Labor Relations

UW – SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap August 28 & August 30, 2018

Background

This recap details portions of the tenth and eleven sessions for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and SEIU 925, set to expire on June 30, 2019. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

The parties signed tentative agreements to close the following provisions:

  • Article 5 – Affirmative Action
    • Maintained current contract language
  • Article 6 – Grievance Procedure
    • Added language to increase the amount of time the Employer has to respond in writing after a Step Two grievance meeting from fifteen to thirty days
  • Article 13 – Tuition Exemption Program
    • Housekeeping edits
  • Article 16 – Holidays
    • Added language clarifying current practice that to be paid for a holiday not worked, employees must be in pay status for at least four hours on the last scheduled work shift preceding the holiday
    • Added language stating employees can use holiday credit or a mutually agreed upon temporary modified weekly schedule if a holiday falls on an employee’s regular work day and the shift is more than eight hours
  • Article 17 – Vacations
    • SEIU 925 maintained a placeholder in this article for its proposal with WFSE to increase the vacation accrual schedule (which will be discussed in Coalition bargaining)
    • Added language stating that either the Union or the Employer may suggest new departmental vacation bid policies, which could also be discussed at JLMs; the Employer would not institute a new vacation bid policy without following its bargaining obligations
    • Added language requiring the Employer to provide a response in writing for vacation leave denials
    • Added language stating that the Employer may implement reoccurring blackout periods only when there is a demonstrable business or operational need
    • Added language clarifying policy around vacation leave maximums and exceptions for when a vacation leave balance can exceed 240 hours
  • Article 28 – Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
    • Added holiday credit as a leave type that can be used for time off related to inclement weather
    • Added language reducing the amount of time that an employee has to make up work after suspended operations from ninety to sixty days
  • Article 33 – Transportation and Commute Reduction
    • SEIU 925 maintained a placeholder in this article for the Coalition’s proposals regarding U-PASS and parking
    • Added new language from the University’s telework policy and clarified that denial of a telework request cannot be grieved
    • Added language stating the departmental telework policies will be appropriate topics for JLMs
    • Added language stating that termination of telework arrangements shall require no less than five business days written notice, or longer as included in individual telework agreements (not applicable to arrangements through the disability accommodation process)
  • Article 34 – Performance Evaluations
    • Added new language stating that implementation of alternative performance evaluation models will be an appropriate topic for JLMs
    • Added language clarifying current practice as Medical Centers do evaluations in Workday
  • Article 53 – Modality Pay
    • Housekeeping edits to job titles and codes
  • Article 56 – Union Membership, Dues Deduction, and Status Reports
    • Maintained current contract language
  • Appendix I – Job Classifications
    • Housekeeping edits to job titles and codes
  • MOU: Seniority Calculations and FMLA
    • Eliminated MOU
  • MOU: Interpretive Services at UWMC
    • Extended the terms through the next contract cycle
  • MOU: Program Series Classifications
    • Eliminated MOU
  • Side Letter B: Public Transportation Delays
    • Added language stating that any unforeseen or unavoidable delays in public transportation would be rarely occurring
    • Adding language stating that the Employer may require employees to provide proof or documentation of the unforeseen or unavoidable incident
  • Side Letter B: Contact Center
    • Eliminated language that required the parties to hold monthly JLMs
  • Side Letter J: Regular Temporary Harborview Medical Center Interpreters
    • Extended the terms through the next contract cycle

Union Proposals

SEIU 925 presented the remainder of its economic proposals:

Eastside Specialty Center Patient Services Specialists – SEIU 925 proposed range increases of approximately 7.5% for the Patient Services Specialist series at Eastside Specialty Center.  The Union proposed to move them to a new job classification separate from shared services.

Surgical Technologists – SEIU 925 proposed range increases of approximately 10% for Surgical Technologists.  The Union proposed to increase certification pay for this group from $1.00 to $1.25 per hour.

Represented Regular Temporary Employees – SEIU 925 proposed that temporary employees would receive a wage increase (equivalent to one-step) for every 950 cumulative hours worked.  The Union maintained its proposal to expand the definition of overtime to include work in excess of twelve hours in any one shift.

Employer Response – UW proposed an MOU stating that the parties would meet and discuss possible amendments to the collective bargaining agreement after civil service rules are amended following the passing of a recent House Bill that removed the exemption of part-time employees from state civil service rules.  In the meantime, the Employer expressed an interest in leaving the temporary article unchanged.

Representation –The parties exchanged proposals regarding representation and neutrality language but have not yet reached agreement.

UW Package Proposal

The Employer presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety.

Non-Discrimination – In response to the Union’s most recent proposal, the Employer proposed that an employee would have 180 days from an occurrence to file a grievance alleging a violation of the non-discrimination article.  UW proposed a version of language requested by the Union stating that the University would implement interim measures as appropriate when a grievance or complaint is filed.

Workplace Behavior – In response to the Union’s most recent proposal, the Employer proposed to include a definition of bullying excerpted in part from the Washington Administrative Code regarding student conduct at the University.

Contracting – In response to the Union’s proposal to retain current contract language, UW maintained its proposal to replace the current waiver with language stating that the Employer will follow the law and any applicable mandatory subjects contract provisions.

Next Steps

The next UW-Coalition bargaining session is scheduled for September 13, and the next UW-SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for September 17.