Negotiations Recap for April 18, 2012
This recap details the third session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and UAW.
New Proposals
UAW began by presenting amendments to Articles 7 and 32 of the existing contract:
- Article 7 – Fee and Tuition Waivers
- UAW proposed an expansion to fee and tuition waivers, whereby ASEs working as little as 25 percent of a full-time equivalent, whether salaried or hourly, would be exempt from paying all campus-wide mandatory tuition and fees.
- Article 32 – Wages
- UAW proposed pegging ASE wages to the average compensation of institutions in the Global Challenge States by July 1, 2015.
- Until then, UAW proposed annual ASE wage increases that would match whichever is greatest each year between faculty raises, departmental raises, or a larger undetermined percentage raise toward the Global Challenge goal.
Continuing Discussion
UAW expressed that increasing ASE wages will make UW more attractive to prospective graduate students, citing institutions such as Cornell, USC, and Stanford as offering higher compensation.
UW recognized that the economic downturn at the state level has impacted employees across the University, and articulated the need to work toward a plan that will benefit and recognize all employees when the economy eventually improves.
Q Center Presentation
Leaders from the UW Q Center delivered a presentation on health insurance issues for transgender ASEs to promote parity between the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP) on transgender coverage.
UW voiced its appreciation for the Q Center mission and its effective presentation. UW agreed that such provisions are important for ASEs, and that the success with SHIP in promoting transgender equality establishes a sound foundation for trying to align GAIP.
UW Benefits will attend the April 23 and 25 meetings to address all proposed reform to ASE benefits.
The next UW/UAW bargaining session is scheduled for April 20.