of New York City in the borough of Queens, for a long time, but their roots are in the Midway of Chicagoland.

Steve has been more than one of the founders of IAPE. Some of his colleagues back in those days just before the start of World War II are names familiar to present day IAPE members - names like Bill Kerby, the late Bueron McCormack, John McCarthy - names you could find in the WSJ's publication box on the Editorial Page.

Steve has for years been the head of the Journal's commodity department in the New York bureau, reporting on the highly complex and often esoteric daily doings in the world of commodities. But he also remained an important leader of the union, including running the Bargaining Committee at countless sessions with management, and the union's membership organizing committee.

With Steve either heading the entire union as president, or guiding contract negotiations, IAPE achieved some of its most notable gains, including the union shop we now enjoy, and that memorable $39 compensatory raise in pay a few years ago.

In more recent months, Steve has served two terms as a Director, winning elections by overwhelming margins, since he has been the best-known of all the board members.

At a recent session of the union's Executive Committee, Steve took time out to reminisce a bit. "Back when we were forming IAPE, the then Personnel Director of DJ asked if we wanted him as the union's counsel. I told him, 'Not a chance.' When he asked why, I told him, 'Because you lost your first case.' I'm only sorry I didn't take him out of circulation at that time. He was such a pain in the posterior.''

As for today's generation of DJer and IAPErs, Steve has this bit of advice: "I strongly urge all members to keep together and retain the union in its present form, because it is the best they can get. It is your own union and it will be what you make of it.

"Above all, don't let 'little annoyances' bother you, because even though they may bother some people, they keep things interesting. God bless you all.''

Steve plans to do some writing when he gets back to Chicago - along with a lot of fishing, fresh water, for a change. He'll also keep an eye on Chicago's Board of Trade commodity market, in order to pass along any special advice to the WSJ. You see, you can take the man out of the newspaper business . . . etc. — R.B.