Labor Relations

Negotiations Recap for November 13, 2015

This recap details the 24th session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and SEIU 1199, which expired as of July 1, 2015. This was the 12th session to be facilitated by State-appointed mediators.

SEIU 1199 Proposals

General Wage Increases – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposed general wage increases of 3.5 percent effective July 1, 2015, and another 3.5 percent effective July 1, 2016.

New Top Steps – SEIU 1199 proposed adding two new steps to the top of non-nurse pay tables and one new step to nursing pay tables, each one 3 percent greater than the step prior. Upon ratification, nurses and non-nurse employees who have been at the existing top step for more than one year would immediately advance one step, and those who had been on the top step for less than one year would advance on their periodic increment date. Non-nurse employees would move to the newly-added top step after being on the first new step for one year.

Eliminating “Flat” Steps – SEIU 1199 proposed that pay steps I, L, and N be adjusted such that they provide an increase from the previous step.

Standby Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to increase the premium for time spent on call to $6 per hour for all eligible employees.

Targeted Wage Increases – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposals for the following wage adjustments specific to individual job class series:

  • Vascular and Cardiac Lead Sonographers – Move from pay range 96 to range 99.

  • Flight Nurse Premium – $5 per hour flight nurse premium.

END Technologist Job Descriptions and Increases – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for UW to undertake a review of the Electroneurodiagnostic (END) Technologist series job descriptions and provide a response within 45 days of the contract’s ratification. The union proposed that END technologists receive a wage increase of at least 8 percent, regardless of the outcome of the review.

Healthcare Specialist Consolidation – SEIU 1199 proposed the consolidation of inpatient and outpatient healthcare specialists step for step, with payment retroactive to September 1, 2015.

Social Work Consolidation – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for the parties form a committee to explore the consolidation of the Social Worker 1 and 2 job classifications, and that effective July 1, 2015, employees in the Social Worker 1 job class be moved to the Social Worker 2 pay range.

The union proposed a 6 percent hourly premium pay for all licensed social workers, and that employees in the Social Worker Assistant 2 job class receive a 6 percent wage increase, both effective July 1, 2015.

Call Back and Prescheduled Standby Assignments

  • No New Mandatory Call – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to prohibit the hospital from introducing mandatory call anywhere without first reaching full agreement with the union.

  • Call Committee – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for a committee specific to call, to include physicians, management, and unit staff.

  • Premium Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for on-call employees who are called back and work more than 12 hours to be paid double their normal rate of pay for hours worked beyond 12.

  • Callback Relief – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to allow employees who have worked on-call within eight hours of their next scheduled shift to call out sick citing fatigue, to which they could apply annual leave, sick leave, or leave without pay.

Break Relief Nurses – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to add day shift break relief nurses to three additional acute care units one year from the contract’s ratification, and that all acute care units have day shift break relief nurses in place by June 30, 2017. The union proposed that the plan be implemented by the Staffing Committee and approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee.

Scholarships and Education Funding – SEIU 1199 withdrew its proposal for Harborview to pay into the SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund (“Training Fund”), and instead proposed increases to UW’s scholarship proposal, as follows:

  • Funds for Non-UW Programs: The union proposed increasing the annual pools of money allocated to employees to pursue nursing degrees beyond the UW Bothell program, as follows:

    • The union proposed $100,000 per year for Harborview nurses to attend a program to complete their BSN, MSN, or other advanced nursing practice degrees.

    • The union proposed $25,000 per year for non-nurses pursuing a nursing degree.

  • Repayment: The union removed UW’s language that would require an employee to repay scholarship funds granted to them in the event that their behavior necessitated termination prior to fulfillment of their three year commitment.

  • BSN Premium – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposed pay premium of $1 per hour for nurses holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Research/Hall Health Nurses

  • Research Nurse Wage Increases – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for the following wage increases for research nurses in addition to any across-the-board wage increases:

    • Research Nurse 1: 4 percent increase retroactive to July 1, 2015, and another 4 percent increase effective July 1, 2016.

    • Research Nurse 2: 3 percent increase retroactive to July 1, 2015, and another 3 percent increase effective July 1, 2016.

    UW presented SEIU 1199 with data showing that research nurse pay is already competitive, currently at 107.7 percent of the market.

