UW – UWHA Negotiations Recap for December 11, 2019
Background
This recap details the seventeenth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement between the UW and UWHA. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Employer Counter Proposals
General Wage Increases – The Employer proposed to increase wages across-the-board by 2% ninety days after contract ratification, with an additional increase of 2% on July 1, 2020 and 1% on July 1, 2021.
Home Call Stipend – The Employer proposed an increase in the home call stipend beginning July 1, 2020 from $2,000 to $2,100, to be paid in the first month of the academic year. Note that this stipend is coupled with a $100 per year travel allowance.
Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) Supplemental Benefits – After January 1, 2020, employees on PFML leave will have the option to utilize supplemental benefits. These benefits can include the usage of sick leave, vacation leave, and/or personal holiday.
Parental Leave – The Employer increased its proposal regarding the amount of sick leave that a Resident could use during parental leave from thirty days, to up to 18 weeks.
Pregnancy Accommodation – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer elaborated on its proposal to cite the APS on the reasonable accommodation of pregnant employees, by including excerpts from into the article, aimed to address the union’s interest in more specificity.
Union Counter Proposals
Childcare – The Union maintained its initial proposal to increase the existing Resident Childcare Fund (RCF) from $50,000 to $506,160 per year. In addition to the RCF, the Union maintained its initial proposal to create an emergency fund of $50,371 per year, to reimburse resident for emergency childcare services.
Holidays – The Union maintained its proposal to add the Resident’s Birthday as a paid University holiday. UWHA maintained its proposal stating that if a resident is assigned to work on a holiday, then they should be compensated regardless of the number of hours worked at 1/365th of their annual salary. In this proposal a holiday would begin at 12:00 AM on the calendar date of the holiday and continue for a twenty-four consecutive hour period.
Personal Holiday – The Union incorporated the Employer’s proposed language stating that a resident could carry over their personal holiday to the next calendar year if they follow employer leave request procedures and are denied the request. UWHA proposed new language stating that at the end of employment, the Resident should be given pay equal to 1/365th of their annual salary for each unused day. Additionally, the Union proposed that the personal holiday could not be counted toward otherwise unscheduled days (e.g. those that are unscheduled each month to meet ACGME requirements).
Bereavement – The Union maintained its original counter proposal first presented in October, which would guarantee two additional paid bereavement days, on top of the existing three, if significant travel is required. The Employer’s most recent proposal is that up to two additional days may be granted if significant travel is required. The parties have not yet defined what constitutes significant travel.
Progression by Training Year – The Union maintained its proposal that residents would receive credit for pay level progression for non-ACGME required research years in all programs, in the same manner they would progress in clinical training years. Additionally, UWHA proposed that Residents who transfer from one training program to another (e.g. general surgery to anesthesiology) would be appointed to a level no less than one pay level below their level in their prior program, but could be appointed at a higher level at a program’s discretion.
Next Steps
The next UW and UWHA bargaining session is scheduled for December 17.