Labor Relations

UW – SEIU 1199 Negotiations Recap for June 1, 2017

Background

This recap details the 10th 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.

Airlift Northwest (ALNW) Discussion

The parties discussed proposals specific to the ALNW bargaining unit.

UW Proposals

UW maintained its proposal to consolidate all provisions applicable to ALNW in one article.  UW maintained its initial proposals presented on May 12, with the following exceptions:

Educational and Professional Leave – UW withdrew its proposal of language that would redefine educational programs as specifically those material to ALNW work and/or flight nursing.

UW proposed a compromise in which the employer would provide $600 in education support funds per FTE, per fiscal year.

Service Commitment – UW maintained its proposal that would require nurses who receive relocation funds and leave prior to the end of their two-year commitment to pay the full or prorated allowance deducted from the employee’s next available pay check.

Aircraft Out of Service – In response to SEIU 1199’s proposal, UW proposed a compromise to increase drive times for paid travel by thirty minutes to Bellingham and Olympia.

Official Duty Station – UW proposed to remove language stating that employees would be scheduled into the base at which they are hired, as some employees are not hired to a specific base.

JLMs UW withdrew its proposal to hold JLMs quarterly, and agreed to current contract language stating they would be held every other month.  UW maintained its proposal that would require agenda items and release requests fourteen days in advance of the meeting to avoid cancellation.

Premiums – UW proposed to eliminate shift differential, weekend, and certification premiums in favor of rolling the premiums into the base salary and putting the Flight RNs on their own pay ranges.

SEIU Proposals

SEIU 1199 maintained its initial proposals presented on May 12, with the following exceptions:

Educational and Professional Leave – SEIU 1199 proposed language in which the employer would provide $750 in education support funds per FTE, per fiscal year.

Service Commitment – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed to retain current contract language regarding service commitments for Juneau based flight nurses.

Committees – SEIU 1199 proposed language that would require the safety committee to be charged with maintaining an on-going tracking and charting system for all safety concerns, to be posted electronically and e-mailed to all employees after every safety committee meeting.

Aircraft Out of Service – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed a thirty minute increase to paid travel time to Yakima, totaling 2.5 hours.

Official Duty Station – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed to maintain language stating that employees would be scheduled into the base at which they are hired.

Nurse Replacement – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 proposed to retain current contract language regarding calculation of the pay rate for nurse replacement shifts.

Overtime – In response to UW’s proposal, SEIU 1199 maintained its interest in retaining current contract language stating that uncovered shifts or sick calls at designated bases would be offered to the official duty station nurses first then if they remained uncovered would be offered to other duty station nurses for coverage.

Next Steps

The next UW-SEIU 1199 bargaining session is scheduled for June 2.