UW & Teamsters 117 Negotiations Recap for April 24, 2024
Background
This recap details the second bargaining session for the 2025-2027 collective bargaining agreement between the UW and Teamsters 117. The session was held in-person on April 24, 2024. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Proposed Tentative Agreements
Both parties have proposed tentative agreements to the following:
- Article 5 Union Recognition, Union Security, And Dues Deduction
- Incorporate the content, unchanged, from Article 28 Drive
- Article 27 Duration
- Extend the contract through the next biennium, July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027
- Article 28 Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education (DRIVE)
- Eliminate the Article as its contents have been moved to Article 5
- Article 30 Work Related Injury Leave
- Minor housekeeping edits
Both parties proposed tentative agreements maintaining current contract language on the following:
- Article 1 Preamble
- Article 2 Non-Discrimination
- Article 3 Management Rights
- Article 4 Joint Labor Management Committee
- Article 6 Union Business Representatives
- Article 10 Vacations
- Article 14 Seniority and Layoff
- Article 17 Discipline and Dismissal
- Article 18 Grievance Procedure
- Article 21 Contracting Out
- Article 22 Performance of Duty Strike Lockout
- Article 23 Tuition Exemption
- Article 24 Severability
- Article 26 Resignation and Abandonment
- Article 29 Training
UW Counter Proposals
Article 12: Leaves-General– In response to the Union’s belief that the information was duplicative of content in the sick time off article, the Employer removed its proposed reference that sick time off can be used after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government. In response to the Union’s interest to maintain work related injury language in this article, the Employer maintained its proposal to strike the duplicative content but added language to reference Article 30 Work Related Injury Leave, in the event employees were looking for that content in this Article.
The Employer maintained its proposal that all bargaining unit members would pay their own employee portion of State Senate Bill 5975 (Washington Family Medical Leave Program).
Article 13: Uniforms/Personal Items– In response to the Union, the Employer proposed a What-If proposal on uniforms and personal items. In this proposal, shirts and trousers issued would still be reduced per the initial proposal, but officers would be given a jumpsuit after the completion of the FTO program, which was previously after the completion of probation. In accordance with the RCW, language was added that the damage of personal items on duty would be reimbursed up to $200 per occurrence. The non-uniformed allowance would be increased to $500 annually, up from $300. The Employer also proposed that boots/shoes selected by the Uniform Committee would be purchased by the Employer and issued to employees every other year.
Article 20: Longevity And Premiums– In response to the Union, the Employer made a What-If proposal to increase in the FTO rate to an 8.5% premium on hours worked while performing FTO responsibilities. This is an increase from the current 3-step increase on hours worked while preforming FTO responsibilities.
The Employer rejected the Union’s proposed changes to the Educational Incentive and the new Master Police Officer program.
NEW Article XX: Long-Term Services And Support Trust Program– The Employer rejected this new article and the Union’s proposal to make any changes to the current premium paid entirely by employees.
Teamsters Counter Proposals
Article 7: Union Business Activities Absences– The Union rejected the Employer’s initial proposal related to a proposed reduction to paid release time for training, and a proposed increase to the amount of time in advance an employee requests unpaid time off for Union employment.
Article 8: Employee Files– The Union rejected the Employer’s initial proposal to clarify language related to the official personnel file, and to clarify that when the law may require performance evaluations to be provided to outside agencies.
Article 9: Sick Time Off– The Union withdrew its proposed increase in the rate that an employee is compensated for their accrued sick time off. The Union maintained adding a direct payment option for this compensation, rather than defaulting to a VEBA contribution.
Article 11: Holidays– The Union rejected the Employer’s initial proposal, including its proposal to cash out holiday credit annually on June 30.
Article 13: Uniforms/Personal Items– In response to the Employer, the Union reduced the proposed clothing allowance for uniformed police officers from $750 annually to $700 annually. The Union struck their proposal that the non-uniformed officers’ allowance would be increased from the current amount. The Union maintained the amount of shirts and trousers issued, but incorporated the Employer’s other edits to the uniforms list.
Article 15: Hours Of Work And Overtime– After the Employer rejected the Union’s initial proposal in this article earlier in the session and reasserted their own, the Union later rejected the entirety of the Employer’s proposals in this article and reasserted their initial proposal, in the same session.
Article 16: Compensatory Time Off– The Union rejected the Employer’s initial proposal, and stated their interest in retaining current contract language in this article.
Article 19: Employee Rights– After the Employer rejected the Union’s proposed new camera language earlier in the session, the Union reasserted their initial proposal.
Article 20: Longevity And Premiums– The Union incorporated a housekeeping edit from the Employer, but otherwise reasserted their initial proposal, including changes to the FTO premium, educational incentive, and the creation of a Master Police Officer program.
Article 25: Wages– The Union reasserted their initial proposal for a 20% across-the-board increase in July 2025 and a 10% across-the-board increase in July 2026..
Appendix A: Health Care Benefits: In conjunction with withdrawing its proposal to increase the amount of sick time off cashed out, the Union proposed an increase in the Employer’s contribution to an employee’s VEBA to 1.5%, currently 1.2%
Next Steps
The next UW and Teamsters 117 bargaining session is scheduled for April 30, 2024.