Labor Relations

RFPU-CIR: UW Negotiations Recap for April 22, 2025

Background

This recap details the fifth virtual session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and the Resident and Fellow Physician Union-Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU (RFPU-CIR). Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.

UW Counter Proposals

Article 24: Transportation

The Employer incorporated the Union’s proposal for language clean-up in this article. The Employer also accepted the Union’s proposal that residents will not be charged for weekend parking at UWMC, HMC, SCH and the VA starting at 4:00PM on Fridays, previously 12AM on Saturdays.

In response to the Union’s proposal that residents will have free indoor bicycle parking at all clinical sites without a waitlist, the Employer proposed that residents will have access to free indoor bicycle parking at Harborview Medical Center.

The Employer incorporated the Union’s proposed value statement regarding the emergency ride home program, which states that it is the shared goal of the Employer and the Union that residents obtain safe transportation. In response to the Union’s proposal that residents will be reimbursed for an emergency ride home after 10 calendar days after submission for reimbursement, the Employer proposed that the reimbursement would be provided 15 calendar days after an accepted receipt submission. The Employer also included the Union’s proposed new language that residents would be provided a written explanation of the reason for denial.

The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal that residents will be paid $5.00 each day they do not travel to work in their private vehicle.

NEW Side Letter: Union Business Activities 

In response to the Union’s proposal for a new article, Delegate Convention, the Employer proposed a new Side Letter, Union Business Activities. This side letter would allow residents to absent themselves from work for the purpose of attending and participating in Union business functions or programs with supervisory approval. The Resident would be required to request leave in writing at least two (2) months prior to the planned absence, and the Resident would be allowed to use paid or unpaid time off consistent with their program leave policy. The Employer proposes that the side letter would expire on January 1, 2028, unless the parties mutually agree to an extension.

NEW Side Letter: Prayer and Meditation Rooms 

In response to the Union’s proposal for a new article, Prayer and Meditation Rooms, the Employer proposed this section be included in a new side letter of the same name. The Employer proposed that it will maintain a website of available prayer/meditation rooms for all UW Medicine training sites.  This information can currently be found here: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/training-site-info/

Article 9: Housestaff Advisory Committee
Included in the Union’s package proposal from earlier in the bargaining session, the Union had incorporated many aspects of the Employer’s counterproposal from April 3, 2025 in this article, such as the title change and scheduling requirements. In response to the Employer’s proposal that the Committee would meet twice per year, the Union proposed the Committee would meet 6 times per academic year. The Employer counter proposed the Committee would meet quarterly.

Employer Package Proposal
The Employer proposed a package in which all aspects of the proposal would need to be accepted as written in its entirety.

  • Article 10 Time Off Bereavement: In response to the Union’s proposal on Bereavement time off, the Employer proposed in this package that residents would be granted up to 5 days of paid bereavement time off for the loss of pregnancy or death of a family member. This is an increase from current contract language which grants up to 3 days paid bereavement. The Union’s proposal was that residents would be granted 3 days automatically, whereas the Employer has proposed that up to 5 days may be granted.The Employer also proposed that the current definition of family member for bereavement time off be include in this article. This definition states that family member for bereavement time off is defined as: the employee’s spouse or same or opposite sex domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling. Family member also includes individuals in the following relationships with the employee’s spouse or domestic partner: child, parent, or grandparent. Child also includes a child of a legal guardian or de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency status and those to whom the employee is “in loco parentis” or “de facto” parent as well as a child of a legal guardian or de facto parent. Parent and Parent-in-law also includes de facto parent, foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian.
  • Article 15 Sick Time Off: The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal that sick time may be cashed out, as included in this article and the proposed new article, Leave General Provisions. However, the Employer proposed an expansion of the use of sick time in this package in response to the Union. The Employer proposed that sick time may be used or after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government. Additionally, the Employer proposed to expand the definition of family member for the purpose of sick time off to now include any individual who regularly resides in the employee’s home or where the relationship creates an expectation that the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care
  • NEW Article Leave General Provisions: In this package, the Employer proposes the Union withdraw its proposal for this new article.

Union Counter Proposals

Union Package Proposal
The Union proposed a package in which all aspects of the proposal would need to be accepted as written in its entirety.

In this package, the Union would accept:

  • Maintaining current contract language in the articles in which neither party presented any initial proposals. These articles are: Articles 2, 8, 14, 18, 19, 23, and 25.
  • The Employer’s initial proposal from April 3, 2025 on Articles 11 and 20, and the Employer’s counter proposals on Articles 1 and 7 from that same date.

In this package, the Union proposed:

  • Article 5 Dues Deduction and RFPU Membership: The Union maintained its proposal that it will be granted 60 minutes at program orientations to present in addition to the 60 minutes that are currently allotted during the GME orientation. The Union clarified its original proposal, in which it called program orientation “departmental orientations.”
  • Article 9 Housestaff Advisory Committee: The Union incorporated many aspects of the Employer’s counterproposal from April 3, 2025 in this article, such as the title change and scheduling requirements. In response to the Employer’s proposal that the Committee would meet twice per year, the Union proposed the Committee would meet 6 times per academic year.
  • Article 13 Leave – Miscellaneous: In response to the Employer’s initial proposal that residents should make accommodation requests directly to the DSO rather than the program director or DSO, the Union proposed that residents may choose to include their program director on their request to the DSO.The Union also introduced a new concept in this article, proposing a timeline in which accommodations are approved. The Union proposed that a resident will receive a response after 48 hours of requesting an accommodation, and that the resident will be informed of the accommodation at least 3 days in advance of implementation.

Next Steps

The next RFPU-CIR and UW bargaining session will be May 6, 2025. The parties agreed the next session will be held virtually.