Dow Jones: We Are Your Greatest Asset

October 28, 2019: Dow Jones is having a banner year and executives can’t stop talking about the company’s good fortunes. And it appears they have reason for celebration. Yet close to 1,300 hundred employees at the heart of its products and services are waiting on a wage proposal that properly reflects their contributions in that success. 

In an open-letter to CEO Will Lewis, 667 employees represented by IAPE Local 1096 from news, sales, technology, marketing, customer service and beyond helped explain why we are worth more. Our flexibility has helped the company remain agile in a dynamic industry leading to even greater prosperity in the form of more subscribers and lucrative corporate partnerships. 

It’s Your Turn, Dow Jones 

In 2016 the union was forced to accept 2% raises for three years amid corporate restructuring and layoffs. Now the company is seeing returns based on the sacrifices made by union members and we need a deal on wages that keeps pace. With what Dow Jones has offered, we won’t even keep up with inflation. The company is still seeking to eliminate the critical cost of living adjustment provision in our contract in a year when COLA comes in at nearly half a percentage point above the proposed guaranteed raise.

It is essential that we receive a higher wage proposal from the company to simply make sure our raises aren’t offset by higher expenses for health insurance. The rising cost of health care is one of the most pressing concerns for our members and our goal this year was to address the increased burden that has been shifted onto employees. We achieved a cost freeze for 2020 and reached agreement on caps to increases for each component of cost-sharing for the final two years of our contract.

In groundbreaking studies, the union has identified pay inequities at Dow Jones that disproportionately affect women and minorities. A higher set annual raise will help address troubling patterns with compensation we’ve uncovered and force the company to focus on improving its system for merit pay and valuing its employees. 

Bargaining 2019: 

IAPE’s bargaining committee started negotiations with a broad-ranging proposal in an effort to update a collective bargaining agreement that had fallen behind with changes at our company and in our industry. We have achieved a number of advancements for our successor contract, anticipated to be effective for three years, including battling back a move by the company to force employees onto an intrusive fitness benefit that raises serious privacy concerns. 

We have won protections for workers when jobs change or are transferred and around the company’s use of temporary employees. And we have open a proposal for guarantees in the event of a sale of the company or a division. On Thursday, our second 60-day contract extension expires and we are amplifying our collective voice to get a deal on pay that is worthy of our members’ contributions.  Quality news deserves a quality contract, and it’s time for Dow Jones to deliver. 

I Signed 

IAPE members are making their support known for the bargaining committee and our open letter outlining our case for a higher wage proposal for Dow Jones. 

Members, check out our latest campaign update for more information. 

Not too late to add your name

Though we have already hand-delivered the letter signed by 667 of our colleagues we are keeping open the digital signature option for members who didn’t get a chance to add their name to the online petition.  

Note: We will cross reference all entries with member rolls.