UW – WSNA Montlake/Northwest Joint Negotiations Recap for May 15, 2025
This recap details the eighth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the UW and WSNA Montlake & WSNA Northwest.
Union Initial Proposals
Article 7 – Hours of Work and Overtime (Northwest contract) – The Union proposed to allow nurses to receive the rest between shift premium for the duration of their shift for those who qualify, rather than for a total of eight hours. Additionally, the Union proposed new language that would pay nurses the rest between shifts premium for those who work 10-hour shifts and cover on-call shifts overnight if they are called into work during their on-call shift.
With respect to shift rotations, the Union proposed extending the time off period for nurses who receive a shift rotation to be 72 hours before and after a shift rotation occurs. Additionally, the Union proposed to further limit the occurrence of shift rotations to no more than 2 per every three-month period. The Union also proposed adding language stating that the sixteen hour period for double shifts would include breaks.
Article 8 – Compensation (Northwest contract) – The Union presented its initial wage proposal for the Northwest contract, which would increase all step values of pay table BZ, Range 02 by 6% on July 1, 2025, and an additional 4% on July 1, 2026. The Union also proposed a market adjustment increase of 3% to all RN2 salaries. Additionally, the Union proposed to eliminate the “ghost steps” in Table BZ, as well as to create an additional top step in Table BZ.
Article 9 – Other Compensation (Northwest contract) – The Union proposed the following updates to shift differentials and premiums:
- Increase shift differential for night shifts (11pm-7am) to be 18% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay.
- Increase low census standby premium to be 25% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay.
- Increase on-call premium to be 25% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay for all scheduled on-call hours.
- Guaranteed three hours’ pay at time and a half (1.5x) for nurses who work outside their regularly scheduled hours and into their on-call shift, or vice versa.
- Increase preceptor pay premium to be 5% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay.
- Increase weekend premium to be 12% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay.
- Increase float pool premium to be 15% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay.
- Increase temporary floating premium to be $5/hour for all hours worked as a float to other units.
- Creation of a new Resource Vascular Access Team (RVAT) premium that would pay $4/hour for all hours worked by RN2s and RN3s designated as members of the Resource Vascular Access Team.
- Creation of a new STAT nurse premium that would pay 15% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay for every hour worked as a STAT nurse by RN2s designated as STAT nurses.
Article 11 – Sick Time Off (Northwest contract) – The Union proposed to add clarifying language around illness and the use of sick time, stating that illness includes both physical and mental distress and that nurses would be able to use sick time in such cases.
Article 16 – Staff Development (Northwest contract) – The Union proposed to include humanitarian work as an eligible use of educational and professional leave for nurses. The Union also proposed new language that would require the Employer to reimburse nurses for tuition up to $3,000 per year as part of the Tuition Exemption Program.
Nonpermanent and Intermittent (Formerly Per Diem) Nurses (Montlake Article 30 & Northwest Article 22) – The Union proposed new language stating that the 1,872 non-overtime hours for the just cause requirement to apply would include hours worked immediately prior to transitioning from a permanent classified position to a nonpermanent or intermittent position. In the Northwest contract, the Union also proposed updating premium figures to align with their proposed changes to premiums in Article 9, as well as proposed to make nonpermanent and intermittent nurses eligible for the preceptor and charge nurse premiums
New Article XX – Donning and Doffing at UWMC (both contracts) – The Union proposed to create a new article in both contracts with language requiring nurses to be paid for time spent changing into and out of the required scrub uniform in the amount of 7 minutes on either side of a scheduled shift. The proposal would require this time to be incorporated into any scheduled or scheduled shift.
New MOU – Cardiac Catheterization Lab Standby Premium (Northwest contract) – The Union proposed creating a new MOU that would establish a standby premium for nurses in the cath lab at UWMC-NW. The proposed premium would require nurses scheduled for on-call shifts in the cath lab to be compensated at 100% of a nurse’s regular rate of pay, not to include call pay. Additionally, the Union proposed language that would guarantee a minimum of three hours’ pay at time and a half (1.5x) the nurse’s regular rate of pay for nurses responding to cath lab activation, not to include call pay.
Employer Initial Proposals
Salaries/Compensation – (Montlake Article 9 & Northwest Article 8) – The Employer proposed its initial wage proposal for both contracts, which would increase all step values of pay tables BJ and BZ, Range 02 by 2% on July 1, 2025, and an additional 1% on July 1, 2026.
The Employer also proposed including progression start date language in the Montlake contract that details the process for annual one step increases on nurse progression start dates.
Article 9 – Other Compensation (Northwest contract) – The Employer proposed to strike language stating that low census standby would be voluntary, and proposed to strike outdated language referencing seniority and benefit accrual. The Employer also proposed clarifying language that would rename the on-call premium as the standby premium and proposed language around the use of the standby premium to reflect current practice.
Article 10 – Premium Pay (Montlake contract) – With respect to pre-scheduled voluntary overtime, the Employer proposed to strike the sentence stating that extra shifts may be offered after an initial scheduled bid is posted in light of the Employer’s proposed transition to the ATR pay model.
With respect to call back pay, the Employer proposed clarifying language stating that call back pay does not apply when nurses are on standby status.
The Employer also proposed new language around certification premiums that would require nurses to provide evidence of certification to Human Resources to be approved, and that the premium would not be retroactive to the date of recertification and would be effective the day Human Resources received the certificate.
New MOU – Facilitated Mediation RE: System Wide Float Pool (both contracts) – The Employer proposed creating a new MOU in both contracts stating that the parties agree to request facilitated mediation from PERC within 90 days of ratification to develop a tiered system wide float pool for clinical staff, with the goal of addressing changes in staffing needs across campuses, including Harborview Medical Center and UWMC Northwest and Montlake. The proposed MOU would require the parties to commit to meeting at least monthly with the mediator, for up to 12 months, to develop a process. Under this proposed MOU, up to 5 employees at each campus would be provided paid time to attend each session.
Next Steps
The next UW and WSNA bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, 2025, and will be held in-person at the UDSB Gateway Building. This session will be held jointly with both WSNA-Montlake and WSNA-Northwest.