UW – UAW Negotiations Recap for April 25, 2018
Background
This recap details the fourteenth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and UAW, set to expire on April 30, 2018. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Package Proposals
The parties each presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety.
Childcare
UW Proposal: The Employer maintained its most recent proposal to increase the funds to $1,250 per quarter per eligible ASE for childcare expenses, and cap the University’s commitment to ASE childcare expenses at $45,000.
UAW Proposal: UAW maintained its most recent proposal to increase the funds to $1,500 per quarter per eligible ASE for childcare expenses, and increase the University’s commitment to ASE childcare expenses from $45,000 to $75,000.
Regularly Scheduled Arbitration Hearings
The parties tentatively agreed to language proposing a deadline of forty-five days prior to the scheduled arbitration hearing, in which the parties would agree upon the cases to be heard. Unless agreed to by the parties, no case would be deferred more than one regularly scheduled arbitration date. The tentative agreement is contingent on acceptance of the total package.
Leaves of Absence & Paid Family & Medical Leave
UW Proposal: UW maintained its most recent proposals on leaves of absence. UW maintained its proposal to apply the same provisions to UAW as agreed upon after bargaining with WFSE and SEIU 925 this summer, related to Substitute Senate Bill 5975 on paid family and medical leave.
UAW Proposal: UAW maintained its most recent proposals on leaves of absence that would include increases to paid sick, bereavement, and parental leave. The Union proposed language stating that the proposed leave amounts would apply to all ASEs until the implementation of Substitute Senate Bill 5975 on paid family and medical leave, and then to those not eligible for the paid family and medical leave benefits as provided by law. UAW maintained its proposal to reopen the contract to bargain, if agreement is reached this summer with WFSE and SEIU 925 on the related paid family and medical leave provisions.
Non-Discrimination and Harassment
UW Proposal: UW maintained its interest in having UCIRO include a statement in the initial e-mail sent out to all complainants that would state “Union members may have rights under their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements.” The statement would include a reference to the Labor Relations website. The Employer maintained its proposal from the prior day on departmental or hiring unit equity committees.
UAW Proposal: UAW tentatively agreed to the Employer’s proposed language to be included in UCIRO’s initial e-mail sent out to all complainants. UAW maintained its most recent proposal on departmental or hiring unit equity committees.
Sexual Harassment and Prevention Training
The parties tentatively agreed on language stating that a joint committee would meet to draft an outline of the training. Separately, a committee of key stakeholders would provide recommendations on content, format, and implementation of the trainings. Outstanding issues remain related to the format of the provision (in an MOU vs. in the body of the contract), and whether there will be summer trainers after the first year of the contract.
Union Rights
For both parties, the outstanding issue remains the paid release time provision for negotiating a successor agreement.
Union Security
The parties have tentatively agreed to retain current contract language. The tentative agreement is contingent on acceptance of the total package.
UW Economic Package
Wages – UW maintained its proposal to eliminate language that would tie ASE compensation at UW to the Global Challenge States (GCS), citing that the University is currently paying at the median of the GCS and is in favor of moving toward more predictable salary increases that departments can budget for. UW proposed a 1% pay increase on July 1, 2018, a 1% pay increase on July 1, 2019, and a 1% increase on July 1, 2020.
Insurance Programs – UW maintained its most recent proposal on GAIP to retain the benefit coverage as is, and implement a cost sharing of the premiums where the Employer would pay 85% and ASEs would pay 15% of the premiums for all covered members. Currently, ASEs pay nothing toward the GAIP premiums, with a cost share of 65/35 for dependents (Employer pays 65%, and ASE pays 35%).
Fees – UW maintained its proposal that ASEs begin paying the Building Fee in the 2018/19 academic year.
UAW Economic Package
Wages – UAW maintained its proposal to remove language tying ASE compensation to that of the Global Challenge States. Alternatively, the Union proposed that on July 1, 2018, the Employer would increase the base wage rate by at least one-third of the difference between the current base rate and the 2018-19 academic year base rate for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP). On July 1, 2019, the proposal would require the base rate to be increased by at least one-half of the difference between the two rates, and by July 1, 2020 would require the Employer to at least match the NSF GRFP rate. At the current NSF GRFP rate, this would be an increase to the base rate of 23% over three years. The newly proposed benchmark replaced the Union’s previous proposal to calculate pay increases based on a survey of average rent paid, and implemented to ensure no 50% FTE ASEs were paying more than 30% of their take home pay in rent.
UAW proposed that variable rates would be increased by at least 4% and hourly rates would be increased by at least 6% each year of the contract.
Insurance Programs – UAW maintained the majority of its most recent proposal on GAIP to include:
- 100% Employer paid premiums for eligible dependents (medical, dental, & vision)
- Expanded coverage for mental health services to include increased number of covered visits and providers, specifically providers who specialize in treating underrepresented groups
- Coverage for trans-affirming services as recommended by the most recent World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards
- Reduced costs for certain pharmacies and providers to tier 1 rates
- ASEs receiving GAIP coverage as part of their appointment for three consecutive academic quarters would receive full coverage for the following quarter, if not already provided as part of the appointment
Fees – UAW maintained its proposal that the University shall cover all tuition and fees, and the costs of implementing any part of the collective bargaining agreement would be borne by the central administration, not departments.
Next Steps
The next UW-UAW bargaining sessions are scheduled for April 26 and April 27.