Negotiations Recap for June 10, 2015
This recap details the sixth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and WSNA.
UW Package Proposal
UW put forth a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Provisions included:
Association Membership – UW declined WSNA’s proposal to require all UWMC nurses to join the union as dues-paying members, in favor of maintaining current contract language.
Rest Between Shifts — UW proposed standardizing the rest between shifts requirement, such that regardless of shift length, nurses not receiving unbroken rest 10 and one-half hours before the start of their next regularly scheduled shift would trigger the rest between shift premium.
Flexible Staffing – UW would withdraw its low census proposal and instead propose language establishing a system of voluntary leave in cases where UWMC’s staffing exceeds clinical needs. In such cases the unit would seek volunteers, beginning with nurses on overtime, to use leave without pay or accrued leave, and nurses on regularly scheduled shifts would not be mandated to use either.
Mandatory On-call – UW revised its previous proposal, such that scheduled call would be mandatory for Labor and Delivery, Intensive Care Units, and units on which scheduled call is already in place, now excluding the Emergency Department. Call would still be assigned on a voluntary basis, and if there are not enough volunteers, call would be assigned on an equitable rotational basis.
Wage Increases – UW increased its initial wage proposal to a 2 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2015, and a 1 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2016. UW declined WSNA’s proposal to add new steps 30, 31, and 32 to the top of the pay range.
Shift Premium – UW proposed that the parties maintain current contract language regarding shift premium.
Standby Premium – UW proposed that the parties maintain current contract language regarding standby premium, except for the parties’ existing agreement to increase the guaranteed minimum work period to three hours at a time and one-half rate to nurses when called in from standby.
Float Premium — UW maintained its proposal for newly hired nurses to become eligible for float premium upon successful completion of orientation rather than upon hire, to provide improved equity until fully trained to float.
ECLS Nurse Premium – UW proposed that nurses receive up to $6.50 per hour for time designated as Extra-Corporeal Life Support (“ECLS”) nurses ($2.50 for charge pay with $4 for ECLS).
Vascular Access Team Premium – UW proposed that nurses receive $4 per hour for time designated as Vascular Access Team nurses.
Staffing — UW maintained its proposed language committing UWMC to make a good faith effort to meet several staffing goals, such as including bargaining unit members on the staffing committee, providing the union with information from the staffing committee, and enabling nurses to receive rest and meal breaks and use accrued leave.
Leave Due to Child Care Emergencies — UW maintained its proposal to clarify that a child’s illness is not covered by this section, as well as its proposal for the use of vacation, sick, and leave without pay under this provision to be limited to three days total per calendar year.
Vacation Leave – UW declined WSNA’s proposal for nurses to receive a payout for accrued vacation hours in excess of 240 on their anniversary date, proposing that the parties maintain current contract language.
Successorship – UW declined WSNA’s proposed language detailing the role and rights of the union in the event that UW was to subcontract some of its operations to another party.
WSNA Package Proposal
WSNA put forth a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Provisions included:
Mandatory Union Membership — WSNA maintained its proposal for a union shop provision, whereby all UWMC nurses would be required to join the union as dues-paying members within 31 days of hire or changing from per diem to classified staff.
Rosters – WSNA would wait until UW completes the transition to its new HR/payroll system to discuss the addition of employee shift, home phone, cell phone, and unit to the list of employee data that UW reports to the union on a monthly basis.
Union Orientation – WSNA would accept UW’s proposal whereby nurses who are transferred into bargaining unit positions would be instructed to attend the union’s portion of orientation if they had not already attended it, and that in difficult scheduling situations the parties could agree to a comparable alternate WSNA orientation. WSNA proposed that UW provide to the union the names and contact information for such nurses within seven days of their entering the bargaining unit.
Probationary Period – WSNA proposed that nurses receive a documented evaluation halfway through the probationary period.
Rest Between Shifts – WSNA proposed that the parties maintain current contract language.
Rest Breaks – WSNA maintained its proposal to incorporate the parties’ existing memorandum of agreement and grievance settlement regarding rest breaks into the body of the contract.
Flexible Staffing – WSNA would accept UW’s proposed language establishing a system of voluntary leave in cases where UWMC’s staffing exceeds clinical needs, with minor adjustments.
Mandatory On-call – WSNA declined UW’s proposal for scheduled mandatory call in certain areas.
Tuition Exemption — WSNA proposed that the parties maintain current contract language.
General Wage Increases — WSNA proposed a 5 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2015, and a 5 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2016.
New Pay Steps — WSNA proposed adding a new step 30, to provide for a 3 percent increase from step 29.
Shift Premium – WSNA maintained its proposal to increase the second (evening) shift premium from $2.50 to $2.75 per hour, and the third (night) shift differential from $4.25 to $4.50 per hour.
Standby Premium – WSNA would withdraw its proposal for standby premium to be paid atop the premium rate already awarded (time and one-half) when nurses are called in from standby status.
Float Premium — WSNA proposed that newly hired new graduate nurses become eligible for float premium upon successful completion of orientation or at three months, whichever occurs first.
Nursing Masters Degrees – WSNA proposed memorializing that nurses receive a one-step pay increase for attaining a Masters in Nursing or Masters of Science in Nursing degree.
ECLS Nurse and Vascular Access Team Premiums – WSNA would accept UW’s proposed premiums for time designated as Extra-Corporeal Life Support (“ECLS”) nurses or as Vascular Access Team nurses.
Parking – WSNA would withdraw its proposal for UW to provide nurses with free parking in remote parking lots with free shuttle service to UWMC.
Staffing – WSNA put forth revisions to UW’s staffing proposal, including allowing for the content of staffing plans to be subject to the grievance procedure.
Leave Accruals – WSNA would withdraw its proposal for nurse vacation and sick leave accrual to be determined by actual hours worked rather than a nurse’s scheduled FTE (full-time equivalent).
Faith/Conscience Day — WSNA would accept UW’s proposal to memorialize WAC 82-56, whereby leave without pay would be granted for up to two workdays per calendar year for reason of faith or conscience. Such requests could only be denied if the employee’s absence would create undue hardship (per WAC 82-56) or if the employee is necessary to maintain public safety.
Granting Vacation Leave – WSNA would withdraw its proposal for UW to grant vacation requests totaling at least 90 percent of the aggregate accrued annual leave of the bargaining unit for that calendar year.
Vacation Leave Payout – WSNA maintained its proposal for nurses to receive a payout for all accrued vacation hours in excess of 240 on their anniversary date, rather than losing such accruals.
Leave Due to Child Care Emergencies – WSNA proposed that the parties maintain current contract language.
Successorship – WSNA would withdraw its proposed language detailing the role and rights of the union in the event that UW was to subcontract some of its operations to another party.
Next Steps
The next UW-WSNA bargaining session is scheduled for June 15.