Dow Jones, WSJ Union OK Tentative Deal

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

By SETH SUTEL

NEW YORK (AP) - Dow Jones & Co. (DJ) (DJ) has reached a tentative deal on a new contract with the union representing reporters at The Wall Street Journal, ending several months of sometimes contentious talks.

The board of the union, the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees, agreed Saturday to send the contract deal to its membership and recommend that they ratify it, Tom Lauricella, a Journal reporter who is vice president of the union, said Sunday.

The union had been at odds with Dow Jones management over several issues including pay and health care costs. The union posted a document on its Web site late Sunday saying the new contract offer included annual wage increases of 3 percent through 2009, compensation for jobs lost to outsourcing, and health care changes including new caps on out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Dow Jones spokeswoman Linda Dunbar declined to comment.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070917/D8RMSNTG0.html