DOW JONES UNION OF 2,500 VOTES TO JOIN CWA

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Independent Association of Publishers' Employees, an independent union representing some 2,500 employees at Dow Jones operations in the U.S. and Canada, has voted overwhelmingly for representation by the Communications Workers of America. IAPE members voted to affiliate with CWA by a 985-311 vote.

With this vote, IAPE members join their colleagues in journalism, broadcast and cable television and other information services in choosing CWA, the Information Age union.

CWA President Morton Bahr welcomed the newest affiliate, calling IAPE "an important addition to our union" and noted that IAPE was part of a growing information sector within CWA, including the Newspaper Guild, broadcast sector, printing and publishing, information services and other media. "The walls that, just a few years ago, divided telecommunications, broadcasting, journalism, media and other outlets no longer exist. More than ever, employees throughout the information sector find they are sharing employers and need the benefits of CWA representation."

The Dow Jones employees, who work at the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Dow Jones Information News Service and WBIS-TV, are looking to CWA as a strong resource in IAPE's ongoing contract negotiations with Dow Jones, said Ron Chen, a Wall Street Journal copy editor and president of IAPE.

Affiliation with CWA also will expand membership mobilization and IAPE organizing. "Our members need the resources of a large, international union. We need better organization, and the ability to mobilize our membership -- and CWA can help us develop those things," Chen said.

CWA represents more than 600,000 members in telecommunications, broadcasting and cable TV, journalism and publishing, health care, law enforcement, education and the public sector.