University of Washington Human Resources

Teamsters 117 – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Background
This recap details the sixth 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:

Article 5 – Union Recognition, Union Security, and Dues Deduction

• The parties agreed to align dues language with the relevant University Administrative Policy Statement, clarifying language regarding dues deduction process and revocation.

Article 29 – Training

• The parties agreed that the Employer would designate at least one day annually as a mandatory training day. This day would consist of at least five hours of training as determined by the Employer. During training, employees would not be required to monitor radios, and requests for leave on these training days may be denied.

Appendix A – Health Care Benefits

• The parties agreed to a placeholder that would replace current contract language with the future agreement at the Washington state Healthcare Authority, while maintaining the existing VEBA language unchanged.

Teamsters “What If” Proposal

Article 21 – Contracting Out
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union expanded on its initial proposal that the Employer would not contract out work which results in the reduction of budgeted full-time employees, adding that would not be done without following the relevant statute.

UW Counter Proposals
The Employer made two package proposals. The first package proposal contained the following:

Article 8 – Employee Files
The Employer proposed to align language regarding files relating to employment and removal of documents to reflect a tentative agreement recently reached with WFSE PM.

Article 17 – Discipline and Dismissal
The Employer reasserted its initial proposal to strike existing language allowing for disposition of certain internal investigation reports.

The second Employer package proposal contained the following articles and a provision that the Union withdrew all other proposals:

Article 10 – Vacations
The Employer reasserted its initial proposal.

Article 11 – Holidays
The Employer maintains its previous proposal.

Article 15 – Hours of Work and Overtime
The Employer maintains its previous proposal.

Article 16 – Compensatory Time Off
The Employer maintains its previous proposal.

Article 20 – Longevity and Premiums
Longevity
The Employer proposed reducing the requirement for the longevity pay increase of 3% from six years to five years.
Armorers
The Employer proposed that police sergeants and lieutenants trained and certified as armorers and assigned to perform maintenance and inventory of department firearms would receive a new four percent premium for all hours worked while performing Armorer duties.
Fitness Incentive
The Employer proposed that any bargaining unit member that passes the optional yearly fitness test would receive a new one-time lump sum payment of three hundred dollars each year that they pass the test.

Article 25 – Wages
Base Wage Rate Adjustment
The Employer proposed that on July 1, 2024, Pay Table BP, Range 1 would be increased from two percent to three percent. This is in addition to the Employer’s proposal already on the table to provide both a three percent across-the-board increase on July 1, 2023 and add a new top step on that same date (valued at approximately 2.5%).

Next Steps
The next Teamsters and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2022 and will be held virtually. The assigned mediator will attend this session and meet with the parties.