Teamsters 117 – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Background
This recap details the third 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.
Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to the following:
Current Contract Language
- Article 1 – Preamble
- Article 4 – Joint Labor Management Committee
- Article 7 – Union Business Activities Absences
- Article 14 – Seniority and Layoff
- Article 18 – Grievance Procedure
- Article 22 – Performance of Duty/Strike/Lockout
- Article 23 – Tuition Exemption
- Article 24 – Severability
- Article 26 – Resignation and Abandonment
- Article 28 – DRIVE
Other TAs
- Article 14 – Seniority and Layoff
The parties agreed to language that would include time spent on leave in computing seniority. - Article 27 – Duration
This article now includes new dates for successor agreement. - Side Letter A – Oversight Committee
The Employer and the Union have agreed to strike this side letter in its entirety.
UW Initial Proposals
On the following provisions, the Employer proposed to maintain current contract language:
- Article 3 – Management Rights and Responsibilities
- Article 6 – Union Business Representatives
- Article 13 – Uniforms, Personal Items
- Article 29 – Training
The Employer proposed to strike the following out-of-date MOU:
- Side Letter B – Teamsters Retirees Healthcare Trust
Article 5 – Union Recognition, Union Security, and Dues Deduction
The Employer proposed to align dues language with the relevant University Administrative Policy Statement, clarifying language regarding dues deduction process and revocation.
Article 8 – Employee Files
The Employer proposed language that would add clarity to where department files and official personnel files live as well as striking language that would allow documents within personnel files to be removed.
Article 10 – Vacations
The Employer proposed updating language to align with an upcoming change to the applicable Washington Administrative Code stating that an employee would not accrue vacation time off during a leave of absence when unpaid time off exceeds eighty hours in a calendar month, prorated for part time.
Article 11 – Holidays
The Employer proposed to update the CBA with language that aligns with current practice related to personal holiday conditions, holiday credit time off, and to clarify that a day of holiday credit is equivalent to eight hours. The Employer proposed to introduce a June 30 annual holiday credit cash out, and language that would indicate holiday credit must be used before vacation time off, except in limited circumstances. The Employer proposed to change compensation for holiday time worked by paying an employee eight hours of holiday credit plus paid holiday premium pay for hours work, rather than current practice of paying eight hours of straight time plus holiday premium pay, but no holiday credit.
Article 15 – Hours of Work and Overtime
Standard Workday/Regular Work Schedule
The Employer has proposed striking a premium of 1.5 times regular rate of pay for employees whose hours deviate from the regular work schedule with less than seven days’ notice.
Overtime
The Employer proposed that sick time off, vacation time off, and compensatory time would not be considered time worked for the calculating of overtime. Additionally, the Employer proposed that pre-scheduled overtime would not be eligible to be paid as compensatory time. Lastly, the Employer proposed that employees who take unpaid time off for any time in the workweek prior to the pre-scheduled overtime assignment may no longer be eligible for the overtime assignment, as determined by the Employer.
Football Events
The Employer proposed that only employees assigned to the football event would be eligible for the football assignment premium. The Employer proposed to reduce the premium to 1.5 times the regular rate of pay instead of the current double time rate.
Article 16 – Compensatory Time Off
Accrual/Accumulation
The Employer proposed that overtime hours would be compensated on a salary payment basis unless the employee requests and is granted compensatory time off.
Use/Cashout
The Employer also proposed that compensatory time off may be scheduled by the Employer during the final sixty days of the fiscal year, and must be used or cased out every June 30.
Article 17 – Discipline and Dismissal
The Employer proposed to strike language stating that in certain circumstances and upon request, internal investigation and supporting documents could be removed from an employee’s official and department personnel files after three years.
Article 20 – Longevity and Premiums
The Employer proposed two new premiums: detective assignment and bike officer patrol. Officers assigned as a detective would receive a four percent premium for all hours worked on assignment and officers trained as bicycle officers and assigned would receive a three percent premium for all hours worked on assignment.
Article 21 – Contracting Out
The Employer proposed that it would not contract out work which results in the layoff of bargaining unit employees without following the relevant state law.
Article 25 – Wages
Base Wage Rate Adjustment
The Employer proposed that on July 1, 2023, employees would receive a 3% across-the-board pay increase. On July 1, 2024, employees would receive a 2% across-the-board pay increase.
Pay Table BP
The Employer proposed adding an additional top step and renaming the steps of this table to better align with Workday system requirements. This new step would be $7,801 a month prior to any base wage increases, a 2.5% pay increase. Employees who have been on the current top step for at least twelve months would advance to the new top step on their next progression start date.
Appendix A – Healthcare Benefits
The Employer proposed to replace this appendix with the agreement, once reached, at the Washington State Healthcare Authority table.
Teamsters Initial Proposals
NEW MOU – Retention Incentive Program
The Union proposed that effective January 1, 2022 the Employer would offer all regular Campus Police Officers a retention incentive equal to 15% of their annual salary.
Teamsters Counter Proposals
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the union proposed to maintain their initial proposals in the following provisions:
- Article 3 – Management Rights and Responsibilities
- Article 15 – Hours of Work and Overtime
- Article 16 – Compensatory Time Off
- Article 20 – Longevity and Premiums
- Side Letter B – Teamsters Retirees Healthcare Trust Plan
- NEW Side Letter C – Staff Shortage Premium
Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union accepted the Employer’s language to align the list of protected classes with Executive Order 31. The Union maintained the rest of its initial proposal, including language regarding making sure employees are aware of complaint mechanisms, and clarifying that the term employee throughout the CBA is intended to be gender neutral and inclusive language.
Article 8 – Employee Files
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union counter-proposed to maintain current contract language.
Article 10 – Vacations
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to retain current contract language stating that vacation time off credits shall not accrue when unpaid time off exceeds ten working days in a month. The Union maintained its proposal to increase the vacation accrual rate for employees in their first and second years of employment.
Article 19 – Employee Rights
The Union proposed that a copy of the original complaint would be provided to the employee and Union a minimum of forty-eight hours prior to an investigatory meeting. Additionally, the Union proposed that all interviews would be limited in scope to activities directly related to the complaint.
Next Steps
The next Teamsters and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2022 and will be held virtually.