Labor Relations

Negotiations Recap for March 15, 2016

This recap summarizes the 10th session between the UW and SEIU 925 to incorporate UWMC physical therapists into the SEIU 925-UW collective bargaining agreement.

Synopsis

Both parties exchanged proposals. UW proposed increases to its proposals on education funds and weekend differential, as well as a pilot weekend scheduling program based on the union’s prior input. The parties tentatively agreed on an 18-month period during which physical therapists’ pre-union parental leave would be grandfathered. The parties remain apart on a system for weekend scheduling, but are in conceptual agreement on a $1 per hour certification premium.

UW Proposals

Pay Range Placements – UW maintained its proposal to move physical therapists to SEIU 925 pay tables at the following pay range placements:

  • Physical Therapist 1: BG 91.

  • Physical Therapist 2: BG 98.

  • Physical Therapist 3: BH 5.

  • Physical Therapist Specialist: BH 12.

Transitioning physical therapists to the SEIU 925 pay tables in this way would automatically trigger a 1-3 percent wage increase, and would put physical therapist wages at roughly 95 percent of the market.

Per Diem Employees – UW maintained its proposal to memorialize that compensation and other conditions for per diem/hourly employees represented by the union are covered by the contract’s Regular Temporary Employees appendix.

Scheduling Weekend Work – UW maintained its proposal for a patterned schedule at UWMC composed of both fixed schedules (requiring a regular weekend shift) and rotating schedules dictated by staffing levels, as follows:

  • Ratio of Rotating to Fixed Shifts: At the time of each shift bid, UWMC would maintain a ratio of at least 1.75 : 1 for rotating to fixed shifts, intended to reflect the existing ratio.

  • Assigning Fixed Schedules: The fixed weekend schedules would first be offered to volunteers, following which, those remaining would be assigned according to departmental seniority.

  • Bidding Cycles: Physical therapists would bid for fixed/rotating schedules once every six months, and nobody would be required to work a fixed weekend schedule in consecutive rotations. UW maintained language clarifying that a newly hired physical therapist must complete a full rotation in a fixed weekend schedule before entering the rotating schedule.

  • Trial Period: UW’s proposed schedule would be in place for at least two years, after which it would remain if it met operational and staffing needs. If such needs were not met, UW would create a new schedule in accordance with the parties’ contract, and the union would have the right to bargain the impacts of the change.

Scheduling Pilot – In response to the union’s input, UW proposed a pilot whereby two physical therapists who volunteered to work weekend schedules would be assigned nine-hour shifts, including one fixed weekend day. To maintain this schedule, these employees would need to meet productivity standards over a six-month period.

This pilot would run concurrent with the implementation of UW’s proposed weekend schedule, and would last for at least two years from the date of agreement.

Education Support – UW proposed funding and paid leave for physical therapists to attend training that is related to their area of clinical practice, provided it would not create undue hardship in the department, as follows:

  • Education Support Funds: UW proposed further increases to funding amounts for education and training expenses, as follows:

    • UWMC Physical Therapists: Up to $300 per year, prorated per full-time equivalent (FTE) for hospital physical therapists.

    • Clinic Physical Therapists: Up to $500 per year (prorated per FTE) for physical therapists at the Stadium Clinic, Roosevelt Clinic, and Eastside Clinic.

    These amounts would apply from the effective date of the agreement until June 30, 2019, with a long term goal of working toward more uniformity among work sites.

  • Paid Education Leave: UW proposed that physical therapists qualify for three days of paid educational leave per year (prorated per FTE).

  • Compensatory Day: Physical therapists who attend approved educational opportunities on a day they are not scheduled to work would receive the equivalent of a day of pay or a day of accrued leave. This compensatory day would count toward the three days of annual education leave.

  • Past Funding: UW has delivered information demonstrating that budgeting and allocating education funds for physical therapists has varied greatly over recent years, and has not included a guaranteed minimum.

Parental Leave – The parties tentatively agreed to grandfather the six months of parental leave previously available to physical therapists (in their pre-union classification) for 18 months from the effective date of the agreement, following which, physical therapists would be eligible to take up to four months of parental leave per the parties’ existing contract. UW would attempt to grant additional parental leave, up to six months, when operationally feasible.

