Labor Relations

Negotiations Recap for January 29, 2013

This recap details the 17th session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW/Harborview and SEIU 1199, and the eighth session to be facilitated by neutral mediators.

UW/Harborview Presentation

UW/Harborview presented two package proposals, one for the Harborview master contract and one for the Airlift Northwest addendum. As presented, each package would need to be accepted in its entirety.

Harborview Package Proposal
Preceptor
UW/Harborview would add health care specialists, social workers, and electroneurodiagnostic (END) technologists to preceptor pay eligibility.
UW/Harborview would also expand what constitutes “precepting” to include working with students, under defined circumstances. Employees for whom such activity is a core function of their job, such as the “Social Worker 2” position, would not be eligible.
Rest Between Shifts
UW/Harborview would expand eligibility for rest between shifts premium pay to include anesthesia technicians and END technologists.
UW/Harborview proposed that nurses receive four hours of premium pay for any interruption to their designated rest period, as opposed to the guaranteed eight hours they currently receive. Most of Harborview’s peer hospitals pay nurses a premium for the actual amount of time worked within their designated time off.
Educational and Professional Development
UW/Harborview would provide increases, ranging from 20 percent to 300 percent, to the continuing education support funds available to each full-time equivalent (FTE). Employees at a 0.9 FTE would be considered full-time for purposes of this benefit, and would be eligible for the maximum amount.
As a condition, UW/Harborview would eliminate the practice of pooling unspent funds.
Airlift Northwest Package Proposal
Preceptor
Flight nurses would be eligible for a preceptor pay premium when working with emergency medicine residents, provided that specific criteria are met.
Educational and Professional Development
Airlift Northwest would increase the continuing education support funds for flight nurses from $300 to $500 per FTE. Similarly, employees at a 0.9 FTE would be considered full-time for purposes of this benefit, and would be eligible for the maximum amount.

Next Steps

The next UW/Harborview-SEIU 1199 bargaining session is scheduled for February 15.