  • Credit for Past Experience – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for UW’s evaluation of Hall Health nurse experience to result in salary step adjustments retroactive to July 1, 2015. UW’s proposal would provide additional wage step increases to eligible Hall Health nurse based on an evaluation of their experience.

Per Diem Nurses

  • Per Diem Hours Worked – SEIU 1199 proposed minor rewordings to UW’s proposal, such that management would provide the union with a report of all regular hours worked by union-represented per diem nurses in the prior calendar year, to be delivered at the first joint labor-management committee held in the new calendar year.

  • Per Diem Step Increases – SEIU 1199 accepted UW’s proposed process for per diem nurses to request step increases, which would guarantee that eligible nurses who have worked 1,872 hours since the last increment equivalent salary increase would receive a wage increase effective the date of their request.

  • Per Diem Float Premium – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for per diem nurses to be eligible to receive float pay.

  • Applicable Contract Provisions – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to add several more articles to the list of regular contract provisions that apply to per diem nurses.

UW Proposals

UW Package Proposal

UW put forth a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. As a condition of this package, the union would withdraw several of its economic proposals focused on specific employee groups. Provisions included:

Break Relief Nurses – UW would accept SEIU 1199’s proposed phase-in schedule, in which day shift break relief nurses would be added to three additional acute care units one year from the contract’s ratification, and that all acute care units have day shift break relief nurses in place by June 30, 2017. Individual units could use alternative models for break relief upon request.

Harborview Scholarships – UW augmented its previous proposal as follows:

  • Harborview/UW Bothell Program: UW maintained its proposal to grant scholarships of up to $14,000 each to up to 11 Harborview nurses accepted into the UW Bothell RN-to-BSN degree program offered on-site at Harborview.

  • Funds for Non-UW Programs: UW proposed an additional annual pool of up to $100,000 (up to $10,000 per employee) for Harborview nurses to attend a program to complete their BSN, MSN, or other advanced nursing degrees, and for non-nurses to complete a BSN. UW’s previous proposal was for a $10,000 annual pool for nurses and a $5,000 annual pool for non-nurses.

END Technologist Job Descriptions – UW maintained its proposal for the UW Compensation Office to undertake the union’s proposed review of the END Technologist series job descriptions, and provide a response within 60 days of the contract’s ratification.

Call Back and Prescheduled Standby Assignments – UW maintained its proposal for the parties to withdraw their outstanding proposals and revert to current contract language.

Harborview Standby Hours – UW maintained its proposed joint labor-management committee to meet, evaluate, and discuss issues related to standby hours at Harborview, including departmental utilization of standby assignments, number of standby hours being worked, and alternatives to utilizing standby assignments. The committee would include equal union and management representation, and would meet at least four times during calendar year 2016.

UW Per Diem Nurse Proposals

  • Per Diem Wage Differential – UW is proposing no change to the per diem nurse wage differential.

  • Per Diem Employment Information – In response to the union’s request, UW proposed incorporating language from the main contract on employment information.

  • Per Diem Corrective Action – In response to the union’s request, UW proposed incorporating language from the main contract regarding corrective action, reinforcing employees’ right to union representation at investigatory interviews where they reasonably believe corrective action could result.

  • Per Diem Nurse Overtime – UW maintained its last proposal with language memorializing that time worked beyond 40 hours in one week is considered overtime and will be paid at one and one-half times the regular rate of pay.

  • Per Diem Hours Worked – UW accepted SEIU 1199’s proposed amendments to language committing management to annually report regular per diem hours worked to the union. UW added language clarifying that the HR/Payroll Modernization project may impact UW’s ability to provide this information.

Tentative Agreements

Research/Hall Health Addendum – The parties reached a tentative agreement on an addendum specific to Research/Hall Health Nurses after clarifying and incorporating the newly agreed-upon grievability/arbitrability language from the main contract.

Per Diem Hours Worked – UW will provide the union with a report of all regular hours worked by union-represented per diem nurses in the prior calendar year, to be delivered at the first joint labor-management committee held in the new calendar year. The language acknowledges that the HR/Payroll Modernization project may impact UW’s ability to provide this information.

Next Steps

The next UW-SEIU 1199 bargaining session is scheduled for November 24. Since the contract has expired, the previous contract will remain in effect until the parties negotiate a successor agreement. Similar to the approach used across the University and in prior contract negotiations, UW has stated that it does not intend for wage increases to be applied retroactively, meaning wage increases would not begin before the new contract goes into effect.