Labor Relations

WFSE-PM Negotiations Recap for May 29, 2024

Background

This recap details the second bargaining session for the 2025-2027 collective bargaining agreement between the UW and WFSE-PM. The session was held online on May 29, 2024. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements

On the following articles, the parties agreed to maintain current contract language:

  • Article 1: Preamble
  • Article 2: Nondiscrimination
  • Article 3: Affirmative Action
  • Article 4: Management Rights and Responsibilities
  • Article 5: Joint Union/Management Committee
  • Article 6: Union Dues Deduction
  • Article 8: Union Business Activities – Leave
  • Article 10: Vacations
  • Article 15: Tuition Exemption
  • Article 16: Uniforms and Special Clothing
  • Article 17: Seniority and Layoff
  • Article 21: Discipline and Dismissal
  • Article 23: Employee Representation
  • Article 24: Performance of Duty
  • Article 26: Severability
  • Article 27: Health Care Benefits
  • Article 28: Mandatory Subjects
  • Article 29: Training and Development
  • Appendix II: Job Classifications

The parties tentatively agreed to the following articles:

Article 7: Union Business Representatives–The parties agreed to new language in this article regarding recently hired employees in the bargaining unit. This article now includes the following: the Employer will offer a regularly scheduled New Hire Orientation (NEO) and the Union will be allowed thirty (30) minutes to present at (NEO), and if the employee does not attend NEO, the Employer will allow access to the employee’s worksite to a Union representative who would be allowed to speak with the employee during regular working hours for no less than thirty (30) minutes.

Additionally, the parties agreed that Union information requests will be submitted to the Labor Relations Office, the request will  include what information is being sought and why, and the request will not normally extend more than twenty-four (24) months prior to the date of the request.

Article 22: Grievance Procedure–The parties agreed to increase the deadline to provide a written grievance response to the Union from five (5) to fifteen (15) calendar days for Step 1 grievances, and from ten (10) to thirty (30) days for Step 2 grievances.

The parties agreed to strike the language regarding grievances filed outside of the department in which the employee works, as there have been no known grievances of this type.Lastly, clarifying language was added regarding the arbitration process for grievances for disciplinary actions, discharge or termination, which would be administered by PERC using a list of designated arbitrators established in accordance with RCW 41.58.070. All other arbitrations would be administered by the PERC using a list of nine arbitrators from either Washington or Oregon.

UW Proposals

Employer What-If Package Proposal:

The Employer presented a What-If package proposal including all remaining contract provisions, including Articles 14, 18, 19, and 25; and MOUs “MOU Retention Incentive Program” and “MOU Transportation”.

In this proposed package Article 14 Health & Safety would remain current contract language and the Union would withdraw its proposals regarding take home vehicles and language regarding consent for use of personal imaging.

This package also includes the Employer’s proposals from May 3, 2024 for the following Articles:

  • Article 19 Contracting
    • Note, earlier in the session, WFSE retracted its statement that they were in agreement with the Employer’s initial proposal in this Article, and instead expressed their position as current contract language
  • MOU Retention Incentive Program
  • MOU Transportation (New)

Those proposals can be found in the May 3 Recap.

Lastly, this package would include two counter proposals on Articles 18 and 25.

Article 18: Hours of Work and Overtime– The Employer proposed that compensatory time off would not be included for the purpose of calculating overtime, however sick and vacation time off would be included when calculating overtime. The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal to increase callback pay from two to three hours.

Article 25: Wages and Other Pay Provisions– In response to the Union, the Employer proposed FTOs would receive a 7.5% premium for hours worked while performing FTO duties. This is in alignment with the Union’s proposed 3-step increase. The Employer also proposed new language regarding assigning FTOs. In this proposal, the Employer would first request volunteers and, if there are no volunteers, the Department would make a good faith effort to equalize situations where employees are mandated to perform FTO.

In this proposal, the Employer would agree to increase the educational incentive from a one-time annual payment of $1000 or $1200 to 2% or 3% of base pay for Bachelor’s or Advanced Degrees, respectively.

The Employer did not agree to the following new language from the Union’s proposal in this article: language pay, shift premiums, equity with Teamsters contract.

Next Steps

The next UW and WFSE PM bargaining session is scheduled for June 13, 2024.