Agreement Reached with UAW ASEs on 2024-2027 Contract
UW has reached agreement with UAW ASEs on a collective bargaining agreement effective from May 19, 2024 through April 30, 2027. Members of UAW have voted in favor of ratifying their contract.
For details on the agreement reached, please see the following summary tables below.
The main UAW ASE contract page will be updated with the finalized agreement once available. A copy of the Tentative Agreements are posted under current contract.
| CONTRACT PROVISION | SUMMARY OF CHANGES |
|---|---|
| Preamble | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 1 Purpose and Intent | Housekeeping Updates: New language was added changing “the Handbook of the University of Washington” to now read “Board of Regents governance; employment and administrative policies; faculty code and governance; Presidential Orders; and student governance and policies of the University of Washington” which were formerly part of the Handbook. |
| ARTICLE 2 Recognition | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 3 Definitions | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 4 Appointment and Reappointment Notification and Job Description | Updates: New contract language was added to change the deadline the University has to provide a written letter or email offer of appointment for incoming students from April 1st to June 1st. Incoming students would have two weeks to respond to the offer. A statement that ASEs are eligible for University of Washington Voluntary Investment Program (VIP) and the website link to VIP and information about reasonable accommodations which will include the contract article number and contact information for the ASE’s employing department’s Human Resources Consultant will be added to the letter offering an appointment. |
| ARTICLE 5 Childcare | Updates: Effective Fall Quarter 2024, all eligible ASEs will now receive up to $1560 (previously $1350) per quarter for childcare expenses incurred during the ASE’s appointment period. |
| ARTICLE 6 Discipline or Dismissal | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 7 Fee and Tuition Waivers | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 8 Grievance Procedure | Updates: New contract language was added to memorialize that the Labor Relations Office should be included on grievance filings. Grievance timelines were adjusted so now a grievance must be filed within 30 calendar days, the date of the meeting will be mutually agreed upon within 14 calendar days, and Labor Relations (or designee) will have 14 calendar days to issue a written response to the grievance. New language was added related to a new Step Three – Mediation. Standing arbitration hearings were removed. |
| ARTICLE 9 Health and Safety | Updates: Contract language around reasonable accommodations of ASEs with a disability was removed from this article as a new reasonable accommodation article was created. A new section regarding ergonomics was added to this article. This new section details the process the ASEs should follow if they believe job procedures, or use of University-owned or operated workstations or equipment will cause or exacerbate musculoskeletal injury or discomfort. |
| ARTICLE 10 Holidays | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 11 Hourly Pay Scale Transparency | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 12 Intellectual Property and Scholarly Misconduct | Updates: A new section was added detailing that employee contributions to their scholarship shall be appropriately recognized. It also details that publication credits shall accurately and appropriately reflect the contributions and work of the individuals involved as determined by the University |
| ARTICLE 13 Insurance Programs | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 14 Job Posting | Updates: Language was updated to include “Handshake” in the list of University websites where open hire ASE positions are posted. Language was added stating a third reason an ASE job would not be an open hire: if an ASE had an existing or previous working relationship with a faculty member. Pay range was added to what must be on all job postings |
| ARTICLE 15 Job Titles and Classifications | New: The title of the article was changed to “Article 15 – Job Profiles and Classifications” to better align the terminology with Workday, the University’s payroll system. Housekeeping edits were made to better align the article with Workday such as changing “title” to “job profile”, changing “occupation code” to “job code”, and changing “salary” to “compensation”. Additional job profiles were added to align with the new language proposed in Article 25- Summer Non-registered Graduate Research Student Assistants. The parties also agreed to change the differential between the levels of TA, RA and SA from 7.5% to 5%. |
| ARTICLE 16 Layoff | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 17 Leaves of Absence | Updates: New contract language was added updating the definition of family member section. New contract language was added that Personal Holidays could be used in four hour increments (or pro-rated hours based on FTE) for pay in lieu of leave without pay for a reasons of faith or conscience |
| ARTICLE 18 Management Rights | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 19 No Strikes No Lockouts | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 20 Non-Discrimination and Harassment | Updates: New contract language was added that the Equity Survey that UAW and the University jointly administer which focuses on ASE-specific concerns would be subject to the University's Policy on the Appropriate Collection and Use of Demographic Data for Job Applicants and University Personnel. New contract language was added that the website that publicizes the location of every all-gender bathroom on campus would be updated annually |
| CONTRACT PROVISION | SUMMARY OF CHANGES |
|---|---|
| ARTICLE 21 Parking and Transit | Updates: The MOU- Transportation and U-PASS was struck and moved into this article. New contract language was added that effective summer quarter 2025 and during summer quarters only eligible nonregistered ASEs holding job profiles outlined in Article 25 would not be charged a fee for a U-PASS |
| ARTICLE 22 Personnel Files | Updates: New language was added clarifying that departments and/or Hiring Units are responsible for the official personnel file of ASE and UW Human Resources is responsible for the medical files of ASEs. |
| ARTICLE 23 Severability | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| ARTICLE 24 Subcontracting | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| ARTICLE 25 Summer Non-Registered Graduate Research Student Assistants | New: Currently departments may hire non-registered research student assistants during summer quarter only. New language was added that beginning summer 2025, this will expand to non-registered teaching student assistants, staff assistants and predoctoral instructors. A new job profile for each summer only nonregistered title will be created. The title of the article was changed to “Article 25 – Summer Non-registered Graduate ASE Appointments” |
