University of Washington Human Resources

Teamsters 117 – UW Negotiations Recap for Thursday, April 7, 2022

Background
This recap details the second virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and Teamsters 117. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Teamsters Initial Proposals

Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
The Union proposed that this provision would be construed to incorporate any protections against discrimination in employment which are provided under federal, state, or municipal laws. The Union also proposed that the Union and the Employer would work together to ensure equal employment opportunity and to make sure that employees are aware of complaint procedures.
Employee
The Union proposed that the term “Employee” would include male, female, transgender, gender non-confirming, and non-binary employees covered by this agreement.

Article 3 – Management Rights and Responsibilities
Emergency
The Union proposed that “Emergency” would be defined throughout this CBA as a reasonably unanticipated specific event requiring an immediate need for additional police personnel, as determined by the on-duty supervisor.

Article 6 – Union Business Representatives
Release Time for Union Business
The Union proposed that with seven days advance written notice the Union may request a bargaining unit employee be granted a leave of absence for up to ninety calendar days for purposes of attending to union business.

Article 8 – Employee Files
Disclosure of Personnel File Information
The Union proposed upon receipt of any public records request, court order, or subpoena seeking documents from an employee’s personnel file, the Employer would provide the employee with a copy of the request, order, or subpoena. When documents or information in an employee’s personnel, payroll, supervisory or training file are the subject of a public records request the Employer would provide the employee with a copy of the request fourteen calendar days in advance of the intended release date.

Article 9 – Sick Leave
Sick Leave – Accrual
The Union proposed that full-time classified employees would accrue ten hours of sick leave for each month of completed classified service.

Article 10 – Vacations
Vacation Leave – Accrual
The Union proposed that full-time employees eligible for vacation leave would accrue vacation leave monthly at the following increased rates: 14 paid vacation days (112 hours) for 1st and 2nd year employees instead of existing rates of 12 (96 hours) and 13 (104 hours) paid vacation days.

Article 12 – Leaves General
Parental Leave
The Union proposed that FMLA may be a combination of vacation time off, personal holiday, compensatory time, sick time off, holiday credit, and unpaid time off.
Bereavement Leave
The Union proposed to increase the amount of bereavement time off from three to four days per incident.
Suspended Operations
The Union proposed that employees would be provided with eighty hours of Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) each calendar year to use for quarantine and/or suspended operations, this would be a new leave type. The Union also proposed that all hours worked by employees would be compensated at two times the hourly rate or any department at UW suspends operations and/or is allowed to work from home due to a public health emergency and bargaining unit employees are required to continue to work onsite.

Article 13 – Uniforms, Personal Items
Uniforms/Equipment
The Union proposed that the Employer would make every reasonable attempt to repair or replace defective equipment affecting the safe operation of the vehicle as well as not require employees to operate unsafe equipment or vehicles. The Union also proposed that equipment or vehicles reported as being unsafe would need to be approved as being safe by the maintenance department prior to further utilization. The Union proposed that employees would report all defective vehicles and equipment at end of a shift and that such reports would be made on a suitable form furnished by the Employer. The Union proposed that the Employer would pay all fines and assessments and compensate employees at their straight-time rate for all work missed and also provide all necessary transportation and legal representation in connection therewith, provided the employee was performing pursuant to Employer instructions. Finally, the Union proposed that if an employee suffered an injury, suspension, or revocation of their license for the defective equipment solely as a result of the following the Employer’s instructions, the Employer must provide continued employment for the period involved at not less than regularly scheduled straight-time hours. Receipt of benefits under this provision is dependent upon the employee’s full cooperation in the defense of any citations received.
Non-Uniformed Assignment Clothing Allowance
The Union proposed that the Employer would provide a clothing allowance for each employee in the amount of $300 per calendar year rather than just for officers while they are assigned to non-uniform assignments.

Article 15 – Hours of Work and Overtime
Overtime
The Union proposed that all overtime would be paid at the rate of two times the employee’s regular rate rather than current practice of 1.5 times.
Temporary Schedules
The Union proposed that temporary schedule changes would only be allowed if mutually agreed upon.
Call Back Pay
The Union proposed that the actual hours worked during Call Back Pay would also be paid at 2 times the regular rate rather than current practice of 1.5 times.
Football Events
The Union proposed adding basketball to these event assignments and that for both assignments employees would receive 2.5 times regular rate for all hours worked rather than current contract language of 2 times.
Shift Selection
The Union proposed that employees would be allowed a rest period of at least ten hours off between shifts. If the ten hours overlaps with the employee’s regular shift then the overlap would be paid as administrative leave.

Article 16 – Compensatory Time Off
Accrual/Accumulation
The Union proposed that employees may accrue up to three hundred twenty hours of compensatory time rather than current practice of two hundred and forty. The Union proposed that any hours worked which would result in the accumulation of over this amount would be paid as overtime pay.

