Labor Relations

AFT – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Background

This recap details the June 22, 2022 seventh virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and AFT. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

The parties tentatively agreed on new language for the following provisions:

Article 5Non-Discrimination
New language protects employees against discrimination on the basis of citizenship, pregnancy status, genetic information, union activities, and union membership status.

Article 15Leaves of Absence
Language was updated to clarify use of time off for medical emergencies and bereavement, FMLA calculations, the application of healthcare benefits during Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave, and the definition of Emergency Childcare.

MOU – Work Assignment Roster
Language was modified to clarify how work may be assigned to retired Extension Lecturers based on the Work Assignment Roster.

Union Counter-Proposals

The Union presented an updated package proposal regarding the language of Article 9, Article 10, and Article 16 as follows:

  • Article 9 – Work Assignment Roster
    The Union reasserted their proposal to allow 9-month academic year appointments of 33% or greater. The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal to temporarily lengthen the amount of time that an Extension Lecturer can be away from employment, then return to the Extension Lecturer position without completing a new probationary period and proposed that, upon return, the employee’s place on the Work Assignment Roster would be determined by their initial placement on the Work Assignment Roster.
  • Article 10 – Separation
    The Union maintained their position that layoffs not be limited to Annual Contract holders and agreed to the Employer’s proposal that that, if layoffs are expected that would result in a reduction of the bargaining unit by 25% or more, the Employer must meet with the Union at least 45 days prior to the start of the upcoming academic quarter.
  • Article 16 – Job Descriptions and Workload
    The Union maintained their proposal that completion of required trainings be paid as a non-curricular project for Extension Lecturers who are in positions of less than 100% FTE. The Union agreed to the Employer’s proposal that annual contract holders would need pre-approval to work less than their assigned FTE or to work for other departments, but added that reassigned time is included in the calculation.

The Union also proposed language changes to individual articles as follows:

Article 21 – Compensation
The Union maintained their previous proposal regarding all Compensation amounts. The Union agreed to the Employer’s proposal to remove AEP placement ratings and to add ENGL 105 rater training/calibration to the list of hourly paid work. The Union modified their previous proposal for salary increase eligibility to state that an Extension Lecturer must have worked 33% or more per quarter for at least three quarters during the annual review cycle.

Employer Counter-Proposals

The Employer responded to the Union’s proposal as follows:

Article 21 – Compensation
The Employer maintained their previous proposal regarding Compensation amounts with the exception of proposing to increase minimum monthly salary amounts by 5% as follows:

  • For 0-10 years of experience, an increase from $3960/month to $4158/month
  • For 10-15 years of experience, an increase from $4070/month to $4274/month
  • For 15 years of experience or more, an increase from $$4290/month to $4640/month

Next Steps

AFT and UW bargaining teams are deciding upon a date for the next discussion regarding CBA negotiations.