RFPU – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Background
This recap details the sixth virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and the Resident and Fellow Physicians Union (RFPU). Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
RFPU Counter Proposals
Article 20: Non-Discrimination
Complaints
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union agreed to include links where employees would be encouraged to report bias. These links would be to the GME’s report a concern, UW Medicine’s bias reporting tool, and the University’s bias reporting tool.
Retaliation
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to add language to this section where, upon request by the Resident, interim measures could be schedule changes including rotation changes and acquiring necessary training at outside institutions when needed.
Article 22: Compensation
The Union made a counter proposal accepting some terminology changes proposed by the University but did not change or reduce their proposed salary increases.
UW Counter Proposals
Article 3: Childcare
UW Children’s Centers
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed adding instructions to download the wait pool application for UW Children’s Center at UWMC-Northwest and including how to apply for the same at Harborview.
Childcare Fund
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed increasing this fund from $50,000 to $60,000.
Other Childcare
A housekeeping change was proposed in this section that would update the attached link for other childcare.
Lactation Accommodation
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed adding a section about lactation accommodation. In this section, training sites would ensure a healthy and safe clinical and educational environment for clean and private facilities for lactation with proximity appropriate for safe patient care, and clean and safe refrigeration resources for the storage of breast milk. The Employer also proposed that the University would allow adequate time for milk expression as determined by each resident’s individual medical needs or preferences. Finally, the Employer proposed that Residents would inform their colleagues before stepping away for a lactation session and that programs would work with Residents to ensure educational requirements and pumping preferences were met.
Article 8: Health and Safety
Working Conditions
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that unsafe working conditions could be reported to any applicable local, state, or federal regulatory body in addition to the Program Director.
Workplace Violence
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to create a section that would describe the University’s stance on workplace violence including how to find more information as well as stating compliance with the Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health requirements. Also that training sites outside of the University of Washington would ensure appropriate safety and security measures as required by ACGME.
Work Related Injury
In this section, the Employer proposed that any employee who sustains a work-related illness or injury would be granted disability leave of absence. Employees who had sustained a work-related illness or injury would also be able to receive workers compensation and combine that with leave payment and time loss compensation.
Article 15: Time Off – Sick
Sick and Health Maintenance Time Off
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to strike language where sick time off would need to be 12 weekdays and 5 weekend days. Instead, the Employer proposed just a flat 17 days that the Resident could use regardless of day of week.
Sick time off may be used for the following:
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed to strike advance notice required to supervising attending with regards to any appointment that the Resident has. With this change, the Resident would be able to attend medical, mental health, optical, and dental care appointments scheduled during their working hours but would not need to notify their supervising attendee in advance. Similarly, the Employer proposed that a Resident would be able to accompany a family member or partner to same appointments as long as notice was provided to supervising attending.
Article 24: Transportation
Changes to Parking Polices and Rates
A housekeeping edit was proposed by the Employer to update UWHA to RFPU. The Employer also proposed to notify RFPU of any changes to daily parking rates at UW Medicine and would provide an opportunity to bargain.
Parking During Nights and Weekends
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to memorialize the times and locations from the parties’ previously executed settlement agreement.
Emergency/Safe Ride Home Program
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed that this program could be used to reach the Resident’s destination; that destination did not necessarily have to be their home. The Employer also agreed that this program could be used regardless of whether public transportation is currently running.
University Transportation Committee (UTC)
The Employer agreed with the Union’s proposal to strike to that 24 hours’ notice would need be given to the committee chairperson if RFPU designated a substitute.
Article 18: Working Outside of the Training Program
The Employer reasserted to use current contract language. As part of the discussion the Employer displayed and explained all the of bargaining and changes to this article that were agreed up in the last round of bargaining.
Next Steps
The next RFPU and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, 2022 and will be held virtually.