University of Washington Human Resources

UW – SEIU 925 Negotiations Recap for September 6, 2024

This recap details the ninth virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the UW and SEIU 925.

Tentative Agreements

The parties tentatively agreed to the following:

• Article 15 – Inter-System Movement
  • The parties agreed to add personal holiday to the list of benefits that are transferred to employees’ new place of employment for those who change employment without a break in service between higher education institutions or other state funded agencies.
  • The parties agreed to language that details months of service toward a higher vacation accrual rate will include all time spent in non-academic appointments, which includes service in classified, professional and certain civil service exempt staff positions, to reflect current practice.
• Article 42 – Union Activities, Rights, and Stewards
  • The parties agreed to language stating that confirmation of attendance of a new steward in investigatory meetings or grievance hearings for training must be communicated to the steward’s supervisor as well as the Supervisor and the Human Resources representative attending the meeting.
  • The parties agreed to strike language that prohibits stewards from attending training as a second steward more than once.
  • The parties agreed to language requiring that information requests clearly identify what information is being sought and the reason for the request, and that such requests not normally extend more than 24 months prior to the date of the request.
• New MOU – New Appendix VII Bargaining Unit Descriptions
  • The parties agreed to create a new MOU that will create a new appendix listing all of the SEIU 925 bargaining unit descriptions that are in the process of being revised by the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) based on WA House Bill 2669.
• MOU – Scholarship Fund for Medical Center Employees
  • The parties agreed to rollover this MOU into the next CBA.
• Side Letter A – City of Seattle Minimum Wage
  • The parties agreed to rollover this side letter into the next CBA.

Union Counter Proposals

Article 4 – Workplace Behavior – The Union reasserted language from its initial proposal stating that perceptions of “appropriate” behavior could be racialized and gendered or characterized by other prescriptive stereotype-based biases, and that the values of equity and diversity should inform all conversations, decisions and outcomes related to this article. The Union also counter-proposed to add links to the UW Workplace Violence policy and UW Medicine Policy on Professional Conduct to this article.

Article 40 – Mandatory Subjects – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposed language stating that existing practices not contained in the contract that have a bearing on employee wages, hours, or working conditions shall not be modified or eliminated without the Employer satisfying its collective bargaining obligations. The Union also reasserted its initial proposal to increase the amount of time that the Union has to request discussions and/or negotiations in response to the Employer notifying the Union of changes to working conditions from 30 days to 60 days.

Article 41 – New Employees – The Union accepted the language from the Employer’s prior counterproposal and counter-proposed revised language stating that employees whose work location is Seattle would be required to attend new employee orientation. The Union counterproposal would also add language stating that new hires who don’t attend in-person union orientation would be released for the 30-minute online orientation.

Article 44 – Classifications and Reclassifications – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal to adjust language regarding step placement and progression start dates to align with current practice. The Union rejected the Employer’s proposal to reduce the notice period for creation, elimination, or modification of class specifications from forty-five (45) days to thirty (30) days.

Article 48 – Staffing Concerns – The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal to update the title of this article to “Staffing and Workload Concerns.” The Union accepted the Employer’s proposed language stating that employees assigned to job duties outside of the scope of their job profile or class specification would have the right to meet with their supervisor to discuss, but counter-proposed to also include situations when an employee is assigned job duties outside of their current job description as well. The Union counterproposal would also add language stating that such discussions about additional duties may include expectations and duration of additional work and how to accommodate said work. Additionally, if the initial meeting does not result in a satisfactory conclusion, and the employee requests a subsequent meeting with their supervisor, the Union counterproposal would require supervisors to notify employees of their right to have a Union representative attend that meeting.

Employer Counter Proposals

Article 6 – Grievance Procedure – The Employer agreed to remove language requiring a “complete” description of events on written grievances as well as language that would allow the Employer to delay scheduling a grievance meeting until the Union had provided all required information listed in this Article.

With respect to arbitration scheduling, the Employer counter-proposed adjusted language that would require both the Union and the University to begin the arbitration scheduling process and provide availability to the arbitrator within thirty (30) calendar days of the Union advancing the grievance to arbitration.

Article 26 – Civil/Jury Duty Time Off and Bereavement Time Off – The Employer rejected the Union’s counterproposal and reasserted its initial proposal.

Article 46 – Health Care Benefit Amounts – The Employer’s counterproposal would update information in this Article to reflect the results of coalition bargaining for health care benefits.

Article 59 – Nonpermanent Hourly and Nonpermanent Intermittent Employees –The Employer accepted some of the Union’s proposed housekeeping edits as well as the Union’s proposal to restructure the Definitions section of this article.

MOU – UW Medicine Pre-Scheduled Voluntary Double Time Shift Incentive for Critical Staffing Needs – The Employer rejected the Union’s initial proposal and reasserted its initial proposal.

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

• Article 31 – Health and Safety – In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer counter-proposed language that states the University would follow state and University Environmental Health & Safety workplace safety rules and guidelines for prevention of heat related illness and wildfire smoke. In response to the Union’s proposal to require the Employer to respond to an employee’s request for a health exam, the Employer counter-proposed language stating that employees may contact their respective Employee Health Center if they have questions relating to occupational health questions. With respect to ergonomics, the Employer counterproposal would add language that would guide employees to contact their respective programs/health centers to request an ergonomic evaluation of their workstation. With respect to workplace reviews, the Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to add language stating that all areas of worksites where bargaining unit employees are required to frequent would be inspected. The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to add a link to the listing of wellness room locations.
• New MOU – Health and Safety in Hospital and Clinic Settings – As part of the package, the Employer proposed that the Union withdraw this proposed new MOU.
• MOU – Donning and Doffing in Hospital and Clinic Settings – As part of the package, the Employer would agree to the Union’s initial proposal for this MOU.

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

• Article 2 – Non-Discrimination – The Employer counterproposal would maintain current contract language stating that a grievance alleging a violation of this article must be submitted within 180 days of an alleged incident. The counterproposal reasserts language from the Employer’s initial proposal requiring the grievance to contain the information required by Article 6.5.
• MOU – Interpretive Services at UWMC – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to adjust the title of and language in this MOU to be inclusive of Harborview Medical Center. In response to the Union’s proposal to include the provisions of HMC APOP 60.3 policy regarding in-person interpreters, the Employer counter-proposed to include only references to the policy.
• New MOU – Diversity Blueprint – As part of the package, the Employer proposed that the Union withdraw this proposed new MOU.
• New Article XX – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – The Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to create a new article on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Employer proposed to move provisions from Side Letter C – Diversity and Inclusion and Side Letter H – Tracking Disinformation and Bias into this Article. With respect to committees, the Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to include language in the article referencing SEIU 925 representation on the following committees: one (1) SEIU 925 member appointed to the UW Diversity Council, three (3) members appointed to the UWMC EDI Committee, and four (4) members appointed to serve on the Harborview Medical Center EDI workgroup.

Next Steps

The next UW and SEIU 925 bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11, 2024 and will be held virtually.