Labor Relations

UW IHME – SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap for November 28 and November 30, 2023

This recap details the seventh and eighth virtual sessions for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the UW IHME and SEIU 925. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

The parties tentatively agreed to the following articles:

  • Article 8 – New Employees
    • The parties agreed to add language that states that employees with an official duty station within a fifty (50) mile radius will be encouraged to attend new employee orientation in person and that online orientations (self-paced) will be offered to employees in locations or positions that cannot attend in-person.
    • The parties also agreed to add language that allows member presenters to be released for up to one (1) hour for online orientation, and up to two (2) hours for in-person orientation, depending on distance traveled.
  • Article 10 – Hours of Work
    • The parties agreed to add a new section that details policies related to changes to assignments, priorities, and deadlines. In accordance with this section, changes to work assignments and the reason for said changes will be clearly communicated amongst team leaders, supervisors, and employees. Such changes may also require that team leaders and supervisors communicate how current work will be adjusted, reassigned, or reprioritized to accommodate the changes. Additionally, the parties agree to add language that states that employees should initiate discussions with their supervisor as soon as they anticipate workload-related issues and that supervisors will work with employees to assist in setting priorities and adjusting workload.
    • The parties also agreed that team workload concerns are an appropriate topic for Joint Labor Management meetings.
    • The parties agreed to add language confirming that the Employer will provide the employee in writing the reason for denial of an alternative work schedule. With respect to flexible work arrangements, the parties agreed to add language stating that employees may utilize flexible work arrangements so long as all job responsibilities are fulfilled, subject to operational needs, and supervisory approval.
  • Article 12 – Professional Development
    • The parties agreed to add language that states that no single employee will be approved for more than 10% of the total IHME Professional Development fund budget over the course of the fiscal year. In addition, any denial of a professional development request will be provided to the employee with written documentation as to why the request was denied.
    • The parties also agreed to adjust language outlining requests for professional funds, establishing that requests for funds will be gathered on a quarterly basis in March, June, September, and December.
  • Article 17 – Performance Evaluations
    • The parties agreed to add a provision to evaluation forms for identifying organizational citizenship including but not limited to recognition of community building and DEI-related work, identifying performance goals that encourage professional growth, innovation, and efficiency, as well as embodiment of IHME’s organizational values.
    • The parties also agreed to add a provision to evaluation forms that allow employees to provide feedback to their supervisors.
  • Article 32 – Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
    • With respect to existing language concerning inclement weather, the parties agreed to add language emphasizing that this applies to situations when an employee is faced with “local” unanticipated problems related to natural disasters or severe weather.
  • New Side Letter – Utility Outages
    • The parties agreed to create a new side letter with language allowing teleworking employees to work with their supervisors to adjust job duties and/or deadlines in cases when unanticipated utility outages impact their ability to work.
  • Article 35 – Health Care Benefit Amounts
    • The parties agreed to updated language in this article to align with the coalition health care benefits agreement reached for the 2023-2025 biennium.
  • Article 36 – Transportation, Travel, and Commute Reduction
    • The parties agreed to transfer the provisions of Side Letter E – U-PASS into this article and transfer language detailing provisions for telework into a new, standalone article.
  • Side Letter E – U-PASS
    • The parties agreed to remove this expired side letter.
  • Article 41 – Layoff, Seniority, Layoff, Rehire
    • The parties agreed to add a new section establishing an Employment Option Trial Period. This section details that employees placed into vacant positions as an employment option would serve a 3-month employment option trial period, during which either party may initiate placement on the rehire list. The new section also establishes that time spent in an employment option trial period will not count toward the 24-month rehire list period and that the 3-month trial period will be adjusted to reflect any paid or unpaid leave taken during that period.
    • The parties agreed to remove language stating that the Employer may consider affirmative action goals during layoff or rehire processes.
  • Side Letter D – Innovation Time
    • The parties agreed to add language that requires both parties to meet and discuss the development of a funding proposal idea that would be pursed by IHME, and that the Employer will update the Union on any potential opportunities for such proposals to be funded.

The parties tentatively agreed to the following articles with minor housekeeping/language edits only:

  • Article 11 – Overtime

The parties tentatively agreed to strike the following MOUs and side letters:

  • MOU – Promotional Reviews and In-Grade Reviews
  • MOU – Market Adjustments and Salary Survey
  • MOU – Implementation of Appendix 1 Job Classifications
  • Side Letter C – IHME Working Titles

Union Counter Proposals

The Union presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Package highlights are outlined below.

  • Article 16 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions – The Union’s compensation counterproposal would increase the minimums and maximums of the wage scale (including in Appendix I) for each job profile by 10% on January 1, 2024. The Union adjusted its proposal for subsequent years to increase the minimums by an additional 5.36% on January 1, 2025, and 5.36% January 1, 2026.

The Union counterproposal also increases all employee salaries across-the-board by 10% effective January 1, 2024, and adjusts their proposal for subsequent years with additional increases of 5.36% on January 1, 2025, and 5.36% on January 1, 2026.

The Union counterproposal responds to the Employer’s counterproposal related to temporary pay increases (TPI), adding language that states that TPIs would be acceptable means for temporarily paying an employee for increased workload/duties at the same level, provided that temporary is at least ten (10) workdays in duration.

  • Article 13 – Hiring, Promotions, and Transfers – As part of the package, the Union would be agreeable to the Employer’s proposal for a continuation of the existing promotion and in-grade salary pool that consists of at least 1% of the salary of IHME employees.
  • New Article XX – Telework – As part of the package, the Union counter-proposed to add language to the section on International Remote Work that would require the University to notify the Union of policy changes after the CBA is ratified, and that the Union would have the opportunity to bargain over the change(s).

The Union presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Package highlights are outlined below.

  • Article 23 – Parental Leave – The Union maintained its initial proposal 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 Union counterproposal adds language that would allow employees outside of Washington state to contact the UW-provided employee assistance program (EAP) for finding information about existing paid leave programs in their state of residence.
  • *The package included the Employer’s initial proposals with minor housekeeping edits on Article 18 – Holidays, Article 19 – Vacation Leave, and Article 20 – Sick Time Off, as well as including Article 24 – Shared Leave, where both parties proposed current contract language.

Employer Counter Proposals

Article 16 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions – The Employer’s compensation counterproposal would increase minimum and maximum salaries (including in Appendix I) by 3% effective January 1, 2024 (if ratified on or before December 31, 2023), and an additional 2% on January 1, 2025, and 2% on January 1, 2026.

The Employer’s counterproposal would also increase all employee salaries across-the-board by 3% effective January 1, 2024 (if ratified on or before December 31, 2023), and an additional 2% across-the-board on January 1, 2025, and 2% on January 1, 2026.

Next Steps

The next UW IHME and SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for December 5, 2023, and will be held virtually.