UW – WSNA Negotiations Recap for May 10, 2017
Background
This recap details the 4th session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and WSNA. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
WSNA Proposals
Nondiscrimination – In response to UW’s proposal, WSNA largely rejected the UW’s proposal to standardize nondiscrimination language amongst collective bargaining agreements hospital wide. WSNA did propose incorporating language from UW’s proposal related to certain protected categories and to increase possible resolution options for a broader range of complaint types.
Probationary Period – In response to UW’s proposal, WSNA agreed to modify the definition of the probationary period to account for leave taken for military service. WSNA maintained their proposal to extend probation for any leave taken on a day-for-day basis, rejecting the UW’s proposal to extend the period until the employee’s next scheduled work day.
Holiday & Vacation Leave – WSNA maintained their proposed to keep the holiday and vacation provisions together in the contract. WSNA maintained their proposals to include holiday proration calculations for part time RNs, and for union members to be able to choose when to request and use their accrued holiday credit.
WSNA integrated UW’s proposal providing that holiday credit would be used or cashed out by June 30 of each year. WSNA integrated UW’s counter proposal to adjust the time frames for submission of peak period vacation requests to February and July, respectively.
MOU: Negotiation Team – In response to UW’s proposal, WSNA proposed language stating that they would make a good faith effort to recruit team members from different units.
UW Proposals
Implementation Cost – The UW provided a summary of implementation costs for the union’s monetary proposals. The union’s proposals would cost approximately $71.3 million over the 2017-2019 contract.
Work Week/Period – UW proposed to eliminate the work period option of 160 hours within 28 consecutive days, to allow the employer more flexibility in scheduling.
Layoff and Displacement Options – In response to WSNA’s proposal, UW incorporated language indicating that the employer would consider a nurse’s current shift when identifying funded vacant positions.
Next Steps
The next UW-WSNA bargaining session is scheduled for June 8.