Categories: OLD Media Moves

Union recommends Dow Jones journalists ratify contract offer

The union that represents business journalists at Dow Jones & Co. properties such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Marketwatch is recommending that its members ratify the latest contract offer.

In an e-mail message, the union stated, “The IAPE Board of Directors has voted to send the Dow Jones contract offer , as amended September 14, 2007, reflecting a change in the formula for the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), to the membership with a recommendation that the package be ratified.

“Obviously, this contract is not everything that we wanted– and the Board believes it is short of the Quality Contract that you deserve as the people who, day in and day out, create one of the most trusted and respected products in the world. But the Board also believes– at this time, under these conditions– this is the best package available.

“The fact that this contract is better than any other contract recently negotiated in the newspaper industry is a testament to the incredible hard work of the IAPE bargaining team and the resolve of countless IAPE members across the country.”

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.