UW – WFSE Negotiations Update – Voting Starts February 5
Contract Vote
The Employer agrees to support voting efforts by allowing the Union access to the various spaces to conduct voting, and allowing employees a reasonable amount of time to vote if they are unable to do so during their normal break times.
On-site voting will be held at the locations listed below:
Tuesday, February 5
- Harborview Cafeteria, 6:30-10am, 3-5pm
Wednesday, February 6
- UWMC Plaza Cafe, 6:30-10 am, 3-5pm
Thursday, February 7
- UW Main Campus HUB, 11am-4pm (union table/canopy)
- UW Tacoma Lunchroom, 11am-1pm
Friday, February 8
- Health Sciences D-109, 11am-4pm
Saturday, February 9
- Harborview Cafeteria, 12-3pm
Monday, February 11
- UW Laundry, 9:30-11am
Tuesday, February 12
- Plant Services, 12-1:30pm
- Main Campus, 2:30-6pm
Wednesday, February 13
- Red Square Main Campus, 11am-4pm
- UW Bothell Common Grounds Coffee Shop UW2, 11am-2:30pm
Contract Provisions to be Considered
General Wage Increases – Across-the-board by 2% on July 1, 2019 and 2% on July 1, 2020.
An additional 2% locality adjustment on July 1, 2019 and a 2% locality adjustment on July 1, 2020, both contingent upon the state appropriating new, permanent state funding from a non-University source to cover the full cost, including marginal benefit funding, for all employees regardless of funding source. The contingent funding proposal would aim to secure additional wage increases for bargaining unit employees using a legislative strategy that has not yet been attempted, but could potentially result in additional funding, particularly for hospital wages, which have historically come entirely from the hospital’s self-sustaining budgets.
U-PASS – A U-PASS for no fee beginning July 1, 2019.
Lump Sum – A lump sum payment of $100 for employees in active permanent appointments on July 1, 2019 of .75 FTE or above, and $50 for employees in active permanent appointments below .75 FTE.
Targeted Recruitment and Retention Range Adjustments – Placement of numerous job profiles on higher pay ranges, providing increases and enabling wage scale movement for many employees, some of whom who were previously topped out. The affected groups include:
July 1, 2019
- Surgical Technologists – two pay range increase, plus one step
- Hospital Assistant Series – five pay range increase, moved to current step on new range
- Patient Care Technicians – five pay range increase, moved to current step on new range
- Mental Health Practitioners – five pay range increase, moved to current step on new range
- Truck Driver 2 and Truck Driver Lead – one pay range increase, moved to current step on new range
- Library Series – two pay range increase, moved to current step on new range
July 1, 2020
- Skilled Trades Employees – one pay range increase, moved to step on new range that is nearest to but not less than current rate of pay, not to exceed the top automatic step
Standby Premium – Increase to WFSE’s standby premium to $3.75 per hour for Healthcare/Professional Technical Classifications and from $1.00 to $2.00 per hour for other eligible job classes.
Preceptor Pay for Surgical Technologists – Increase to the preceptor premium pay from $1.00 to $1.50 per hour for all time spent engaged in preceptor role responsibilities with/on behalf of the orienting employees.
Pay Parity – Pay table parity between WFSE and SEIU 925 as outlined within the MOU. Affected WFSE job classes include:
- Clinical Laboratory Technicians (HMC)
- Anesthesiology Technician 1
- Dietary Unit Clerk
- Hospital Dentistry Assistant Specialist
- Medical Transcriptionist 1
- Orthopaedic Technician (I & II)
- Specimen Processing Technicians
- Telephone Communications Operator – Hospital
- Cardiac Monitor Technicians
- Respiratory Care Assistants
- Social Work Assistant 1’s
Contracting Out – New language that states the University will not contract out work which results in the layoff of bargaining unit employees. If contracting out work is deemed necessary that does not result in layoff, the Employer will not contract out such work for the purpose of avoiding overtime, not filling vacancies, or eroding the bargaining unit.
