Labor Relations

Update on UW Negotiations with WFSE/SEIU 925 Coalition: September 21, 2016

UW has met with WFSE and SEIU 925 as a union coalition for 24 bargaining sessions. Two state-appointed neutral mediators have worked to help facilitate understanding between the parties.

The parties must submit completed contracts to the state’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) by September 30, which must first be ratified by each union’s membership.

Overview of UW’s Latest Proposals
UW has proposed improvements focused on several key union priorities, including wage progression, recruitment and retention, dignity and respect, and raising wages of UW’s lowest-paid workers.

Wage Progression
UW has made numerous targeted proposals to address concerns related to pay, career growth, and wage compression. UW’s proposals to date would give more room for wage growth to nearly 2,000 employees currently stuck at top steps:

Proposals include:

  • Custodial Series Range Increases: UW is proposing to increase the custodial series by four ranges to make room for more wage growth.
  • Skilled Trades Range Increases: UW is proposing to add six steps to the top of trades pay ranges to make room for more wage growth.
  • Administrative Range Increases: UW is proposing to reclassify numerous administrative job titles into a consolidated series, which includes providing range increases for a variety of staff to make room for more wage growth.
  • Supply Chain Range Increases: UW is proposing to reclassify UW Medicine Supply Chain Materials and Logistics staff into a consolidated series to better reflect the current work, which includes providing range increases for nearly all staff to make room for more wage growth.
  • Food Service Range Increases: UW is proposing range increases for a variety of food service staff to make room for more wage growth.
  • Animal Technician Range Increases: UW is proposing to increase the animal technician series by two ranges to make room for more wage growth.
  • Market Adjustments: UW is proposing market increases of 4-10 percent for a variety of staff in publishing, multimedia, and programming jobs.

Recognizing Staff Duties and Expertise
UW has proposed enhancements to recognize the work and skills of a variety of staff and support employee advancement, including:

  • Certification Pay: UW is proposing to introduce certification pay for Hospital Central Services Technicians and Surgical Technologists.
  • Infection Control Premium: UW is proposing a $1 per hour premium for consolidated laundry staff working in the Soiled Linen room.
  • Modality Pay: UW is proposing to expand modality pay to include the Imaging Technologist Computed Tomo, Imaging Technologist Mammography, Vascular Sonographer, and Vascular Sonographer Lead job classes.
  • CEGP Steps: UW is proposing to add merit-based Career Enhancement Growth Program (CEGP) steps to the top of WFSE pay tables.

Dignity, Respect, and Work-Life Enhancements
UW has made several proposals to advance shared union and management priorities around supporting UW’s diverse workforce, including:

  • Extended Leave Pilot: UW is proposing to allow leaves of up to six weeks for eligible Harborview employees, intended to help staff spend time with family in distant locations.
  • Respect and Workplace Behavior: UW is proposing language on fostering an environment of shared respect.
  • New Employee Orientation: The parties have tentatively agreed to language requiring new campus employees to attend a full-day new employee orientation, which would include a benefits orientation, to ensure that staff receive full and consistent information.

Broader Economics and Pay Plan Structure
UW has made proposals for more broad-based wage enhancements, including greater pay structure alignment across SEIU 925 and WFSE.

General Wage Increases – UW’s latest proposal includes the following across-the-board increases, which have continued to evolve as the parties move toward clarity on the total economic package:

  • July 1, 2017: 2 percent.
  • July 1, 2018: 1 percent.

Pay Table Harmonization – UW is proposing to increase values on three WFSE pay tables to match SEIU 925 pay tables, and vice versa with one SEIU 925 pay table, providing meaningful pay plan reform that is realistic within the limitations of UW’s current systems.

Unit Clarification – UW has made an initial proposal to address issues of job title/series fragmentation between SEIU 925 and WFSE, which would move 18 WFSE-represented employees into SEIU 925, and 19 SEIU 925 employees into WFSE.