Labor Relations

UW – SAG-AFTRA Status Update as of May 9, 2019

Background

This update details the current status of all proposals for the first collective bargaining agreement between the University of Washington (UW) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA, also known as “the union”) to represent staff who produce, report, write, host or announce news for KUOW radio. Recaps of bargaining sessions are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

The UW’s Current Compensation Proposal

The UW’s current compensation proposal may be viewed here. The article proposes, effective May 1, 2019, new job classifications with new minimum salaries, as seen here, as well as increases to current employees to bring them in line with these new minimums; proposed salaries by employee may be viewed here. The article further proposes across-the-board increases of two percent (2%) for each year of the contract (2019, 2020, and 2021), effective July 1, 2019, July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, respectively.

The UW further proposed a ratification incentive, which proposes that employees listed in a Memorandum of Understanding would receive a lump sum payment equal to 1.6 percent (1.6%) of the employee’s salary as of May 1, 2019 contingent upon ratification of the contract. The Memorandum of Understanding with the list of employees and amounts they would receive may be viewed here.

The total estimated cost of the UW’s economic proposal includes the projected cost of the items above as well as a minimum of a seven percent (7%) temporary pay increase for employees temporarily assigned to take on additional work of a higher job class, a minimum of no less than the new job class’s salary minimum upon promotion or reclassification to another SAG-AFTRA position with a higher salary minimum, a U-PASS for all employees, and cell phones for content creators. Employees who would receive cell phones and the projected cost for each may be viewed here. The total estimated cost for the UW’s economic proposal is $1,582,639, component estimates and assumptions of which may be viewed here.

Open Proposals Awaiting Response from SAG-AFTRA

The UW is awaiting responses from SAG-AFTRA regarding the following open proposals:

  • Bona Fide Independent Contractors
  • Cell Phone Policy
  • Layoff
  • Rehire
  • Temporary Pay Increase/Assignment in a Higher Position

Future Proposals

The following proposals have been discussed but have not yet been opened:

  • Duration
  • Staffing and Workload

Tentative Agreements

The parties signed tentative agreements on the following articles:

  • Benefits
  • Corrective Action and Dismissal
  • Definition of Part-Time and Full-time
  • Fellows and Interns
  • Flex Work
  • Grievance and Arbitration
  • Health and Safety
  • Holidays
  • Leaves
  • Length of Service
  • Management Rights
  • Meal Policy
  • Minimum Call
  • Minimum Terms and Conditions
  • Newsroom Firewall
  • Nondiscrimination and Diversity
  • No Strike, No Lock-out
  • Notification of New Hires
  • On-Call
  • Overtime
  • Postings
  • Prayer and Lactation
  • Preamble
  • Probationary Period
  • Professional Development
  • Rest Between Shifts
  • Savings Clause
  • Successors and Assigns
  • Temporary Hourly Fill-In Employees
  • Union Recognition
  • Union Representatives and Stewards
  • Union Security
  • Vacation
  • Work Week