Labor Relations

Negotiations Recap for April 8, 2015

This recap details the 16th session for renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and UAW.

UW Proposals

Discipline or Dismissal – UW accepted the union’s proposal allowing ASEs who wish to request a conference with their supervisor and the union regarding a corrective action to do so within 14 days of its issuance. In response to UAW’s administrative leave concerns, UW proposed language clarifying that administrative leave is not discipline, and in cases where no disciplinary action is taken, the ASE would be notified accordingly and no record of such leave would be placed in their personnel file.

Workload – UW accepted UAW’s proposal that changes to assignment structure or to an ASE’s supervisory responsibilities be subjects of discussion between the affected ASE and their supervisor. UW maintained its proposed language clarifying the policy basis for hourly ASE appointments and schedules.

UW declined UAW’s proposal to enable the Union-Management Committee to create policy statements related to ASE workload, but maintained its proposal to foster discussion of workload issues such as class size.

Workspace and Materials – UW accepted the notion of UAW’s proposal to add “needed time with equipment to perform required research” to the list of resources made accessible to ASEs, provided that such research is a requirement of the ASE’s appointment.

UAW Proposals

Appointment and Reappointment Notification – UAW maintained its proposed expansion of the ASE job description to include a list of required tasks with corresponding time estimates, and the curricular purpose of the assignment when applicable.

Childcare – UAW maintained its proposal for UW to increase the childcare subsidy for each eligible ASE from $700 per quarter to $1,500 per quarter, and proposed increasing the annual union-wide usage limit from $40,000 to $250,000. UAW reasserted its proposal for any ASE receiving a subsidy through the UW Child Care Assistance program that is less than the amount provided to eligible ASEs through the contract to be automatically paid the difference.

UAW also proposed that to the extent UW has an active contract for sick child care services, qualifying ASEs will be eligible to participate with a one-time registration fee of no more than $5.

Grievance Procedure – UAW supplemented UW’s proposal to codify the parties’ rights to request grievance mediation, adding language to clarify that mediation would not prevent a grievance from being heard at arbitration.

Arbitration Hearing Pilot – UAW maintained its proposal for standing arbitration hearings to occur four times per year, rather than the UW’s proposed three hearings. UAW proposed language allowing for either party to cancel the pilot beginning in June of 2016.

Discipline or Dismissal – UAW conveyed that UW’s latest counter-proposal effectively addressed most of the union’s concerns, but maintained opposition to UW’s proposal to strike language that it deemed redundant.

UW Counter-proposals

Appointment and Reappointment Notification – UW accepted UAW’s proposed expansion of the ASE job description to include the curricular purpose of the assignment when applicable, and maintained its proposed language encouraging ASEs and supervisors to discuss the projected time estimates for the specific duties of the assignment.

Grievance Procedure – UW accepted the spirit of UAW’s proposed clarifications regarding grievance mediation, with minor language modifications.

Arbitration Hearing Pilot – UW agreed to UAW’s proposal for standing arbitration hearings to occur four times per year, and proposed adjusting UAW’s language to specify that the pilot would end after June 1, 2016.

Next Steps

The next UW-UAW bargaining session is scheduled for April 9.