Union files unfair labor charges against Dow Jones

The union that represents business journalists at The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Marketwatch and Dow Jones Newswires has filed two unfair labor charges against Dow Jones & Co.

The union says that the charges cover the company’s decision to give extra vacation to everyone except union members, and its effort to turn what have been voluntary appearances on videos, podcasts and radio into mandatory activities.

In an e-mail to union members, President Steve Yount wrote, “In our contract bargaining, we have been proposing since November that all employees receive an extra week of vacation, as well as unlimited sick leave. Factiva already has this, but the company has insisted that it is impossible.

“Then, earlier this year, in an effort to keep Harborside people in Jersey City out of the union, management told them they would receive – surprise, surprise — an extra week of vacation and unlimited sick leave.

“Harborside joined IAPE anyhow. And a few weeks later, the company announced that everyone at Dow Jones would get the extra vacation and sick-leave – but not the new Harborside union members or any other union member.”