Health Care Premiums – The Employer will continue to contribute an amount equal to 85% of the total weighted average of the projected medical premium for each bargaining unit employee eligible for insurance each month.
Flexible Spending Arrangement – New language states that, during January 2020 and again in January 2021, the Employer will make available two hundred fifty dollars in a medical flexible spending arrangement (FSA) account for each bargaining unit member with an annual full-time base salary of $50,004 or less on November 1 of the year prior to the FSA funds disbursement.
Diversity and Inclusion – On an annual basis, the Union will receive a copy of OMA&D’s assessment report on University-wide diversity metrics for the Board of Regent’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee.
The Employer will include a content module on implicit bias and the hiring process during the University’s Strategic Leadership Program (SLP) for managers and supervisors with at least one direct report. Annually, the Employer will distribute an electronic copy of the existing Staff Diversity Hiring Toolkit to all managers and supervisors of bargaining unit employees.
On an annual basis, the Employer will provide the Unions with a list of trainings and courses offered to staff the year prior centered on aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The list will include a headcount for each offering, indicating the number of participants registered, by department.
The Union will select one member to be appointed to the University of Washington Diversity Council.
On an annual basis, the Employer will provide the Union with a report on employee participation levels in Facilities relative to cultural responsiveness or cultural competency training, and manager training in implicit bias, equity, cultural responsiveness, and hiring best practices. The progress report would include an update on Facilities’ efforts to include under-represented minority members and/or women in hiring committees or interview panels.
The Employer will create a position in UW Human Resources Recruitment dedicated to designing, developing, and implementing innovative outreach programs using diversity and inclusion best practices in support of UW’s strategic initiatives.
Tracking Diversity and Bias – Annually the Employer will email all bargaining unit employees information regarding the availability and purpose of the University’s bias incident reporting tool as an avenue to report incidents of suspected bias.
On an annual basis, the following groups will prepare an assessment report which will, at a minimum, include information quantifying reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. An electronic copy of each report will be made available to the Union.
- UCIRO
- Safe Campus
- Title IX Investigation Office
- UW Human Resources Campus Operations Investigations
- UW Medical Centers Human Resources Operations Investigations
Workplace Behavior – New language states that at no time will bullying be accepted as workplace behavior, and a definition of bullying is provided.
Vacation Bids – New language states that Employees will be allowed to bid on vacant shifts by departmental seniority in accordance with departmental policy, and bids may be restricted to the employee’s work unit.
City of Seattle Minimum Wage – Contract classified pay tables will be updated to reflect the current Seattle minimum wage after an across-the-board increase or a minimum wage adjustment made by the City of Seattle. Steps falling below the new minimum wage will be inactivated and employees will be moved, if needed, to the new minimum step of the range.
Scholarship Fund for Medical Center Employees – The Employer will maintain the scholarship fund for WFSE and SEIU 925 members that provides an annual pool of up to $100,000 for represented employees at HMC and UWMC to obtain a degree or certification required for employment in a healthcare field within the hospital where the employee works.
Annual Leave for Cyclic Employees – Employees working during a cyclic leave of absence will accrue paid time off prorated based on regular hours worked and paid time off used in a month.
Safety Boot Reimbursement (Seattle Main Campus Facilities Only) – Individual departments may reimburse employees up to one hundred dollars ($100.00) per year during the life of this agreement for protective footwear meeting the performance requirements of ASTM F2413-11 relative to impact or compression of the toe or metatarsal, puncture resistance or electrical hazards or static dissipation, if required as personal protective equipment.
Seattle Campus Custodian Parking – The Employer will apply the swing shift single occupancy vehicle-parking rate to employees in the following job classifications working on the UW Seattle campus with a 5:00 am to 1:30 pm shift: Custodian, Custodian Lead, and Maintenance Custodian 1.
HMC EVS Uniforms – The Employer will discontinue use of the present black and grey polyester uniforms for custodial staff. The Employer will replace discontinued uniforms with scrub uniforms and clean at no cost.