WFSE – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, September 7, 2022 and Thursday, September 8, 2022
Background
This recap details the eighth and ninth virtual sessions for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and WFSE. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to the following:
Article 3 – Reasonable Accommodation of Employees with Disabilities
The parties agreed to housekeeping changes only.
Article 4 – Workplace Behavior
The parties agreed to current contract language.
Article 6 – Grievance Procedure
Article 6 details the definition, rights, representation, process, and steps of a grievance. Housekeeping edits were made to this article and language that the Union may skip Step Three by providing the Employer written notification within thirty days of a Step Two decision.
Article 34 – Performance Evaluation
The parties agreed to current contract language.
Appendix III – Overtime Exempt Job Classifications
This appendix describes job classifications that are FLSA exempt but also describes how positions in certain classifications may be determined to be FLSA non-exempt if the employee’s combination of FTE and salary falls below the federal or state salary threshold.
Appendix IV – Layoff Seniority Units
The parties agreed to current contract language.
WFSE Counter Proposals
Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
Complaints
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that employees could also choose to report the incident utilizing the bias reporting tool or UW Medicine Bias Reporting. Also that UCIRO would acknowledge receipt of complaint within ten calendar days.
Article 9 Hours of Work and Work Schedules
Rest, Meal and Clean-up Periods
The Union maintained its proposal that the Employer would provide a minimum of 45 minutes of paid travel time to allow mobile employees to get to an appropriate location to take their rest/meal period and to return to their work vehicle and/or work location.
Rest Between Shifts
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that the Employer would make a good faith effort to provide each employee with at least 10 hours off duty between shifts. In the event that an employee is required to work with less than 10 hours off duty between shifts, all time worked within this 10-hour period would be at time and one-half.
Clock-In/Clock-Out Grace Period
The Union proposed that the Employer would grant all non-telework employees with a fifteen minute grace period when clocking in and out.
Article 10 – Overtime
Compensatory Time
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union reduced the amount of compensatory time an employee could accrue from 240 to 160.
Article 14 – Hiring, Appointments, Promotions, and Transfers
Internal Lateral Movement Within Unit/Department
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that prior to referring candidates, the Employer would provide seven calendar days’ notice to employees within the unit/department. An employee’s request for the vacant shift would be granted provided that the employee had no corrective action issued within the past three months. The Union also proposed that the offering of a formal layoff option in accordance with Article 38 prior to granting a transfer request under this sub-article.
Article 28 – Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
Suspended Operations
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union agreed that if unpaid time off is used, employees would have up to 15 calendar days to make up work time lost provided employees request makeup time within two working days after operations resume. The Union proposed that if the request is denied, then the University would state their reasons for the denial in writing.
Article 55 – Contract Publication
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that electronic versions of the agreement would be provided and available on the Labor Relations website in English, Spanish, and Amharic.
UW Counter Proposals
Article 5 – Affirmative Action
The Employer proposed language that would more closely align this article to relevant federal and state regulations. Additionally, the Employer proposed that it would develop, implement, monitor, and report on affirmative action goals for hiring and/or promoting into job classes/categories where the Employer determines under-utilization exists. In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to provide these reports annually to the Union.
Article 10 – Overtime
Required Overtime Work
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that the Employer would first ask for volunteers from the officers currently on shift or scheduled to come in for the next shift prior to assigning mandatory overtime. Also, when possible, mandatory overtime would be assigned on a rotational basis.
Article 11 – Training and Professional Development
Education Support Funds
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that Surgical Technologists and Hospital Central Services Technicians would receive $400 per fiscal year for continuing education.
Article 13 – Tuition Exemption Program
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that if the supervisor was not able to approve a flexible work arrangement, if requested, the employee would be provided a written explanation for the denial.
Article 18 – Sick Leave
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer reasserted its previous proposal.
Article 26 – Civil/Jury Duty Leave and Bereavement Leave
Civil Duty
The Employer agreed that employees may keep any compensation received for fulfilling civil duty, such as jury pay or travel reimbursement.
Bereavement
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to increasing bereavement time off beyond three days.
Article 31 – Health and Safety
Personal Protective Equipment
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposal that the Employer would provide appropriate PPE to all health care workers in accordance with UW Medicine policy. Also, the Employer would provide appropriate PPE to all campus employees in accordance with the University’s Department of Environmental Health & Safety policy. Finally, no employee would be disciplined or retaliated against for advocating for PPE that they believe is needed for their and others’ safety.
Article 36 – Corrective Action/Dismissal
Representation
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed to provide at least 3 business days to allow an employee to secure a Union representative and the day of notification would be the first day for investigatory interviews as well as counseling or dismissal meetings.
Article 38 – Seniority, Layoff, Rehire
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed some housekeeping edits.
Article 39 – Resignation and Abandonment
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer reasserted its previous proposal of current contract language.
Article 42 – Union Activities, Rights, and Stewards
Union Stewards
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that the Employer could deny requests for a second steward to attend an investigatory meeting/fact finding within the employee’s department.
Article 45 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed increasing that effective July 1, 2024, all salary ranges would be increased from one percent to two percent.
Field Training Officer
The Employer also proposed that when a Public Safety Officer has been designated as a Field Training Officer, this employee would receive a 7% increase for all hours training or instructed rather than 5%.
Custodian Lead Assignment
Finally, the Employer also proposed to increase the Custodian Lead Assignment pay from $1.65 per hour to $2 per hour for custodians assigned lead duties.
Article 47 – Contracting
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer reasserted its initial proposal.
WFSE “What If” Proposals
Appendix VI – Contracting Out Form
The Union proposed that this form would be completed by the Employer and provided to WFSE if contracting out work was deemed necessary by the University. The Contracting Out Form details the project title, location of work, client contact, department, UW Facilities or Work Order, cost estimate, description of work, start and end date, list of what work would be completed by UW Facilities skilled trades employees, and if this work is associated with a larger project. The Union proposed that the UW would immediately submit a notice to WFSE regarding the need to contract out work.
Article 47 – Contracting
The Union proposed when contracting out work is deemed necessary by the Employer, the Employer would take all necessary steps to ensure any work that has been historically performed by University and/or Medical Center qualified employees prior to a contracting out form which would be provided to the Union immediately as stated in their proposal regarding Appendix VI – Contracting Out Form.
Next Steps
The next WFSE and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2022 and will be held virtually.