Last updated: July 20, 2026
This recap details the fourteenth session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and UAW Research.
Union Counter Proposals
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 11: 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 dropped its proposals 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 21: Non-Discrimination and Harassment
The Union reasserted their language regarding discrimination or harassment based on ethnic origin, political affiliation, medical condition, or membership or non-membership in a Union, but proposed new language stating that discrimination or harassment based on said characteristics would not necessarily be a violation of Executive Order 81. 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 29: Reasonable Accommodations of Employees with Disabilities
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 also counter proposed that a full 1.0 FTE trainer appointment be provided, 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.
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Article 6: Corrective Action and Dismissal
The Union reasserted its initial proposal for this Article as presented during the March 10 bargaining session.
Article 10: Grievance Procedure
The Union reasserted its proposal to increase the grievance filing period from twenty-one (21) to thirty (30) calendar days and proposed reverting to current contract language around requiring University designees in grievance meetings to not be directly involved in or the subject of a grievance. The Union accepted the Employer’s proposal to separate language detailing step three (Mediation) and step four (Arbitration), but countered language to state that a grievance must be moved to arbitration within thirty (30) days of the notice of a step two decision or of conclusion of the prior step. With respect to arbitrator jurisdiction, the Union counter proposed language that would allow the parties to mutually agree for an arbitrator to retain jurisdiction for a different period of time.
Article 15: Hours of Work
The Union maintained its proposal to require the Employer to use departmental seniority to make shift assignments in the event that employees with substantially similar qualifications have made the same schedule request. The Union also adjusted its proposal around the notice period for communicating schedule changes to require seven (7) days’ notice of changes to employee schedules but maintained its proposal to require the Employer to distribute weekend and other non-standard shifts equitable among qualified employees and to maintain a transparent rotation tracking system. The Union dropped its proposal to create a new weekend pay premium but reasserted its proposal to create new call-back and on-call premiums but adjusted its proposed premium rate for on-call pay to be 10% of an employee’s regular rate.
Article 23: Performance Evaluations
The Union adjusted its prior proposal around the performance improvement plan to state that it should concisely state the issue including recent examples and impacts and include actions to be taken by the employee to address said issue. The Union also reasserted its prior proposal to include a provision on performance evaluation forms for identifying career advancement goals, including job duty changes required for position advancement, training, or development plans.
Article 25: PI Eligibility
The Union adjusted its proposal around reviewing requests for PI eligibility to state that requests should be reviewed by multiple people and if a request is denied, the Employer would be required to issue a written response and explain the appeal process.
Article 28: Professional Development
The Union reasserted its proposal to remove language that states these funds are as budget permit The Union also reasserted previously proposed various housekeeping edits and rearrangements within this Article.
Article 37: Travel
The Union accepted the Employer’s proposed housekeeping edits and dropped its proposed language around urgent travel requirements but reasserted its prior proposed language around direct payments for approved travel and high-cost lodging exceptions.
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 3: Management Rights
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to current contract language in this Article.
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Article 9: Exit Interviews
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to the Employer’s counter proposal as presented during this bargaining session (see below in Employer Counter Proposal section).
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Article 22: Overtime
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to the Employer’s counter proposal as presented during this bargaining session (see below in Employer Counter Proposal section).
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Article 27: Probation
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to the Employer’s counter proposal as presented during this bargaining session (see below in Employer Counter Proposal section).
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Article 30: Recognition of Work
The Union dropped its proposal to remove the University’s ability to determine publication credits, but maintained its proposal to require the University provide notice of any changes to Executive Orders 36 and 61.
Employer Counter Proposals
The Employer 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 1: Purpose and Intent
The Employer adjusted its proposal around information requests including proposing that the Union would not normally request information more than thirty-six (36) months prior to the date of request unless the Union articulates a legitimate reason. Additionally, the Employer proposed new language that would encourage the Union to submit a Public Records Request for information if they and the Employer cannot agree on the relevance of a request. The Employer rejected the Union’s proposed language around mandatory subjects and reasserted current contract language in the remainder of this Article.
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Article 3: Management Rights
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 9: Exit Interviews
In response to the Union’s proposal to require the Employer to offer exit interviews to laid-off employees, the Employer counter proposed language stating that the Employer may offer exit interviews to laid-off employees upon request. The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal to allow employees to elect to have a Union representative present during an exit interview and reasserted its initial proposal in the remainder of this Article.
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Article 16: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 22: Overtime
The Employer adjusted its proposal around pre-approval of overtime to state that supervisors may prospectively authorize overtime when allowed by departmental or University policy.
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Article 27: Probation
In response to the Union’s proposal to allow employees who have previously served in an equivalent temporary position have that service time credited toward completion of their probationary period not to exceed six (6) months, the Employer counter proposed that it would not exceed three (3) months of credit towards completion of the probationary period.
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Article 30: Recognition of Work
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to the Employer’s prior counter proposal as presented during the June 23 bargaining session.
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Article 34: Telework and Work Location
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 39: Union Rights
The Employer reasserted much of its prior proposal but adjusted its proposal to include an “End Employment Date” as a field to more accurately reflect what appears on roster reports sent to the Union.
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Article 40: Union Security
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 43: Workspace and Materials
As part of this package proposal, the Union would agree to the Employer’s prior counter proposal as presented during the June 23 bargaining session.
Next Steps
The next UAW Research and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, and will be held virtually.