Labor Relations

UW – UWHA Negotiations Recap for December 30, 2019

Background

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

Union Counter Proposals

Licensing – In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that training programs would reimburse residents for at least the cost of a limited license for the state they are practicing in. Residents working in two or more states would be reimbursed for all required resident or limited licenses.

Professional Development – UWHA proposed an increase to professional development funds from the current amount of $350 to $750 per academic year (their last proposal was $500). UWHA modified its proposal around the rollover of unused funds, which would require that any unused funds would roll over to consecutive training years and be paid out at the completion of the training program.

Family and Medical Leave – The Union presented a counter proposal on an article containing parental leave, FMLA, paid family medical leave (PFML), and pregnancy accommodation. The parties’ most recent proposals still differ significantly in content and format. UWHA has proposed to get into specifics about each topic, while it is the Employer’s preference to mention the rights and responsibilities and then refer out to policies and other places where related information exists (e.g. FAQ), as the contract can never contain the full detail on each subject matter.

Grievance Procedure – The Union presented a counter proposal on the grievance procedure, but the parties have philosophical differences as to their most recent proposals. Most notably, UWHA’s proposal aims to give the Union the primary say in how grievances are processed (e.g. allowing mediation and/or the committee process to be skipped at the union’s discretion). The Employer is interested in a grievance process where the parties have more of a shared say in how the process is run.

Employer Counter Proposal

Professional Leave – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to increase the amount of paid professional leave residents may receive per academic year, from five days to ten. Paid professional leave would remain at the discretion of the program director. Programs could fund and grant additional paid professional leave days beyond the ten, at their discretion.

Progression by Training Year – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that residents would receive credit for pay level progression for both ACGME and program required non-ACGME research years. Under this proposal, residents who transfer from one UW training program to another would be appointed to a level no less than one pay level below their previous appointment. Programs would be able to request a one-step stipend increase for transferring residents, at their discretion.

UW Medicine Financial Presentation

Presenters on behalf of UW Medicine were Maureen Broom, Enterprise Finance Officer, and Dwane Liuska, Director of Government Accounting. The parties were provided with an overview of the UW Medicine financial landscape from fiscal year 2017 to 2019, including some actuals from the current fiscal year. Additional information was presented on the funding of resident salaries, a discussion around cash on hand at each entity, the integration of Northwest Hospital, and the impact of these and other elements on the overall financial landscape.

Next Steps

The next UW and UWHA bargaining session is scheduled for January 7.  The assigned PERC mediator will be in attendance at this session.