SEIU 1199 – UW Negotiations Recap for May 11
Background
This recap details the second virtual session between the UW and Service Employees International Union 1199NW for three different collective bargaining agreements: two at UW Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW), which will be combined to form one UWMC-NW CBA, and one for Harborview Medical Center/Airlift Northwest (HMC/ALNW). The Employer and the Union have agreed to two initial joint sessions, after which the parties will bargain at two different tables, one for each location (HMC and UWMC-NW). Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website, here for the HMC negotiations and here for the UWMC-NW negotiations.
SEIU 1199 Initial Proposals
Standby Premium – The Union proposed to increase the standby premium from $3.75 to $6.00, and that each employee would receive an additional $1.00 per hour for all standby hours over 36 hours per pay period.
Callback Pay – The Union proposed to increase the rate for callback pay from time-and-one-half to double-time, using current contract language to define callback.
Incentive Shifts – The Union proposed that Extra Shift Incentive (ESI), paid at double time, would be offered in response to unanticipated high census or unscheduled staff absences at both HMC and UWMC-NW. Per diems and regular FTEs would be scheduled before possible ESIs are identified, and the ESIs would be granted and pre-scheduled on a rotational basis. Under this proposal, any regular full, part-time, or per diem employees in SEIU 1199 who have fulfilled their assigned FTE within the pay period would be eligible to work ESI shifts.
Standby Guidelines – The Union proposed guidelines for standby, which state that standby would not be used to avoid filling vacant positions, and that mandatory prescheduled standby time would not be used to address regular changes in patient census or staffing levels, and would not be used in lieu of staffing employees to work regularly scheduled shifts when a staffing plan indicates the need for a scheduled shift.
Call Staffing Committee – The Union proposed to establish a Call Staffing Committee at each hospital (HMC and UWMC-NW). The committee would contain a management co-chair and a Union appointed co-chair, as well as one-union appointed representative for each job class assigned standby and call. Under this proposal, in circumstances in which 50% or more of the scheduled standby shifts required one or more callback, an FTE would be created commensurate with the timeframe and scale of the callback data within four weeks. In circumstances in which one or more employees within a job class, unit, or modality, are mandatorily scheduled for more than 96 hours of standby in a month, an FTE would be created within four weeks.
Call Rooms – The Union proposed that clean and secure call rooms with linens would be available for employees who have a mandatory requirement to return to work within the required time. Under this proposal, if a call room is not available and the employee lives outside of the required response time, the Employer would provide a hotel voucher.
Rest Between Shifts – The Union proposed that an employee who is called in from voluntary or mandatory standby and is scheduled for a regularly scheduled shift the next day would be provided the option to have at least eight consecutive hours of uninterrupted time off from work following the time worked as callback.
Third Party Communications – The Union proposed that if an outside organization sends email communication to Union members on the Employer’s email system that pertains to the Union, the Employer would send a statement to all employees explicitly disavowing the communication. Under this proposal, the Employer would confer with the Union representatives and agree to provide Union members with background information about the outside organization and its objectives. Additionally, the Employer would block any future email communications from the outside organization.
Contract Specialists – The Union proposed that the Employer would establish a role of Contract Specialist, paid by the Employer, appointed by the Union, and filled by four employees (two for the HMC/ALNW CBA and two for the UWMC-NW CBA) for the life of the two contracts. Duties of the Contract Specialist would include contract interpretation, administration, and implementation, union and contract education, guidance in grievance and problem resolution, and improvement in delegate capacity, with a goal of promoting consistency in contract interpretation and implementation. At the conclusion of their time as a Contract Specialists, the employee would return to their former position and FTE.
New Employee Orientation (NEO) – The Union proposed new language stating that the Employer would advise new employees of the expectation to attend the paid union NEO, and, if asked whether attendance is required, would answer that attendance is highly encouraged. Under this proposal, the Employer would provide clear signage and direction to the union portion of the NEO and would include the union portion of the NEO on the Employer NEO agenda. Additionally, the Employer would schedule all employees who are newly starting in positions in the Union bargaining unit to attend the Union portion of the NEO, and would provide the Union with a list of all employees scheduled for the orientation by the end of the week prior to each NEO. The Union also proposed that if the University conducts orientation on-line, the Union would be able meet with employees virtually for the NEO, and that conditions for in-person NEOs would apply.
Next Steps
The UW and SEIU 1199 will bargain the HMC/ALNW collective bargaining agreement on May 12, focusing on ALNW. Negotiations will continue for the same CBA on May 13, focusing on HMC. The UW and SEIU 1199 will bargain the UWMC-NW CBA on May 19.