Weekend Differential Increases – UW put forth increases to its proposed two-tiered differential for weekend hours worked. Physical therapists on rotating weekend schedules would receive $1.75 per hour and physical therapists on fixed weekend schedules would receive $2.25 per hour.

Job Class Review – UW maintained its proposal to help facilitate the reclassification process between the Physical Therapist 1, 2, and 3 job classifications with the “leveling guide” delivered to the union, which summarizes the key components and differentiators between each of the jobs.

UW maintained that reclassification is determined by work that is actually performed, as well as language memorializing that work that a physical therapist is qualified to perform will not be withheld for the purpose of avoiding reclassification.

Vacations and Holidays – UW maintained its proposal for management to respond to vacation requests within 14 days, noting that sometimes a response within that timeframe will be a temporary denial pending coverage for the shift. Vacation requests and holiday rotations would otherwise follow existing policies. UW added that staffing for the NICU will be treated as separate from staffing for the rest of UWMC for the purpose of vacation scheduling.

Joint Labor-Management – UW maintained its proposal for the parties to establish a union-management meeting to monitor scheduling, staffing, productivity, and other issues of concern. UW added that the committee would initially meet at least quarterly, with the goal of meeting as necessary and at a departmental level.

SEIU 925 Package Proposal

SEIU 925 delivered the following proposals as a package, in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety.

Pay Range Placements – SEIU 925 maintained its proposed pay table placements for physical therapists:

  • Physical Therapist 1: BG 93.

  • Physical Therapist 2: BH 4.

  • Physical Therapist 3: BH 8.

  • Physical Therapist Specialist: BH 15.

Scheduling Weekend Work – SEIU 925 proposed that UW Medical Center schedule physical therapists such that 30 rotate and work every fourth weekend, and 14 work a fixed schedule with one weekend day, establishing a staffing ratio of at least 2.2 : 1 for rotating to fixed shifts.

  • Assigning Fixed Schedules: The fixed weekend schedules would first be offered to volunteers, following which, those remaining would be assigned in order of reverse departmental seniority.

  • Consecutive Rotations: Physical therapists employed prior to March 1, 2016, would not be required to work a fixed schedule in consecutive rotations. This would not apply to those hired after that date, who would be hired into fixed weekend schedules and bid based on seniority.

  • Variable Shift Lengths: Eight physical therapists in four pairs working weekend schedules could choose to work nine-hour shift schedules, and four employees in two pairs would have the option of a 10-hour shift schedule and working every other weekend. The 10-hour shift program would be a pilot that would last for at least two years.

  • Bidding Cycles: Physical therapists would bid for fixed/rotating schedules once every six months.

  • Trial Period: This proposed schedule would be in place for at least two years, after which it would remain if it met operational and staffing needs. If such needs were not met, the union proposed that the parties return to bargaining to develop an alternative solution.

Weekend Differential – SEIU 925 proposed a weekend pay differential of $4.00 per hour for physical therapists on the fixed weekend schedule, and $3.50 per hour for those on the rotating schedule.

Movement to Physical Therapist 3 – SEIU 925 maintained its proposal for employees to be automatically moved to the Physical Therapist 3 job class after working for one year in the Physical Therapist 2 job class.

Movement to Physical Therapist 2 – SEIU 925 maintained its proposal to memorialize that movement from Physical Therapist 1 to the Physical Therapist 2 job class is based on obtaining licensure.

Education Support – SEIU 925 maintained its proposed funding and paid leave for physical therapists as follows:

  • UWMC Physical Therapists: At least $500 per year per FTE, and at least three days of paid educational leave per year.

  • Ambulatory/Specialty Clinic Physical Therapists: At least $1,500 per year per FTE, and at least two days of paid educational leave per year.

Joint Labor-Management – SEIU 925 maintained its proposed language for the parties to hold union-management meetings every month to monitor scheduling, staffing, productivity, and other issues of concern. The union added language to allow cancellation of these meetings in the absence of agenda items.

Vacation – SEIU 925 proposed language delineating that up to three physical therapists that may utilize vacation time on a given weekday, and up to two on a weekend.

Next Steps

The next UW-SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for April 5.