UW & SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap for September 7, 2022
Background
This recap details the seventh virtual session for the 2023-2025 collective bargaining agreement between the UW and SEIU 925. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Employer Initial Proposals
Uniforms Requirement –The Employer proposed language that employees would be held accountable for uniforms and PPE assigned to them, and stating that any such items are property of the Employer and could be required to be returned upon separation from employment.
New MOU Grounds Supervisor Recruitment and Retention Increases –The Employer proposed a Recruitment and Retention increase for the Grounds Supervisor I classification, providing a 5% increase effective July 1, 2023. The employees would be placed on the new range at their same step and progression start dates would not be impacted.
New MOU Library Supervisor Recruitment and Retention Increases –The Employer proposed a Recruitment and Retention increase for the Library series, providing a 5% increase for the following classifications, effective July 1, 2023: Library Specialist I Supervisor), Library Specialist II Supervisor), Library Supervisor I, and Library Supervisor II. The employees would be placed on the new range at their same step and progression start dates would not be impacted.
New MOU Medical Laboratory Scientist Recruitment and Retention Increases –The Employer proposed a Recruitment and Retention increase for the Medical Laboratory series, providing a 6% increase for the following classifications, effective July 1, 2023: Medical Laboratory Scientist 1, Medical Laboratory Scientist 2, Medical Laboratory Scientist Lead, and Medical Laboratory Scientist Trainee.
New MOU Orthopaedic and Ophthalmic Recruitment and Retention Increases –The Employer proposed Recruitment and Retention increases for the following classifications, providing a 5% increase effective November 16, 2022: Ophthalmic Specialist, Ophthalmic Technician 1, Ophthalmic Technician 2, Ophthalmic Technician Lead, Ophthalmic Technician Supervisor, Orthopaedic Technician I, and Orthopaedic Technician II.
New MOU Pay Tables B5 and B6 –The Employer proposed to deactivate Pay Tables B5 and B6 effective January 1, 2023, and to move all impacted classifications to Pay Table B7BX.
Compensation Wages and Other Pay Provisions – The Employer presented an initial across the board wage proposal of 3% effective July 1, 2023 and 2% effective July 1, 2024, acknowledging the staffing challenges present throughout the University. The Employer also proposed striking language that provides for a two step increase after six months of employment for employees hired at the minimum available step. In addition, the Employer proposed that call back and standby pay would not apply until 30 minutes after the end of a scheduled shift, as well as clarifying language that an employee working equal hours during the evening and night shift would be entitled to the night shift differential for the entire shift. Finally, the Employer proposed a Field Training Officer premium of 7% for Hospital Security Officers for all hours of direct training or instruction.
Union Initial Proposals
Advanced Certification/Registration Pay –The Union proposed to add the following job titles to the list of classifications eligible for certification pay: Advanced Cardiac Technologist, Advanced Cardiac Technologist Lead, Advanced Cardiac Technologist Supervisor, Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist 1, Electroneurodiagnotsitc Technologist 2, and Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist 3.
Compensation Wages and Other Pay Provisions – In addition to the Union’s across the board wage proposal of 13.25% effective July 1, 2023 and 13.25% effective July 1, 2024, the Union proposed that adjustments be made for all employees within a particular title when new hires are placed on higher steps due to market factors other than additional education or experience. The Union also proposed that Joint Labor Management meetings would be scheduled to discuss market rate adjustments when there is compression within job classifications, and that an employee would receive 3 hours of bonus pay plus time worked for callback pay. The Union further proposed a S.T.E.M.I. and E.C.L.S response page premium of $10.00/hour for employees in the Health Care Professional/Laboratory Technical Bargaining Unit, and proposed to increase the shift differentials for evening, night, and weekend shifts for the various bargaining units. The Union also proposed to redefine the evening shift from 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM and night shift from11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. The Union proposed that the multilingual premium would apply for to employees who are competent in two or more language, and proposed preceptor language for Dieticians, Advanced Cardiac Technologists, Electroneurodiagnostic (END) Technologists, and Patient Services Specialists. The Union proposed a Rest Between Shift premium that would include double time for less than 8 hours of rest between shifts, and a $4/hour premium for employees working in adult acute care, critical care or the emergency department when they are required to float to the NICU for the duration of a shift.
Modality Pay –The Union proposed to add definitions for Modality Pay 1, 2, and 3, in addition to stating the premium amounts for each modality. The Union also proposed to add the Advanced Cardiac Technologist, Advanced Cardiac Technologist Lead and Advanced Cardiac Technologist Supervisor to the included job titles eligible for modality pay.
