UW IHME & SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap for October 19, 2023
This recap details the third virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the UW IHME and SEIU 925.
Union Initial Proposals
Article 14 – Information on Grants and Proposals – The Union proposed adding a section to this article that would require IHME to schedule meetings with employees whose positions are grant-funded sixty (60) days before a grant ends for the purpose of providing updates on possible extensions of current funding, and/or information on similar positions funded by new grants if available.
Article 16 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions – The Union proposed adding language that prior research and work would be taken into consideration when placing new employees on the wage scale, and that would require new employees to not be automatically placed at the minimum of the wage scale for their respective job profile.
The Union’s initial compensation proposal would increase the minimum and maximums of the wage scale for each job profile by 12.1% on January 1, 2024, and increase by an additional 7% on January 1, 2025, and 7% on January 1, 2026.
The Union also proposed increasing all employee salaries across-the-board by 12.1% effective January 1, 2024, with additional increases of 7% on January 1, 2025, and 7% on January 1, 2026.
With respect to reasons for in-grade salary adjustments, the Union proposed adding language that clarifies that internal equity includes addressing problematic salary compression or inversion and expanded upon one of the reasons to include meritorious performance resulting in increased level of functioning. The proposal also includes adding language that would require a temporary pay increase for additional duties or higher-level responsibilities to be in effect until the assignment of said additional duties or higher-level responsibilities end. Additionally, the Union proposed that the Employer would produce an annual report that surfaces salary disparities, inversions, or compressions that impact bargaining unit employees, and that the Employer would adjust salaries for affected employees, based on the report’s findings.
Article 17 – Performance Evaluations – The Union proposed adding language to include university and/or online courses as options for employee development. The Union also proposed adding language that would include recognition of community building and DEI-related work as employee achievements in performance evaluation forms. The proposal would also add a box to evaluation forms that would indicate a review process must be initiated for an Employee to receive an in-grade salary increase for meritorious performance during the review period, as per Article 16.8, Pay Increases. The Union also proposed adding a provision to evaluation forms for employees to give feedback to supervisors. Additionally, the Union proposed adding language that states that performance problems not addressed as they occur may not be included in evaluations. The proposal also adds language that states if an employee is not given an opportunity to discuss the proposed evaluation and/or is not given an opportunity to provide a written response, performance problems may not be included in the evaluation. The Union proposal also adds language that provides the evaluator (or supervisor) with the option on the evaluation form to indicate the desire to initiate a review process for an employee to receive an in-grade salary increase for meritorious performance during the review period, as per Article 16.8, Pay Increases. Finally, the Union proposed adding a required supervisor evaluator training for evaluators.
Article 23 – Parental Leave – The Union proposed that the Employer would provide and fund paid parental leave for up to 12 weeks for employees who request it following the birth or adoption of a child. The proposal states that employees would be eligible if they qualify for FMLA, that paid parental leave would be used and completed within the 12 months following birth or adoption and any unused in this period will not be rolled over or paid out. The Union proposed employees could request a temporary transition period after consultation with their supervisor and the Employer in which an employee would be granted part-time status for more than 1 month but no more than 6 months following a parental leave of absence. Additionally, the Union proposal states that the transition period must be agreed upon and documented by the employee, supervisor, and IHME HR within 2 weeks of the employee’s anticipated return to work after leave. The Union also proposed a new section to this article that, upon request, IHME or the UW would provide assistance to employees in finding information on existing paid leave programs in their state of residence.
Article 32 – Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations – The Union proposed adding a section that would allow employees to adjust their work schedules as operations allow when issues arise out of the employee’s control in the event of unforeseen weather circumstances, such as natural disasters, severe weather, and local power or internet outages. The proposal would allow the employee to discuss with their supervisor how to best accommodate said issues if an employee cannot adjust their work schedule.
MOU – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – The Union proposed converting this MOU into a new article. The proposal states that time spent by employees contributing to DEI activities must be completed during work time, and that supervisors would work with their employees to accommodate DEI-related work. The proposal adds language that would require senior management to offer to meet with leads of affinity groups to discuss feedback and evaluate formal structures for feedback on a bi-annual basis, during fall and spring quarters. The Union also proposed adding language that DEI initiatives may emerge from the work performed by employees, affinity groups, the DEI Council, etc. The Union proposed adding a new section that would require the Employer to produce an annual report that would surface salary disparities, inversions, or compressions that impact bargaining unit employees, and that the Employer would adjust salaries for affected employees. The Union proposal includes adding clarifying language that members of an interview team would be required to have taken specific trainings on unconscious bias and interviewing skills. The proposal adds language that would require IHME and the Union to meet annually to discuss DEI-related questions on engagement surveys. The Union proposed adding language that would require IHME to encourage affinity groups to report on their DEI-related work during Town Hall meetings and to recognize the work of community leaders during said meetings and/or during an employee’s annual performance review. This proposal would also require IHME to continue maintain a pool of funds for affinity group initiatives.
Employer Initial Proposals
Article 16 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions – The Employer’s initial compensation proposal would increase all bargaining unit member salaries by 2% across-the-board effective January 1, 2024 (if ratified by December 31, 2023), 2% across-the-board on January 1, 2025, and 2% across-the-board on January 1, 2026.
The Employer also proposed adjusting language on pay for teaching to align with current practice.
Appendix I – Job Classifications – The Employer proposed to update the Appendix with current minimum and maximum salaries. The Employer proposed adding a column to Appendix I to differentiate between FLSA Exempt and FLSA Non-Exempt job codes. The Employer proposal includes striking and removing the IHME Working Title column.
