UW – SEIU 1199 Negotiations Recap for May 12, 2017
Background
This recap details the 6th session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and SEIU 1199. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Airlift Northwest (ALNW) Discussion
UW Initial Proposals
UW presented initial proposals specific to the ALNW bargaining unit, including a proposal to consolidate all provisions applicable to ALNW in one article. Subsequent proposals included:
Flight Nurse Job Classification – UW proposed to incorporate the proper job classification titles to read Flight Nurse and Senior Flight Nurse.
Probationary Period – UW proposed language that would give the employer the option to extend the probationary period up to an additional six months.
Educational and Professional Leave – UW proposed language that would redefine educational programs as specifically those material to ALNW work and/or flight nursing.
Service Commitment – UW proposed language stating that nurses who relocate and leave prior to the end of their two year commitment would have the full or prorated reallocation allowance deducted from the employee’s next available pay check.
Committees – UW proposed to broaden the scope of provisions currently specific to the safety committee to apply to additional committees, including the standards and CPC committees.
Aircraft Out of Service – UW proposed to include two hours of drive time for Yakima in the provision allowing for paid travel time from another ALNW facility if staff is not back to their original base by the end of their shift.
Duty Rest Out of Town/Stuck Out of Town – UW proposed to replace “duty rest out of town” language with “stuck out town” language, for clarification of current practices. UW proposed language to clarify pay protocol based on how soon after duty time off a nurse returns from being stuck out of town.
Official Duty Station – UW proposed to add Bremerton to the list of ALNW’s current designated bases.
Nurse Replacement – UW proposed to eliminate language related to nurse replacement as the content is largely covered in the overtime provision.
Hours of Work – UW proposed language that would give the employer increased flexibility in scheduling.
UW proposed to eliminate language related to double shifts and shift rotation as those are not applicable for ALNW.
JLMs – UW proposed to hold JLMs quarterly, and have agenda items and release requests fourteen days in advance of the meeting to avoid cancellation.
Precepting – UW proposed language to redefine precepting as training beyond new employee orientation.
Premiums – UW proposed to eliminate shift differential premiums in favor of rolling the shift differential premiums into the base salary and putting the Flight RNs on their own pay ranges.
UW proposed to eliminate charge nurse premiums as ALNW does not have charge nurses.
SEIU 1199 Proposals
SEIU 1199 maintained their initial wage based proposals from the April 13 bargaining session, including:
- 6% across-the-board raises in July 2017 and July 2018
- $5.00 ALNW premium
- $3.75 float premium
- A new top step on the pay range
SEIU 1199 responded to some of UW’s initial proposals as follows:
Probationary Period – SEIU 1199 incorporated UW’s proposed language that would give the employer the option to extend the probationary period up to an additional six months, provided the extension would be in no more than three month increments.
Educational and Professional Leave – SEIU 1199 rejected UW’s proposed language that would redefine educational programs as specifically those material to ALNW work and/or flight nursing. UW agreed to retain current contract language.
Committees – SEIU 1199 proposed a placeholder for their counter proposal to address committees, which the union will draft at a later date.
Aircraft Out of Service – SEIU 1199 proposed to increase all drive times for paid travel by thirty minutes. UW countered with a thirty minute increase to Bellingham only.
Job Posting & Transfer – SEIU 1199 proposed a placeholder for their counter proposal to modify the existing provisions related to Job Posting & Transfer, to include language regarding service commitments.
Premiums – SEIU 1199 proposed to keep the charge nurse premium, and UW agreed.
The parties agreed to further discussions regarding the possibility of incorporating shift differential premiums into base pay.
Next Steps
The next UW-SEIU 1199 bargaining session is scheduled for May 16.