SEIU 1199NW – UW Negotiations Recap for April 23, 2025
Background
This recap details the sixth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and the Service Employees International Union 1199NW (SEIU 1199NW). Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
SEIU 1199NW Initial Proposals
The Union presented an interest in ensuring that diagnostic and procedural areas follow Washington State law while also safely staffing these areas so that patients and workers feel protected, supported, and confident. To align with this interest, the Union proposed:
Article 9 – Hours of Work and Overtime
9.4 Work Schedules
The Union proposed to strike that this section would apply to standby as listed in Article 45.6 Standby.
Article 37 – Nonpermanent and Intermittent Employees
37.7 Compensation
H. Standby Premium
The Union proposed including language from RCW 49.28.140, stating that no employee would be required to work overtime, including overtime resulting from prescheduled mandatory on-call time when that on-call time was being used to staff for regular changes in patient census or acuity or expected increases in the number of employees not reporting for predetermined scheduled shifts. The Union also proposed that employees on standby would be paid for a minimum of three hours instead of two and a half hours if they were called back in to work.
Article 45 – Wages and Other Pay Provisions
45.6 Standby
The Union proposed striking the current language that off-duty standby assignments would be determined in advance, also striking that volunteers would be used for standby assignments when practicable, and finally that Article 9.4 Work Schedules would not apply to standby.
Instead, the Union proposed that on-call would not be used to avoid filling vacant positions, that the Employer would schedule procedures in the best interest of patients and would make a good faith effort to schedule procedures so that callback was not required. The Union also proposed that Standby Pay would be the employee’s base hourly rate of pay. Finally, the Union included language from RCW 49.28.140, stating that no employee would be required to work overtime, including overtime resulting from prescheduled mandatory on-call time when that on-call time was being used to staff for regular changes in patient census or acuity or expected increases in the number of employees not reporting for predetermined scheduled shifts.
45.7
The Union proposed that an employee in standby status who was called back to work would be paid at time and a half a minimum of three hours instead of the current language of two and half hours. Additionally, the Union proposed striking the definition of Call Back and its mechanism of pay.
45.12 Salary Schedules and Premiums
The Union proposed increasing the Standby Pay rates of pay from $7 per hour to the employee’s base rate for all bargaining units that receive Standby Pay represented by this agreement.
Side Letter D – END Tech Call Back
The Union proposed extending this Side Letter into the next cycle and the Union proposed for any Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists who were required to stay past their shift for longer than forty-five minutes and who were scheduled to be on standby after their shift ends would be eligible for three hours of call back pay instead of two and a half hours.
Side Letter K – Standby Hours
Emergency Call Resolution Process
The Union proposed to strike the current language that described the Call Committee’s responsibility to review on-call hours when these hours exceed a mutually agreed upon maximum. Instead, the Union proposed that if callback exceeded an average of 96 hours a month for a three-month period of time, that area would take immediate steps to reduce callback hours. Additionally, if that same average continued for an additional two months, that area would need to add an additional 0.6 FTE.
Next Steps
The next SEIU 1199NW and UW bargaining session is scheduled for April 30, 2025, and will be held in person.