Labor Relations

UW – SEIU 1199 Negotiations Recap for May 26, 2017

Background

This recap details the 8th session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and SEIU 1199. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

The parties signed tentative agreements to close the following provisions:

  • Article 5 – Union Dues Deduction
  • Article 16 – Sick Leave
  • Appendix II – Nonassociation Fee Process
  • New Article – Civil/Jury Duty Leave and Bereavement Leave
  • New MOU – Union Roster Reports Post Workday Implementation

Compensation Discussion

Milliman Study – UW presented an analysis of how compensation for UW/Harborview employees compares to that of employees in Harborview’s market of competing organizations, including EvergreenHealth, Valley Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Virginia Mason Medical Center. The analysis was derived from a classified staff salary study conducted for UW HR by third-party compensation experts at Milliman in fall of 2016.

Philosophy – UW HR’s general compensation philosophy for the broader University is to pay at 80 percent of the market median, in part because UW’s robust benefits package exceeds the market. However, for nurses and other healthcare workers UW targets to pay at 90 percent of the market median. The market median, or “market,” for UW is the point at which half of UW’s comparators pay below UW and half pay above.

Findings – Many UW/Harborview job classifications are paid very near the market, including nurses at 97 percent of the market 50th percentile, social workers at 105 percent of the market 50th percentile, and imaging technologists at 101 percent of the market 50th percentile. This does not factor in UW’s above-market benefits such as healthcare and retirement.

Social Worker Assistant 2’s were evaluated separately by UW HR Compensation, and were found to be paid at 101 percent of the market 50th percentile.

UW Proposals

Committees – UW proposed a compromise in which agenda items and release requests would be provided ten days in advance of a committee meeting.

UW withdrew its proposal to strike language regarding unit leadership training and multi-disciplinary meetings, but maintained interest in striking language requiring JLMs to occur within thirty days of an issue request.

UW maintained its position to hold committee meetings quarterly or otherwise as needed.

Mandatory Subjects – UW proposed a compromise that would give the union thirty-five days to request negotiations on the impacts on working conditions of mandatory subjects of bargaining.

UW maintained its interest that the parties begin to bargain within thirty days of receipt of a request to bargain.

Schedule Options – In response to SEIU 1199’s proposal, UW proposed to revert to current contract language allowing for fixed scheduled shifts and hours or adjustable shifts for health care specialists and social workers, adding that the schedule selection would be subject to approval by the manager/supervisor.

UW maintained its interest in retaining the right to adjust work schedules to maintain an efficient and orderly operation.

Rest Between Shifts – UW proposed a compromise in which the employer would make a good faith effort to provide each employee at least ten hours off duty between shifts.

Shift Rotation – UW proposed a compromise to retain current contract language regarding shift rotation.

Temporary Employees – In response to SEIU 1199’s proposal, UW proposed no further expansion of articles pertaining to temporary employees, and to retain current contract language.

MOU: Standby – UW proposed a new MOU in which either party could request an ad hoc JLM to develop a set of guidelines for departments that utilize mandatory standby.  Release time would be paid for up to three union members to attend the JLM.

MOU: Break Relief – UW maintained its proposal that would allow the break relief MOU to expire, as the cost prohibits the expansion of break relief beyond the current acute care dayshift staffing over the next contract cycle.

MOU: 2019-2021 Negotiations – UW proposed an MOU that would memorialize certain ground rules for the 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement negotiations, including:

  • The parties would exchange at least ten available dates for bargaining by November 15, 2018
  • The parties would being bargaining between January 2 and January 20 of 2019
  • The employer would provide paid release time for the first twelve days of negotiations, for up to fifteen union team members
  • All employees wishing to participate in bargaining would be required to request time off in accordance with normal leave policies

SEIU 1199 Proposals

Economic Proposals

Wages – SEIU 1199 proposed to increase wages across the board by 6% on July 1, 2017, 4% on July 1, 2018, and 1% on January 1, 2019.

Market Adjustments – SEIU 1199 proposed market adjustments (in addition to across the board increases) of 8% for health care specialists and 6% for ENDs.

SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for an 8% market adjustment for social work assistants.

Premium Pay – SEIU maintained its proposals for new and increased per hour premiums for the following:

  • Stat RNs – $2.50 charge pay (in addition to float premium)
  • ECMO RNs and R.T.s – $6.50
  • Radiology RNs – $3.75
  • Emergency RNs – $2.00
  • RNs with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree – $1.00
  • Ultrasound technicians (specifically related to dictation duties) – $2.00
  • Certification pay increase to $1.25

On-Call Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to increase on-call pay for all relevant positions, except registered nurses.

Float Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to add float pay for select Airlift Northwest RNs, per diem RNs, and technology float positions.

Preceptor Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to add preceptor pay for pharmacy technicians.

Pay Scale Adjustments – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal to add one top step to all department pay scales and a second top step for MIT supervisors and QA/ED techs.

The union maintained its proposal for an adjustment to the pay scale for Hall Health RNs so that pay is more commensurate with experience.

The union maintained its proposal for filling in two ghost steps on the pay scale for social workers, pharmacy technicians, ENDs, and ATs.

Retroactive Pay – SEIU 1199 maintained its proposal for 100% retroactive pay to union members if contract negotiations go past July 1, 2017.

Other Proposals

Bargaining Unit Classes/Definitions – The union maintained its proposal that would allow for an HR review if a part-time employee is believed to have been working full-time hours for over six months.

The union rejected UW’s proposal to allow the parties to extend the probationary period, in favor of retaining current contract language.

The union proposed a compromise that would require employees to notify their appointing authority within thirty-six hours of the expiration, restriction, revocation, or suspension of a work-related license or certification.

The union maintained its interest in retaining the current contract definitions of precepting and certification.

Privacy – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed that the employer would include a copy of any relevant public disclosure request and the expected date of release of the requested information in a notice to an affected employee and the union.

MOU: Reporting Hours Worked for Per Diem Nurses – SEIU 1199 maintained its interest in retaining the reporting hours MOU, even though the information should soon be coming from Workday.

Market Adjustments – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed to retain language in Side Letter A that would provide for the parties to meet at least quarterly to address and bargain wage issues based on market adjustments, and recruitment and retention issues.

Next Steps

The next UW-SEIU 1199 bargaining session is scheduled for May 31.