University of Washington Human Resources

SEIU 1199NW – UW Negotiations Recap for June 17 & June 18, 2025

Background
This recap details the fourteenth and fifteenth sessions 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.

Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to the following:

Article 10 – Holiday
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits within this article as well as adding clarifying language that would detail holiday premium and holiday pay for full-time and part-time employees.

Article 13 – Medical and Insurance Benefits
The parties agreed to update this article to reflect what was agreed to at the state table.

Article 18 – Civil/Jury Duty Time Off and Bereavement Time Off
The parties agreed to increase the bereavement time off days from three to five. Additionally, they agreed to include the loss of pregnancy as a reason someone could use bereavement time off. Finally, the parties agreed to update the definition of family member so that it matches the current Washington State definition.

SEIU 1199NW Initial Proposals

New MOU – Contract Extension
The Union proposed extending the provisions of the 23-25 agreement past the original expiration date of June 30, 2025, to July 30, 2025. This proposal includes all provisions regarding grievances, arbitration, strikes, and lockouts.

SEIU 1199NW Counter Proposals

Article 6 – Seniority, Layoff, Restructure
6.2 Layoff
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 10, 2025, the Union proposed that layoffs should be defined by effected department and impacted employees. In this proposal, the effected department is where reductions were necessary and would be defined as broadly as possible. Impacted employees would be by seniority within the effected department, least senior employees first as long as the remaining employees posses the essential skills to perform the necessary work.
Employment Option
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 10, 2025, the Union proposed that the employment option for laid off employees would follow this order: a funded vacation position within the same job classification and effected department; a vacant position within the layoff unit; bumping rights; any vacancy within the bargaining unit for which the employee meets the minimum job requirements. The Union also proposed that for any option previously listed, the employee could reject a position and move to the next option if any of the following are true: the position is more than a 0.2 FTE change; the position is a different shift not within 2 hours of start time; the position is a more than 10 mile change in location. The Union also proposed that employees could request to be laid off with severance or have the right to be placed on the rehire list instead of accepting an employment option.
Layoff Unit
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 10, 2025, the Union proposed that same job titles would be eligible to bump into same job titles or lower job classifications within the job series providing skill, competence and ability are considered substantially equal. The Union additionally proposed that layoff shall be by seniority within the layoff unit, lease senior employee first and the following layoff units would be: UWMC-NW Hospital and All Clinics.
Severance
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union maintained its proposal on severance pay. In this proposal, employees subject to a layoff could choose termination with severance. Employees terminated in this way would be ineligible for rehire rights. In this proposal, weeks of severance pay would be based on years of service at the employee’s regular rate of pay.
Rehire
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 10, 2025, the Union proposed that employees contacted from the rehire list who possess the essential skills needed for a vacant position in the bargaining unit would be offered the position prior to the University offering it to any other applicant. The University would contact employees from the list in order of seniority, most senior employee first.
Removal from List
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that geography could only be used as a reason to remove someone from the rehire list if they reject an offered position within 10 miles of the previous working location.
Low Census Fund
In response to Employer’s proposal, the Union maintained the inclusion of the Low Census Fund.

Article 32 – Salary Overpayment Recovery
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 1, 2025, the Union proposed that overpayment amounts would be pre-taxed dollars. Additionally, the Union proposed that salary overpayment recovery would not be used as retaliation or because of employee(s) inquiring about pay practices or their pay. The Union also proposed a new subsection that states failure by the Employer to follow any of the requirements set forth in this article would be remedied by the Employer forgoing recovery of any alleged overpayment and recovering nothing from the employee. Where an employee already paid part or all of the overpayment but was denied the rights afforded by the Article, the Employer would refund the employee on their next paycheck.

New Article – Mandatory Subjects
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 1, 2025, the Union proposed that existing practices not contained in this contract which have a bearing on employee wages, hours, and working conditions would not be modified or eliminated without providing the union notice and opportunity to bargain. Additionally, the Union proposed that mandatory subjects of bargaining would be terms and conditions of employment that must be negotiated between management and unions. The Union also included management’s original proposed language that the Employer would satisfy its collective bargaining obligation before making a change with respect to a matter that is a mandatory subject.
Impact Bargaining
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 1, 2025, the Union proposed matching other contract’s language requiring 60 days’ notice prior to implementation to bargain impacts.
Release Time
The Union proposed that the Employer approve a minimum of four paid employees’ release time, or up to 0.5% of the impacted area, during negotiations where the Union had demanded to bargain impacts of a change. The Union also agreed to strike that no overtime would be incurred because of bargaining and/or preparation for bargaining; this is in line with actual time reporting changes at the UW. The Union also struck that it would be responsible for paying for any travel or per diem of employee representatives. As well as language stating that Employee representatives could not use a state vehicle to travel to and from a bargaining session.

