Last updated: July 15, 2026
This recap details the sixth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and UAW Postdoctoral Scholars.
Employer Initial Proposals
Article 34: Duration
The Employer proposed a three-year contract that would become effective September 1, 2026, or upon ratification, whichever is later, and would remain in force through August 31, 2029.
The Employer proposed to strike the following MOU:
- MOU: Professional Development
Employer Counter Proposals
Article 28: Travel Pay
The Employer accepted most of the Union’s prior proposal around reimbursements, stating that they would be processed within thirty (30) days of submission by the employee of all required and complete documentation.
Union Counter Proposals
Article 12: Intellectual Property and Academic Rights
The Union counter proposed stating that time as a Postdoctoral Scholar shall not be used as the sole criterion to exclude them from serving as a principal investigator.
Article 24: Time Off and Leave
The Union accepted some of the Employer’s proposed minor housekeeping edits but reasserted their initial proposal for the remainder of this Article.
Article 27: Transportation
The Union accepted most of the Employer’s initial proposal but proposed maintaining current language that requires the University to inform the Union as soon as possible upon learning of any modifications to parking policies that may affect Postdoctoral Scholars.
The Union presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. The full contents of the package are outlined below:
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Article 8: Health and Safety
The Union accepted the Employer’s language around general duties to maintain safe and healthy workplaces and language around encouraging employees to escalate concerns with air quality standards through their supervisor. The Union also withdrew its proposed language around public health emergencies, workload, stress, and psychological health issues, environmental conditions, decarbonization, and chemical waste collection delays and risk mitigation. However, the Union reasserted some of its prior proposals, including requiring on-site essential work be compensated at 1.5x an employee’s regular rate, requesting reimbursement for ergonomic assessments, language around anti-retaliation training, requiring chemical waste to be collected within 14 days of a request, language requiring the University to develop field work health and safety plans, and language requiring the University to provide specific kinds of assistance during emergencies in field work settings.
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Article 16: Non-Discrimination and Harassment
The Union proposed new language that discrimination or harassment based on caste, ethnic origin, political affiliation, medical condition, or membership or non-membership in a union, while prohibited under this Agreement, are not necessarily a violation of EO 81 subject to investigation by the Civil Rights Compliance Office. The Union reasserted its proposal to include definitions of discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment and retaliation taken from Executive Order 81. The Union also reasserted its proposal to maintain the Equity Survey on a yearly basis during this agreement.
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Article 36: Reasonable Accommodations
The Union accepted much of the Employer’s prior counterproposal, but counter proposed language to state if no other accommodation in an employee’s current position is possible, the disability leave process as outlined in this Article would be followed.
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MOU: Empowering Prevention and Inclusive Communities (EPIC)
The Union accepted much of the Employer’s prior counterproposal including language that would allow ASEs to fill any portion of the allotted FTE but reiterated their proposal to expand the total FTE for EPIC trainers from 0.8 to 1.0 FTE, with no appointment exceeding 0.5 FTE for any trainer.
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MOU: Transition Support
The Union reasserted its initial proposal to create this new MOU but adjusted its proposal to state that the proposed fund would only cover non-healthcare costs.
Next Steps
The next UAW Research and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29 and will be held in-person at the UDSB Gateway building.