SEIU 1199NW – UW Negotiations Recap for July 17, 2025
Background
This recap details the twentieth 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.
Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to the following:
Article 38 – Seniority, Layoff, Rehire
The parties agreed to the Employer’s proposal from June 24, 2025. In this TA, seniority has been further defined by layoff seniority and unit seniority. Within the definition of unit seniority, the parties agreed to include “bridging seniority” when employees move between units.
SEIU 1199NW Initial Proposals
New MOU – Market Adjustments
The Union proposed a series of Market Adjustments across multiple job profiles.
Effective July 1, 2025:
- 5% market adjustment for:
- Registered nurses and flight nurses
- IR technologists
- 10% market adjustment for:
- Mammography technicians
- CT technicians
- Nuclear medicine technicians
- MRI technicians
- Respiratory care practitioners
- Electroneurodiagnostic technologists
- Cardiac sonographers (only cardiac sonographer 1)
- Angio technicians
- 15% market adjustment for:
- Dietician
- Speech language pathologists
- Cardiac sonographer (only cardiac sonographer 2 and cardiac sonographer leads)
SEIU 1199NW Counter Proposals
Article 9 – Hours of Work and Overtime
9.4 Work Schedules
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to strike the language that this subsection would not apply to Article 45.6 Standby.
Article 45 – Wages and Other Pay Provisions
Standby Pay
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that it would reduce its proposal for base rate pay for employees on call to WA State Minimum Wage.
45.12 Salary Schedules and Premiums
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that effective July 1, 2025, all salary ranges would be increased by four dollars prior to the across-the-board increase.
Article 47 – Airlift Northwest
47.9 Mileage, Lodging, and Per Diem
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that while in travel status, if the University Policy and ALNW policy were in conflict, University Policy would prevail.
47.11 Aircraft out of Service and Reassignment
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to strike the language requiring the nurse to have already reported to work for the following to apply: if the Employer assigns the nurse to work at another Airlift Northwest facility within 24 hours of their shift start time, travel time beyond their usual commute would be considered duty time and mileage would be paid to the temporary duty station in accordance with University policy.
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that effective July 1, 2025, all salary ranges would be increased by four dollars prior to the across-the-board increase.
47.15 Nurse Replacement
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union maintained that for sick calls received more than 12 hours before shift start, AOC would give 2 hours to allow for base response. If coverage was needed farther into schedule than 48 hours, the AOC would fill shifts in the order described in this subsection. The AOC would wait 24 hours for responses before assigning the shift.
47.16 Hours of Work and Overtime
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that employees could request to accrue compensatory time on the basis of straight time for hours worked above FTE.
47.24 Committee Work
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that time spent by employees on Employer established committees and committees mentioned in this contract would be considered time worked and would be paid at the regular rate of pay.
47.25 Service Commitment
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that newly hired nurses and currently employed nurses who voluntarily choose to relocate could be asked to stay at the base they commit to in Washington for a minimum of one year and may be asked to stay at the base they commit to in Alaska for a minimum of two years.
47.27 Certification Pay
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union maintains that flight nurses are eligible for up to two certification premiums.
47.29 Premiums
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed to include the CPQ and Safety Committee Chairs in the list of premiums at the value of $2.50 per hour.
47.30
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that 45.12 would apply to Airlift Northwest Nurses as well.
47.31 Seniority Defined
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that non-layoff seniority would be defined as the totally continuous length of permanent bargaining unit employment with Airlift Northwest. Ties in seniority within Airlift Northwest would be broken using the following tiebreakers in order: totally permanent employment with ALNW, total state service, FTE, years of nursing as determined by the NCLEX exam of foreign country equivalent. Additionally the Union proposed that layoff seniority would be defined as the total continuous length of permanent bargaining unit employment with ALNW.
New MOU – Language Pay
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union proposed that if a language knowledge was listed as “preferred” in a job posting, it could count as required. The Union also proposed that if an employee believes their language skill regularly benefits the department, they could request to have the “Required Bilingual Staff” designation added to their job description.
UW Package Proposal
The Employer proposed a package containing the following proposals:
Side Letter I – PA-ARNP Training Workgroup (Onboarding)
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to this new MOU.
New MOU – Practice Management Time
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to this new MOU.
New MOU – Council Paid Time
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed release time for council member participation would be approved when possible and such time would need approval by the supervisor.
New MOU – APP Moonlighting
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to this new MOU.
New MOU – APP Promotional Pathway
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed broadening the Promotional Pathway to Professional Development Workgroup. In the Employer’s proposal, this group would explore possible strategies to recognize and define the responsibilities performed by Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) that are in addition to direct patient care. In this counter, the Employer removed the Medical Director’s participation in the workgroup since it could not guarantee their presence. The Employer also proposed that this workgroup would meet 4 times a year for 2 years instead of 6 times a year, for 2.5 years. The Employer also struck that the Executive Leadership Team would be required to write a response to the workgroup’s recommendations and it struck the guarantee that this workgroup would meet afterward to discuss next steps.
New MOU – APP Executive Leadership
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to this new MOU.
New MOU – APP Recruitment and Retention Increases
The Employer proposed effective no more than 45 days following ratification, Physician Assistant-Advanced RN Practitioner Series would receive a 5% increase.
UW Counter Proposals
Article 36 – Corrective Action/Dismissal Process
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to make informal coaching grievable.
Article 37 – Nonpermanent and Intermittent Employees
Hours of Work and Overtime
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that temporary/intermittent employees would have access to overtime when those incentive shifts are offered and provided they meet the requirements of the overtime.
Minimum Work Availability
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer maintains that nonpermanent/intermittent employees’ minimum shift requirements would match the needs of the department. The Employer did not agree to include sick and/or vacation time use would count as an available shift.
Certification Pay
The Employer proposed including language that Social Workers would have Licensure Pay in lieu of Certification pay. Social Worker Licensure Pay is in the amount of $1.50 per hour and would be provided to all social workers who are licensed by the State of Washington as advanced social worker or independent clinical social workers.
Weekend Pay
The Employer proposed including the weekend premium eligibility to intermittent or nonpermanent employees as their regular position counterparts.
Modality Pay
The Employer proposed including modality pay premium eligibility to intermittent or nonpermanent employees as their regular position counterparts.
Employee Recruitment and Retention Step Increases
The Employer proposed including that it could approve additional step increases at any time.
Temporary Salary/Hourly Increases
The Employer proposed that intermittent or nonpermanent employees could have the same eligibility for temporary hourly increases as their regular position counterparts in the same classification.
Article 39 – Resignation
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that a representative of the employee could also submit to the employee’s supervisor a written petition for reinstatement.
Article 41 – New Employee Orientation
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer maintains 30 minutes of time to one union delegate to attend orientation meetings to speak to employees during New Employee Orientations. The Employer also did not agree to paying delegates to participate regardless of if they attended during a work day or not.
Article 42 – Union Activities
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed that delegates could use their education and professional leave hours (see Article 11.3) for Union trainings.
MOU – Negotiations for the 2025-2027 Agreement
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer could not agree to pay for any work hours missed by employee participation in the next round of CBA bargaining over and above the current 8 hour maximum.
MOU – Panel of Arbitrators
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer proposed going back to current contract language.
Side Letter L – Virtual NEO
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer maintains 30 minutes of time to one union delegate to attend orientation meetings to speak to employees during New Employee Orientations. The Employer also did not agree to paying delegates to participate regardless of if they attended during a work day or not.
Next Steps
The next SEIU 1199NW and UW bargaining session is scheduled for July 28, 2025, and will be held in person.