University of Washington Human Resources

WFSE – UW Negotiations Recap for Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 28, 2024

Background
This recap details the first virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and the Washington Federation State Employees.

Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to current contract language on the following:

• Preamble
• Article 1 – Union Recognition
• Article 4 – Workplace Behavior
• Article 5 – Affirmative Action
• Article 8 – Employee Facilities
• Article 13 – Tuition Exemption Program
• Article 19 – Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations
• Article 22 – Child/Dependent Care
• Article 24 – Unpaid Holidays for a Reason of Faith or Conscience
• Article 29 – Military Leave
• Article 31 – Health and Safety
• Article 35 – Personnel Files
• Article 37 – Employee Assistance Program
• Article 41 – New Employees
• Article 48 – Staffing Concerns
• Article 49 – Privacy
• Article 50 – No Strike/Lockout
• Article 51 – Board of Regents
• Article 52 – Salary Overpayment Recovery
• Article 53 – Washington Family Medical Leave Program
• Article 54 – Subordination of Agreement and Saving Clause
• Article 57 – Management Rights and Responsibilities

The parties tentatively agreed to housekeeping edits only on the following:

• Article 21 – Federal Family Medical Leave Act and Parental Leave
• Article 23 – Shared Leave
• Article 27 – Leave Related to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking
• Article 58 – Term of Agreement

Article 25 – Absence Due to Family Care Emergencies
The parties tentatively agreed that in accordance with RCW 49.46.210, sick time off may be used when an employee’s child’s school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related reason or after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government.

Article 38 – Seniority, Layoff, Rehire
The parties tentatively agreed to make clear the expectations and process with regards to removal from the rehire list removed language that was redundant.

Article 62 – Advance Certification/Registration Pay
The parties agreed to place a placeholder on this article to allow for the accretion of the biomedical techs and cardiac monitoring technicians to the agreement.

UW Initial Proposals

Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
The Employer proposed reducing the number of days in which a grievance could be filed alleging a violation of this article. This would reduce the number of days from 180 to 90. The Employer also proposed that the grievance form would contain the information required in Article 6.5 of this agreement before scheduling could begin so that the Employer would be able to understand the nature of the alleged violation and the parties involved.

Article 6 – Grievance Procedure
Contents
The Employer proposed to add that a written grievance would include a complete description of the events that occurred that resulted in the alleged violation. Also, in addition to the grievant’s name, the written grievance would include their position to determine the appropriate individuals involved in the grievance.
Step Four: Arbitration
The Employer proposed that the Union would contact the Employer to begin the arbitration scheduling process within thirty calendar days of advancing the grievance to arbitration and that the arbitration hearing would be scheduled for a date that is within six months of the date the grievance was advanced to arbitration or the grievance would be considered withdrawn.
Panel of Arbitrators
The Employer proposed striking language that had already been implemented, specifically, the post agreement scheduling of a meeting to select arbitrators when the process had already been completed by both parties.

Article 15 – Inter-System Movement and Transfer
The Employer proposed expanding the types of service that would count towards higher vacation accrual rates. In this proposal, non-academic appointments would count towards months of service toward vacation accrual rates as opposed to just previous classified service.

Article 18 – Sick Time Off
Sick Time Off – Use
In accordance with the law, the Employer is proposing to add that an employee could use Sick Time Off when their child’s school or place of care had been closed for a health-related reason or after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government.
The Employer also proposed expanding the definition of family member to include state registered domestic partners and the spouse of a child.
The Employer additionally proposed that family members could include any individual who regularly resides in the employee’s home where the relationship creates an expectation that the employee cares for the person.

Article 39 – Resignation and Abandonment
In section 39.2, the Employer proposed that in the case of an employee’s failure to appear for work, the Employer would only consider Employee Self-Service telephone and emergency contact numbers. The Employers’ proposal to strike including departmental records is because Employee Self-Service would be more up to date.

Article 56 – Union Membership Dues Deduction, and Status Reports
The Employer proposed language updates that would clarify the content and types of reports that are currently provided to the union every pay period.

On the following provisions, the Employer proposed to maintain current contract language:

• Article 7 – Employee Rights
• Article 12 – Licensure and Certification
• Article 33 – Transportation and Commute Trip Reduction

The Employer proposed to strike the following out-of-date MOUs and Side letter:

• MOU – Critical Recruitment and Retention Wage Increases
• MOU – Dietetic Tech LPN MHS and Ortho Tech R&R
• MOU – Healthcare Pay Tables Consolidation
• MOU – Health Care R&R Wage Increases
• MOU – Hospital Custodian Series
• MOU – Intermittent Nonpermanent and Represented Regular Temporary Employees
• MOU – Lump Sum Payment
• MOU – Market Based Increases
• MOU – Non-Healthcare Across The Board Increases Me Too
• MOU – Skilled Trades R&R Premium
• MOU – Trades License Premium
• Side Letter D – UW Seattle Campus Building Services Alternative Work Schedules

The Employer proposed rolling over the following MOUs and Side Letter:

• MOU – Leave of Absence President
• MOU – Multi-Campus Voluntary Standby Pool
• MOU – Public Records Requests and Privacy
• MOU – Scholarship Fund for Medical Center Employees
• Side Letter C – Tracking Discrimination and Bias

UW Counter Proposals

Article 34 – Performance Evaluation
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer reasserted current contract language.

WFSE Counter Proposals

Article 2 – Non-Discrimination
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union counter-proposed to reduce the number of days to 120 instead of 180 in which to file a grievance on this topic. The Union agreed that the grievance must contain the information required by Article 6.5 of this contract before scheduling.

Article 6 – Grievance Procedure
The Union rejected in its entirety the Employer’s proposal. The Union counter proposed current contract language.

Article 7 – Employee Rights
7.1
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union counter-proposed to reduce the number of days allowing for a member to find union representation for an investigatory meeting listed in their previous proposal from seven to five business days, while maintaining that the first day would be the day after notice is received.
7.3
Previously, the Union had proposed striking language that there would be no loss of pay if an employee was subpoenaed to be a witness for the union during arbitration but only during their scheduled work time. In response to the Employer’s proposal, the union removed the strike.
7.4
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union maintained that in the event the Employer schedules a meeting with an employee, the Employer would provide the employee with a calendar invite and a link for the meeting via their work email address.

Article 12 – Licensure and Certification
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union removed their proposal that the Employer would pay for the full cost of licenses and revert to only language regarding new licenses. However, the Union maintained that the Employer would reimburse the employee for all required training, education, and fees and the Union proposed that the Employer would reimburse for maintenance and renewal costs including Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

Article 15 – Inter-System Movement and Transfer
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union counter proposed to include language that would make clear that non-academic appointments would include classified service and pro-staff.

Article 18 – Sick Time Off
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union adjusted language so that all supervisors of WFSE represented employees would allow employees who have used all accrued sick time off to be able to compensate with compensatory time off.

Article 33 – Transportation and Commute Reduction
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union maintained their proposal from June 18’s session.

Article 34 – Performance Evaluation
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed an increase from three to five days to provide a copy of a completed evaluation to an employee. Additionally, this copy would now include any employee rebuttals or comments. The Union maintained that performance evaluations could be grieved up to Step 3 of the Grievance Procedure.

Article 39 – Resignation and Abandonment
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed adding language that would provide an example of Employee Self-Service.

Next Steps
The next WFSE and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 31, 2024 and will be held virtually.