Union, Dow Jones remain far apart on salary request

The union that represents business journalists at Dow Jones & Co. and the company held a negotiation session on Thursday but continued to differ on future salary increases.

The union, IAPE 1096, has asked for a 10 percent increase in 2023 and 8 percent increases in 2024 and 2025. The company, meanwhile, has been offering a 3 percent raise, according to the union.

The company has also offered 0.25% lump sum payment to offset health care premium increases. Those premiums, as proposed by the company, could result in up to 30% increases for those with dependents, according to the union.

The union notes that the company has seen record profits and could afford the pay hike.

Dow Jones, the parent of The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch.com, Barron’s and Investor’s Business Daily, reported a fourth-quarter profit of $133 million, a 25% increase from the same quarter a year ago and its highest profitability for both the quarter and the full year since News Corp. acquired the company in 2007.

The labor contract expired earlier this year. Talks will continue on Dec. 21.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.