UW – UWHA Negotiations Recap for August 20, 2019

Background

This recap details the seventh session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and UWHA. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

The parties tentatively agreed to retain current contract language in the following unopened articles:

Article 4 – Disciplinary Action and Just Cause
Article 24 – Subordination of Agreement and Authority

The parties tentatively agreed to eliminate the following outdated appendices:

Appendix I – Ratification Lump Sum
Appendix II – MOU on Academic Action Review Policy
Appendix III – MOU on USMLE Step III Reimbursement

Employer Counter Proposals

Definitions – In response to the Union’s proposal to eliminate the dentist definition in favor of a new physician definition, the Employer proposed to add dentist into the current definition of resident.

Housestaff Advisory Committee – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed language which would allow the HAC to discuss grievances with mutual agreement.

Sick Time Off – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that residents would be given the opportunity to attend medical, mental health, and dental care appointments including those scheduled during working hours. The Employer proposed that residents who take four hours or less for medical appointments during a twenty-four hour period would not be required to utilize sick time off. The Employer proposed that residents attending GME Wellness appointments should not be charged sick time off.

Non-Discrimination – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to list out existing protected classes as well as refer to Executive Order 31 as the governing policy on discrimination and harassment. The Employer proposed that residents who feel they have been the subject of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation are encouraged to discuss issues with the GME for local resolution. The Employer incorporated retaliation language, referring to EO 31 which prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports concerns regarding discrimination or harassment, or who participates in an investigation.

Bereavement Leave – The Employer rejected UWHA’s proposal to increase from one to two additional days for significant travel in the event of a death of a resident’s family member.

Unauthorized Concerted Actions – The Employer rejected UWHA’s proposal to require employees who engage in unauthorized concerted actions to be subject to the same disciplinary action applied equally across the board, acknowledging that treatment could vary based on factors such as whether this was an employee’s first offense.

Next Steps

The next UW and UWHA bargaining session is scheduled for September 3.