MOU – Promotional Reviews and In-Grade Reviews – The Employer proposed to maintain the existing annual promotion and in-grade salary pool consisting of at least one percent (1%) of the salary of bargaining unit employees.
Article 51 – Represented Hourly Employees – The Employer proposed adding a list of articles that apply to SEIU 925-IHME hourly employees. The Employer also proposed updating the definition for Represented SEIU 925 IHME hourly employees to be hourly paid employees doing bargaining unit work on an hourly basis for no longer than 12 months. Additionally, the Employer proposed updating the sick leave accrual policy to reflect current University practice in accordance with the RCW.
On the following provisions, the Employer proposed to maintain current contract language:
- Article 4 – Affirmative Action
- Article 5 – Grievance Procedure
- Article 6 – Employee Rights
- Article 7 – Employee Facilities
- Article 14 – Information on Grants and Proposals
- Article 17 – Performance Evaluations
- Article 24 – Shared Leave
- Article 32 – Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
- Article 33 – Community Service Days
- Article 37 – Late Night Work Meals and Transportation
- Article 38 – Personnel Files
- Article 39 – Corrective Action
- Article 40 – Employee Assistance Program
- Article 42 – Resignation and Abandonment
- Article 44 – Contracting
- Article 46 – Joint Union Management Committee
- Article 47 – Privacy
- Article 48 – Salary Overpayment Recovery
- Article 49 – Tuition Exemption Program
- Article 50 – Personal Services
- Article 52 – Contract Distribution
- Article 53 – Union Membership, Dues Deduction, and Status Reports
- Article 54 – Management Rights and Responsibilities
- Article 55 – Subordination of Agreement and Savings Clause
The Employer proposed to strike the following out-of-date MOUs:
- MOU – Market Adjustments and Salary Survey
Union Counter Proposals
Article 13 – Hiring, Promotions, and Transfers – The Union counter-proposed moving the provisions from the Promotional Reviews and In-Grade Reviews MOU into a new section in this article. The Union proposed increasing the percentage of IHME employee salaries to make up the promotion and in-grade salary pool from 1% to at least 3% in March 2024, 2025, and 2026. Additionally, the Union proposed adding language to this section that would require the Employer to notify all bargaining unit employees of this pool and provide a written explanation to an employee for denial of a promotion or in-grade salary increase.
The Union also counter-proposed to maintain current contract language requiring a 14-day minimum time period for notices of vacant bargaining unit positions to be made available in places intended to reach bargaining unit employees. The Union proposed adding language that would allow an employee to request a promotion via position review or an in-grade salary increase with their supervisor. Under this proposal, supervisors would be required to provide either a written explanation for denial of a promotion/salary increase or provide a timeline for an expected promotion/increase. The proposal would require that the explanation for denial include either information on how the job being completed by the employee has not expanded and is still in line with their job title or a review of the core competencies not being met in the next level for Research Scientist/Engineer roles. The proposal would add language requiring that applicants from within the bargaining unit not granted an interview will receive a non-grievable review of the assessment through the HR office, and applicants from the bargaining unit who are interviewed but are not offered the position will receive an explanation in writing as to why the position was not offered. Under this proposal, employees that disagree with a supervisor’s assessment may request a review by Human Resources.
Article 12 – Professional Development – The Union counter-proposed that no single employee would be approved for more than 10% of the total IHME Professional Development funds and that any denial of a professional development request would be provided to the employee with written documentation as to why it was denied. The Union counterproposal also adjusts the timing for gathering requests for professional development funds, proposing it on a quarterly basis in March, June, September, and December. Under this proposal, any excess professional development funds not used at the end of the year would be rolled over and combined with the next year’s funds. The Union also counter-proposed adding a new section to this article stating that IHME and the Union agree innovation is a shared value in their work and that 10% of an employee’s regular work time may be spent on innovation research, learning, discussions, and experimentation. This section asserts that innovation projects may contribute to the team’s research goals or an employee’s professional development goals and that employees would inform their supervisor when they are using innovation time. The Union’s counterproposal incorporates all proposed changes in the Employer’s initial proposal for this article.
Article 31 – Miscellaneous Leave – The Union counter-proposed adding bereavement to the list of reasons for unpaid time off may be used that is not covered by in this article. The Union also proposed adding language that would require the Employer to consider an employee’s individual circumstances and operational needs when determining a return-to-work date in cases where the Employer cancels unpaid time off. The Union’s counterproposal incorporates all proposed changes in the Employer’s initial proposal for this article.
New Article – Telework – The Union counter-proposed language stating that the University encourages and allows use of telework and flexible scheduling within the bounds of business operations and resource limitations and that telework should be incorporated into operations plans for each organizational unit. The Union proposed adding additional language that would require the Employer to provide a reason for denying an eligible employee’s request in writing.
The Union counterproposal includes adding a new section to this article that would require the Employer to provide a monthly stipend of $75.00 to help cover the costs of electricity and internet connection for teleworkers. Under this proposal, the stipend payments would be made on a semi-annual basis in January and July. Additionally, the Union proposed adding a new section to this article that would require IHME to allow employees to work remotely abroad for no more than 6 months within a year, so long as working hours overlap with operating hours. The Union’s counterproposal incorporates all proposed changes in the Employer’s initial proposal for this article.
Side Letter C – IHME Working Titles – The Union counter-proposed converting this expired side letter into an MOU. The Union counterproposal includes updating and adding to the list of working titles that would be discussed and reviewed through the process laid out in the MOU.
Next Steps
The next UW IHME and SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for October 26, 2023 and will be held virtually.