Labor Relations

UW & SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap for September 15, 2022

Background

This recap details the ninth 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.

Tentative Agreements

  • Article 18 – Sick Leave
    • The parties agreed to language updating the calculation of paid sick time off, stating that employees on unpaid time off exceeding 80 hours in a month (prorated for part time) would earn a monthly accrual proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for employment. The parties agreed to additional conditions where sick time off will be permitted and clarified that former employees will be granted all unused sick time credits if they are reemployed within five years of separation.
  • Article 20 – Miscellaneous Leave
    • The parties agreed to minor housekeeping edits in this article.
  • Article 23 – Shared Leave
    • The parties agreed to minor housekeeping edits in this article.
  • Article 27 – Leave Related to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking
    • The parties agreed to include a reference to Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 46.8, as well as language listing the potential safety accommodations in situations relating to leaves associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
  • Article 29 – Military Leave
    • The parties agreed to minor housekeeping edits in this article, including a reference to Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 45.4.

The parties tentatively agreed to carry over the following articles and their contents from midcycle bargaining for House Bill 2669 in the current SEIU 925 CBA:

  • Preamble and Purpose
  • Article 59 – Nonpermanent Hourly and Nonpermanent Intermittent Employees

Union Counter Proposals

Nondiscrimination – In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its initial proposal that employees should use the bias reporting tool in the event a complaint is made, and proposed that all employees would be required to take annual diversity training. The Union reduced its proposal to increase the timeline for filing a grievances alleging a violation of the article from 365 days to 270 days.

Workplace Behavior – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposed language relating to the bias reporting tool, and revised its proposal to state that sensitivity training or other appropriate training will be scheduled for the individual or department involved in the incident.

Affirmative Action -The Union accepted some of the Employer’s proposed language changes, but reasserted its proposal to outline the specific groups covered by affirmative action. The Union proposed language stating that Affirmative Action Reports would include placement goals, timetables, and progress towards goals for represented positions, and revised its proposal to state that the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity would meet with the Union quarterly for the purpose of monitoring and adjusting affirmative action goals and timetables.

Uniforms Requirement – In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to strike the sentence that employees would be held accountable for uniforms and PPE assigned to them, but accepted the Employer’s proposal that uniforms would be considered the property of the Employer and that serviceable uniforms would be returned upon separation from employment. The Union proposed to move references to tools and PPE into Article 31 Health and Safety.

Performance Evaluation – In response to the Employer, the Union proposed language stating that a supervisor would provide an employee with a link to their class specifications upon appointment to a position.

Corrective Action Dismissal – In response to the Employer, the Union agreed to strike language stating that an employee would be given a list of expectations and problem statements to review following a final counseling, but proposed to retain the language relating to the decision-making period, clarifying that an employee could be given up to one day of paid time away from the worksite.

Joint Union Management Committee – The Union accepted the proposed language that the parties may propose to combine staffing meetings, but added a sentence that HR Compensation staff would attend where appropriate.

Holidays – In response to the Employer, the Union withdrew its proposal that if leave without pay is used during a holiday, employees will have up to 60 days after the holiday to make up work time. Instead, the Union proposed a new sentence stating that the employee could make up work within the pay period containing the holiday.

New MOU Enterprise Revenue and Health Information (ERHI) Flexible Starting Time – The Union reasserted their proposal and rejected the Employer’s proposed language stating that the employee must be meeting productivity and/or quality expectations and not demonstrating work performance issues to maintain a flexible start time without prior approval.

New Article XX Disparate Treatment – The Union proposed to reassert their previous proposal to create a new article regarding Disparate Treatment towards represented employees.

Employer Counter Proposals

Employee Training and Development – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer rejected language requiring each department to create, maintain, and publish an employee training and development plan, as well language encouraging each department to provide $200 per employee for educational and training programs. The Employer accepted the Union’s proposed changes relating to training and development task teams, training programs, and certificates, and agreed to expand the provision on education and professional development to apply to all bargaining units. The Employer also proposed language regarding the new BIPOC staff development program, a free program available to all BIPOC staff that would include online programs, workshops, and specialized content supporting an inclusive workplace culture. The Employer proposed to include language from the Medical Interpreters MOU relating to education and training funds, and proposed language that the Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants working outside of the Ambulatory Care Division would also receive $500 per fiscal year in education funds.

MOU Scholarship Fund for Medical Center Employees – In response to the Union’s proposal on Training and Development, the Employer proposed to increase the annual pool of funds to obtain a degree or certification for medical center employees from $100,000 to $150,000, increasing the maximum for each employee from $4,000 to $5,000.

New MOU Opening Coding Specialist 1 & 3 Titles for FPPS – The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal to create an MOU relating to the Coding job profiles in FPPS. The Employer explained that the appropriate procedure for proposing a new classification or modifying an existing a classification is outlined in Article 44 Classification and Reclassification.

Next Steps

The next UW and SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for September 19 and will be held virtually.