UW – SAG-AFTRA Negotiations Recap for December 2, 2025
Background
This recap details the fourth session for the negotiation of the third collective bargaining agreement between the University of Washington (UW) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) for KUOW. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
Tentative Agreements
The parties tentatively agreed to the following:
Article 6 – Grievance and Arbitration Procedure
6.10 Filing and Processing
The parties agreed to strike the limitation that grievance meetings should happen in person.
6.11 Steps of the Grievance Procedure
The parties agreed to expand the days in which the Employer could respond to a Step One grievance hearing from 15 calendar days to 30 calendar days.
Article 20 – Leaves and Time Offs
The parties agreed to expand leave and safety accommodations to include victims of hate crimes in alignment with SB 5101.
20.1 Bereavement Time off
The parties agreed to expand bereavement days off from 3 to 5 as well as including language stating that the loss of a pregnancy would qualify for bereavement time off. Additionally, the parties agreed to match the definition of Family Member to same as what is listed in Article 41 – Sick Time Off.
20.5 Professional Leave with Pay
The parties agreed to replace outdated language with a link to the professional leave request process listed here.
Article 31 – Rehire Rights
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits.
Article 33 – Postings
The parties agreed to update the language regarding job postings to align with RCW 49.58.110.
Article 41 – Sick Time Off
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits as well as expanding sick time off to include victims of hate crimes in alignment with SB 5101.
MOU – Lump Sum Payment
The parties agreed to strike this expired MOU.
SAG-AFTRA Initial Proposals
New Article – Host Ad-Read Premium
The Union proposed a new article that addresses the circumstances in which the Employer could request a bargaining unit employee to voice advertisements for non-broadcast programming. This article would allow employees to reject requests without discipline as well as allowing employees to retain the right to edit scripts. Additionally, the Union proposed that employees who were assigned to voice an advertisement, or multiple advertisements, would receive $150 for every work week within which they voiced ads.
SAG-AFTRA Counter Proposals
Article 18 – Safety and Health
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union agreed to include Employer proposed language regarding the U-PASS but maintained their previous proposal regarding access to at least one fleet vehicle for travel to work assignments.
Article 30 – Layoff
In response to the Employer’s proposal, the Union rejected the Employer’s proposed language regarding notice periods not applying to emergency layoffs. The Union also was not able to agree to the Employer’s edits in 30.1 Layoff citing a concern around removing language involving discussions between the two parties.
UW Initial Proposals
Article 39 – Compensation
The Employer proposed that effective February 1, 2026, salary range minimums would increase by 2% and all members of the bargaining unit would receive an across-the-board increase of 2%. The Employer also proposed that in subsequent years of the agreement, February 1, 2027, and February 1, 2028, salary range minimums and across-the-board increases would go up by 1% each year. Additionally, the Employer proposed that when an across-the-board increase coincides with the effective date of a promotion or reclassification date, or a market or range adjustment, the across-the-board increase would be applied first.
39.4
The Employer proposed that movement to a different bargaining unit position with the same salary range minimum would not require or preclude a salary adjustment.
39.6 In-grade Salary Adjustments
The Employer proposed that the Employer could approve in-grade salary increases at any time for changes in level of duties and responsibilities, merit or increased functioning, market competitiveness or retention, employment offer or recruitment from outside the University, or for reasons of internal equity.
Appendix I – Job Classifications
The Employer proposed creating job series within the bargaining unit that remove limitations on job profiles. The class specs proposed by the Employer would mean existing job profiles would be mapped to new job profile name. For example, Producer 2 – News, Producer 2 – Podcast, Producer 2 – Radioactive, Producer 2 – Social Media, Producer 2 – Talk Show would all fall under the job profile name Producer 2 in the Employer’s proposal. Similar mapping was proposed for Producer 3 positions and Host positions. The Employer also proposed creating a new job profile for Reporter 3.
MOU – Job Class Specification Review
The Employer proposed striking this expired MOU.
The Employer proposed the following provisions as current contract language:
- Mission Statement and Preamble
- Article 2 – Management Rights
- Article 5 – Flexible Work Agreements/Arrangements
- Article 8 – Work Week, Word Day, Meal Breaks, and Rest Breaks
- Article 10 – Rest Between Shifts
- Article 11 – Minimum Call
- Article 12 – On-Call
- Article 13 – Definition of Full-Time and Part-Time Employee
- Article 15 – Fellowship
- Article 17 – Professional Development
- Article 19 – Benefits
- Article 23 – Minimum Terms and Conditions
- Article 24 – Subordination of Agreement and Savings Clause
- Article 25 – Successors and Assigns
- Article 26 – No Strike/Lockout
- Article 27 – Newsroom Firewall
- Article 28 – Corrective Action/Dismissal
- Article 29 – Length of Service
- Article 32 – Status Notification Forms
- Article 34 – Probationary Period
- Article 36 – Cell Phone Policy
- Article 37 – Meal Policy
- Article 38 – Broadcast Host Premium
Next Steps
The next UW and SAG-AFTRA bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, December 9th and will be held in person.