Appendix II Differentials –The Union proposed to increase the weekend premium from $3.00 to $4.00 for employees on rotating schedules and $4.00 to $5.00 for employees on fixed schedules for the following classifications: Occupational Therapist I, Occupational Therapist II, Occupational Therapist III, Physical Therapist 1, Physical Therapist 2, Physical Therapist 3 and Physical Therapist Specialist.
New MOU Notification of Changes to COVID Policies –The Union proposed an MOU stating that EH&S would provide email notice to represented employees upon changes to COVID policies. The Union further proposed that if policy changes are not communicated, employees would be granted five minutes of release time to review the EH&S website.
New MOU Donning and Doffing in the Operating Room Montlake Hospital–The Union proposed to integrate the mid-cycle bargaining MOU relating to Donning and Doffing into the contract, which states that employees who perform work in the OR at UWMC Montlake and who are required to change in and out of laundered scrub uniforms would be compensated for the time spent donning and doffing.
New MOU Opening Coding Specialist 1 & 3 Titles for FPPS –The Union proposed to open the Coding Specialist 1 and Coding Specialist 3 job profiles to FPPS, and for the Coding Specialist 3 job profile to reflect the higher level responsibilities unique to FPPS. = The Union further proposed to reclassify all Coding Specialist 2 staff in FPPS who are eligible and performing the work of the revised Coding Specialist 3.
New MOU Enterprise Revenue and Health Information Flexible Starting Time –The Union proposed to memorialize the current practice of Enterprise Records and Health Information (ERHI) coding staff to allow them a 90 minute flex start time on any given day without having to notify their supervisor or receive prior approval.
New MOU Contact Center – The Union made a market level adjustment presentation for increased wages for Contact Center Representatives.
Social Work Negotiations Recap
During this session, the parties also met to continue negotiations for the Social Workers at UWMC-Montlake. Below is a summary of the items discussed.
Wages – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal that Social Workers would be placed on Pay Table BF, range 47. In response to the Employer’s proposal that Social Workers would be placed on a pay range that guarantees them a minimum of 5% increase, the Union proposed that Social Workers would be placed on a pay range that guarantees them a minimum of 10% increase.
Overtime – In response to the Employer’s proposal that overtime would not apply to Social Worker job classifications and that extra shifts would be paid at straight time, the Union proposed that Social Workers could select one of two methods for the purpose of calculating overtime payment. The first option a Social Worker could select would require a fixed scheduled shift an hour, and the employee would accrue daily overtime at the rate of time and a half for hours worked in excess of a scheduled shift. The second option would allow Social Workers to work an adjustable shift, and they would accrue overtime at the rate of time and one half for hours worked in excess of 80 hours in an 80-hour work period.
Job Series – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal that Social Worker 1 and Social Worker 2 would be consolidated into the single job profile, Social Worker.
Premiums – In response to the Employer’s proposal that Social Workers would be eligible for Standby Pay, Evening Shift Premium, Night Shift Premium, and the Weekend Premium, the Union proposed that Social Workers would be eligible for any premium in Article 45 of the SEIU 925 main contract.
Preceptor Pay – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal that Social Workers would be eligible to receive the preceptor premium pay of $1.50 per hour worked as a preceptor. The Employer additionally proposed language describing eligibility for precepting. This language is similar descriptions of eligibility for precepting that exist in current contract language.
License Pay – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal that License Pay in the amount of $1.50 per hour would be provided to all Social Workers who are licensed by the State of Washington as an Advanced Social Worker or Independent Clinical Social Worker.
Education and Professional Development – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal that all Social Workers would be able to use 40 hours of paid education time off per fiscal year, prorated for FTE, and that Social Workers would have up to $850 per fiscal year available to reimburse costs for approved educational or training programs, prorated for FTE. The Employer additionally proposed language stating that Social Workers who attend approved educational opportunities on a day they are not scheduled to work would receive the equivalent of a day of pay or a day of accrued time off. This practice would result in pay at straight time and would not trigger overtime pay for the affected pay period. This compensatory day would count toward the 40 hours of annual education time off.
Joint Labor Management (JLM) Committee – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal that the parties would establish a quarterly JLM in alignment with Article 43 of the SEIU 925 contract.
Layoff Unit – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal that Social Workers would be added to Layoff Unit Number 20 – UWMC.
Next Steps
The next UW and SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for September 13 and will be held virtually.