New Article – Nonpermanent and Intermittent Employees
XX.3 Nonpermanent Hourly and Nonpermanent Fixed Duration Appointments
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed to strike that conclusion of these appointments would not be subject to Article23 – Grievance Procedure and Article 6 – Seniority, Layoff, Rehire.
XX.5 Hours of Work and Overtime
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed that temporary/intermittent employees would have access to overtime and double-time when those incentive shifts are offered. Additionally, the Union proposed that when the Union believes an employee classified as intermittent and nonpermanent has been working regular full or part-time hours for a period of over three months, the Union could submit a request to post a regular position to the department director for justification and approval.
Minimum Work Availability
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union rejected that intermittent and nonpermanent employees’ four shifts of availability would match the open shift needs of the department. The Union proposed that employees make a good faith effort to provide four shifts that match the open shift needs of the department, but the Employer would need to provide the needs prior and there must be at least ten shifts to choose from. The Union also proposed including the language that cancelled shifts would count as an available shift. Additionally, the use of sick time and/or vacation could count as available shifts. Finally, the Union proposed to strike that time paid for but not worked would not count towards the calculation of overtime.
Weekend Availability
The Union proposed halving the weekend availability minimums so that if an employee was working less than 20 hours per week, the weekend availability would be 1 shift per 4 four week schedule period (down from 2 shifts); and in the cases where an employee was working more than 20 hours per week, the weekend availability would be 2 shifts (down from 4) per 4 week schedule period.
XX.6 Probationary Period Upon Movement from Nonpermanent or Intermittent to Regular
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed striking the maximum amount of hours of service when a nonpermanent or intermittent employee moved to a regular position in the same job classification. The Union also proposed that employees who worked a part-time or full-time permanent position prior to becoming temporary/intermittent and return to permanent status would not be considered to have a break in service for calculating seniority.
XX.7 Compensation
Certification
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed that a certified employee would be eligible for up to two certifications, instead of one.
Standby Premium
The Union proposed that no intermittent and nonpermanent employees may 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. Additionally, the Union proposed striking that the standby assignments would be determined in advance by supervision. The Union also proposed that employees called back from standby would be paid time and a half for a minimum of three hours.
Float
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed that intermittent and nonpermanent employees would be eligible for the float premium.
Premiums
The Union proposed removing all premium tables and replacing them with language that intermittent and nonpermanent employees would have the same eligibility premiums as employees in regular positions in the same classification.
XX.14 Corrective Action
In response to the Employer’s proposal on April 9, 2025, the Union proposed that employees in an intermittent position who had worked 1,872 non-overtime hours or more from their date of hire would not be terminated except for just cause. The Union also proposed that intermittent employees who are not available to work for two consecutive four week schedule periods, and have not informed their immediate supervisor of extended non-availability, may have their appointment terminated; intermittent employees who had not worked for six consecutive months would automatically have their appointment terminated.
XX.15 Miscellaneous Leave
The Union proposed striking this entire subsection.
XX.16 Other Provisions
The Union proposed striking this entire subsection.

New MOU – Security Staffing
In response to the Employer’s emailed proposal to let the MOU – Campus Security Guards and Sergeants Classifications and Wages expire, the Union proposed that it would agree if the Employer moved the language that when no sergeant was present, a Security Officer could be assigned to that role and receive the lead premium.

UW Counter Proposals

Article 6 – Seniority, Layoff, Restructure
6.1 Seniority
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed that employees returning from placement on the rehire list would have no break in service.
6.2.2 Layoff Units
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer maintained that the same job titles would be eligible to bump into same job titles or lower job classifications within the job series providing skill, competence, and ability are considered substantially equal. The Employer agreed that layoff should be by seniority thin the layoff unit, least senior employee first. The Employer also maintained that layoff units should be: UMWC-NW Hospital, UWMC-NW Ambulatory Clinics, and UWM Primary Care Clinics.
Employment Option
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed the following employment option order: a funded vacant position within the same job classification and layoff unit and within 0.2 FTE of the employee being affected by the reduction in force; bumping rights; a funded vacant position in the same job classification and within the bargaining unit provided they meet the essential skills of the offered position. The Employer also proposed that Employees could request to be laid off with the right to be placed on the rehire list for 24 months instead of accepting any of the above employment options.
Rehire
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed to contact employees from the rehire list who possess the essential skills needed for a vacant position in the bargaining unit prior to offering it to any other applicant. The Employer also agreed that the University would contact and rehire employees from the rehire list in order of seniority, most senior employees first.
Removal from List
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that removal from the rehire list could also occur if an employee rejects an offered position within 25 miles of the previous working location.
Low Census Fund
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer rejected the inclusion of a Low Census Fund.

New Article – Mandatory Subjects 
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed to part of the Union’s proposed language so that XX.1 would now state existing practices not contained in this contract which have a bearing on employee wages, hours, and working conditions shall not be eliminated without providing the union notice and opportunity to bargain, as prescribed by law.
Release Time
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer agreed to approve paid release time for up to four employee representatives but could not agree to the language of approving paid release time for a minimum of four and the additional calculation that the Union provided. The Employer also agreed to strike that the Union would be responsible for paying for any travel or per diem of employee representatives. As well as language stating that Employee representatives could not use a state vehicle to travel to and from a bargaining session.

Next Steps
The next SEIU 1199NW and UW bargaining session is scheduled for June 24, 2025, and will be held in person.