| ARTICLE 26 Training | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| ARTICLE 27 Travel | Updates: Language was added stating the University shall make a reasonable effort to provide direct departmental payment of allowable expenses for approved business-related travel, consistent with the University of Washington Administrative Policy Statements, Section 70 and/or departmental policy. Language was added stating the University will make a good faith effort to process reimbursements within 30 days of submission of all required reimbursement information, forms and receipts |
| ARTICLE 28 Union Management Committee | Updates: New language was added to state that the joint Union-Management Committee formed to address issues that are not the subject of an active grievance will now be held upon request rather than automatically each quarter. |
| ARTICLE 29 Union Rights | Updates: The language was updated to better align the contract language with the contents of the roster reports sent after every pay period to the Union. |
| ARTICLE 30 Union Security | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| ARTICLE 31 Voluntary Community Action Program (VCAP) | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| CONTRACT PROVISION | SUMMARY OF CHANGES |
|---|---|
| ARTICLE 32 Vacation | Updates: New contract language was added to better clarify when eligible ASEs are awarded vacation time off. |
| ARTICLE 33 Wages | Updates: The parties agreed upon the following wage increases: Effective July 1, 2024: • Premaster base rate increased by 12% • Intermediate base rate increased by 9.5% • Candidate base rate increased by 7% • Variable rate increase of a minimum of 3% • Hourly rate increase of 8% Effective July 1, 2025: • Base rate (all levels) increased by 10% • Variable rate increase of a minimum of 2% • Hourly rate increase of 5% Effective July 1, 2026: • Base rate (all levels) increased by 10% • Variable rate increase of a minimum of 2% • Hourly rate increase of 5% |
| ARTICLE 34 Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Program | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| ARTICLE 35 Workload | Housekeeping edits: The article remained mostly current contract language with housekeeping edits made to the policies hourly ASE appointments and schedules are be made in accordance too. |
| ARTICLE 36 Workspace and Materials | Updates: This article maintained current contract language with a small clarifier added that ASEs can request job related materials from their department and the University will make a good faith effort to process reimbursements within 30 days |
| ARTICLE 37 Duration | Updates: The parties agreed to a contract duration of May 19, 2024 through April 30, 2027 |
| APPENDIX I GAIP | Updates: The article remained mostly current contract language with slight increases in the vision coverage |
| CONTRACT PROVISION | SUMMARY OF CHANGES |
|---|---|
| APPENDIX II PBFs at IHME | Struck: This appendix was struck as PBFs at IHME no longer exist. |
| LOU A Workers Compensation | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language |
| MOU Empowering Prevention and Inclusive Communities EPIC | Updates: New contract language was added stating the University and the Union will meet during summer quarter to discuss the goals, including the training plan, of the EPIC program for the upcoming academic year |
| MOU Immigration Status and Work Authorization | Struck: This MOU was struck and incorporated into a New Article- Immigration Status and Work Authorization. |
| MOU Time Off Tracking in Workday | No changes: The parties agreed to maintain existing contract language. |
| MOU Transportation and UPASS | Struck: This MOU was struck and incorporated into Article 21- Parking and Transit. |
| New Article Immigration Status and Work Authorization | New: MOU- Immigration Status and Work Authorization was incorporated into this new article. New language was added that the Union and University, including a representative of the University’s International Student Services (ISS) office, shall meet upon request up to four times per calendar year to discuss issues arising from academic student employment, immigration status, and work authorization. New language was added that ASEs may request and be granted up to four hours of paid immigration-related time off annually when given one week’s prior notice to attend any appointments, hearings, and/or proceedings related to their own immigration or citizenship status scheduled by federal immigration officials or the U.S. Department of State. Additionally, the University will not unreasonably deny requests for vacation time off for the purpose of attending appointments, hearings, and/or proceedings related to immigration or citizenship status of the ASE’s spouse, registered domestic partner, child, or parent scheduled by federal immigration officials or the U.S. Department of State. New language was added that if the University is not able to lawfully employ or continue to employ an ASE as a result of the ASE's immigration status, upon request, the University agrees to meet with the ASE and the Union to discuss possible employment or reemployment scenarios. The University agrees to make reasonable efforts to employ or re-employ the ASE as soon as possible after they have notified their department of their work authorization or immigration status that lawfully permits them to work as an ASE. |
| New Article Reasonable Accommodations | New: A new article details the current interactive reasonable accommodation process which is designed to explore reasonable accommodations for employees with medical conditions or disabilities. |
| CONTRACT PROVISION | SUMMARY OF CHANGES |
|---|---|
| New MOU Tracking Discrimination | New: A new MOU was added stating that on an annual basis, the Civil Rights Investigation Office, Safe Campus, and UW Human Resources Campus Operations Investigations will prepare an assessment report which will at a minimum include information quantifying reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. An electronic copy of each report will be made available to the Union. |
| New MOU EPIC Trainers | New: A new MOU regarding EPIC trainers was created. This MOU details that two of the four 20% FTE RSE and Postdoc EPIC positions can be repurposed into one additional 50% FTE ASE position when two RSE and/or Postdoc positions are unfilled. There are currently three spots for 50% FTE ASE trainers and four spots for 20% FTE ASE trainers between the combination of RSEs and Postdocs. |