Article 20 – Longevity and Premiums
Longevity
The Union proposed that employees would receive longevity pay in accordance with the following schedule:
3 years at two percent, 6 years at four percent, 10 years at five percent, 15 years at seven percent, 20 years at nine percent, 25 years or more at eleven percent. Each value was one percent higher than current contract language.
Premiums
The Union proposed that detective officers and all officers assigned to patrol would receive a five percent premium.
Parking
The Union proposed that the department would provide free parking for all employees at all times, not just when they are required to work football games.
Working Out of Classification
The Union proposed that employees assigned the principal duties and responsibilities of an employee in another classification for a single shift or greater period would be paid at three steps above their present salary. Current contract language states that this would happen if the employee was assigned the principal duties of a higher classification.
Educational Incentive
The Union proposed percentage changes to educational incentive payments where flat dollar amounts are listed in the current contract. These values are as follows: 2% annual payment for Associated Degree is a new level, 4% annual payment instead of $1000 for a bachelor’s degree, and 6% annual payment instead of $1200 for advanced degree.

Article 20 – Contracting Out
The Union proposed that the Employer would not contract out work which results in the layoff or reduction of budgeted full time bargaining unit employees. The Union proposed that the Employer would need to provide bargaining unit members the first opportunity to volunteer for extra work prior to utilizing non-bargaining unit workers. Current contract language states prior to utilizing other police agencies.

Article 25 – Wages
Increment Increases
The Union proposed that employees would receive increment increases at the rate of three steps each twelve months instead of two as in the current contract. Additionally, the Union proposed that newly hired step A employees would receive a three step increase at six months instead of two step increase.
Increment Adjustments
The Union proposed that employees at Step E or above would move to Step L (approximately 17.5%) on their annual increment date, rather than move three steps (approximately 7.5%) per current contract language.
Base Wage Rate Adjustment
The Union proposed that on July 1, 2023, all employees would receive a wage increase to the 80th percentile of the total cash compensation analysis of the following comparable agencies: Bothell, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kent, and Redmond. The Union also proposed that after applying this amount the officer pay scale would be increased by the amount equal to 100% of the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue CPI-W, June 2021 to June 2022.
The Union also proposed that on July 1, 2024, the wage rates would be increased by 100% of the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue CPI-W, June 2022 to June 2023.

Side Letter B – Teamsters Retirees Healthcare Trust Plan
The Union proposed that on July 1, 2023, and a monthly basis thereafter, the Employer would deduct from employee wages $178 per month for benefits under the RWT-XL Plan. Also during this agreement’s cycle, the Union proposed that the Employer would remit payment to the Retires Welfare Trust, c/o NORTHWEST ADMINISTRATORS, INC for each employee who received compensation for 80 hours or more of the previous month. The Union proposed that this feature is intended to be a permanent feature that would be maintained in successor agreements.

Staff Shortage Premium
The Union proposed a staff shortage premium that would be awarded based on the number of vacancies within the currently allotted thirty-one budgeted positions. For example, the Union proposed that if there were 3 to 5 vacancies all officers would receive a premium of 5%, for 6 to 8 vacancies, all officers would receive 7.5% premium, and 8 to 10 would mean all officers would receive a premium of 10%.

The union proposed housekeeping edits only on the following provision:
• Article 27 – Duration, extending to the 2023-2025 biennium

On the following provisions, the union proposed to maintain the current contract language:
• Article 1 – Preamble
• Article 4 – Joint Labor Management Committee
• Article 5 – Union Recognition, Union Security, and Dues Deduction
• Article 7 – Union Business Activities
• Article 14 – Seniority and Layoff
• Article 17 – Discipline and Dismissal
• Article 19 – Employee Rights
• Article 22 – Performance of Duty Strike Lockout
• Article 23 – Tuition Exemption
• Article 24 – Severability
• Article 26 – Resignation and Abandonment
• Article 28 – DRIVE
• Appendix A – Health Care Benefits

UW Initial Proposals

Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
The Employer proposed updates to this article so that the language was more up to date, and the list of protected classes aligns with Executive Order 31.

Article 9 – Sick Leave
To updated with a change in the WAC, the Employer proposed that employees with leave without pay exceeding 80 hours in a month (prorated for part-time) would earn a monthly accrual proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Sick leave accruals must not exceed eight hours in a month. The Employer proposed that, in accordance with state law, former eligible employees who are re-employed would be granted all unused sick time off credits if they return to classified employment within five years of termination. Throughout the remainder of the Article, the Employer proposed to update aspects of the provision that were out of date, including the list of reasons sick time off is allowable.

Article 12 – Leaves-General
Parental Leave
The Employer proposed that employee would have the full employee share of the premium deducted from their wages. Employees requesting PFML benefits through the Employment Security Department would need to provide notice to the University as outlined under RCW 50A.04.030.
Bereavement Time Off
The Employer proposed adding language that bereavement could be used for the miscarriage or stillbirth of a child.
Essential Employees
The Employer proposed that a sentence designating employees as “Essential” under APS 40.2 and mentioning that all employees within this bargaining unit are designated as essential be moved from the Inclement Weather section to the section for Suspended Operations.

Article 27 – Duration
The Employer proposed housekeeping edits for this article, extending to the 2023-2025 biennium.

New Article – Work Related Injury Leave
The Employer proposed this article to address, in one article, all the areas within the current contract language where worker’s compensation language appeared.

New MOU – Salary Overpayment Recovery
The Employer proposed outlining in a MOU current practice with collecting on overpayment and detailing how employees could appeal.

Next Steps
The next Teamsters and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2022 and will be held virtually.