Last updated: July 31, 2026
Background
This recap details the fourth session for the negotiation for the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Washington and WFSE. Recaps are published online on the UW Labor Relations website.
UW Initial Proposals
The Employer proposed minor housekeeping edits such as updating contract dates on the following:
- Article 23: Shared Leave
- MOU:Leave of Absence for WFSE President
- MOU:Scholarship Fund for Medical Center Employees
On the following provisions, the Employer proposed maintaining current contract language:
- Article 14: Hiring, Appointments, Promotions, and Transfers
- Article 16:Holidays
- Article 17:Vacations
- Article 20:Miscellaneous Leave
- Article 24:Unpaid Holidays for a Reason of Faith or Conscience
- Article 25:Absence Due to Family Care Emergencies
- Article 26:Civil Duty Time Off and Bereavement Time Off
- Article 29:Military Leave
- Article 31:Health and Safety
- Article 33:Transportation and Commute Reduction
- Article 41:New Employees
- Article 43:Joint Union Management Committee
- Article 44:Classifications and Reclassification
- Article 47:Contracting
- Article 48:Staffing Concerns
- Article 62:Advance Certification/Registration Pay
- Appendix IV:Layoff Seniority Units
- Appendix VI:Contracting Out Form
- Appendix VII: Bargaining Units
- MOU: Multi-Campus Voluntary Standby Pool
The Employer proposed allowing the following memorandums of understanding and side letters to expire upon the conclusion of the current 2025-2027 collective bargaining agreement.
- MOU: Administrative Assistant Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Audiology Assistant Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Biomedical Electronic Technicians
- MOU: Cardiac Monitor Tech, Hospital Assistant, Mental Health Specialist and Patient Care Tech Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Carpenter Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Electrocardiograph Technician Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Food Service Worker and Cook Series Expansion
- MOU: Gardener Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU Market Based Increases
- MOU Market Based Increases (v2)
- MOU: Non-Healthcare Across the Board Increases Me Too
- MOU: Painter Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Pay Table BABB
- MOU: Power Plant Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Rehabilitation Counselors Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Surgical Technologist Recruitment and Retention Increases
- MOU: Truck Driver Recruitment and Retention Increases
- Side Letter A: City of Seattle Minimum Wage
- Side Letter B: Public Transportation Delays
- Side Letter C: Tracking Discrimination and Bias
- Side Letter D: HMC Hospital Security Officers Compensatory Time
Article 2: Non-Discrimination
The Employer proposed striking rescinded Executive Order 31 (EO31) and replacing it with the UW Executive Order 81 (EO81) Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct, that prohibits discrimination or harassment against a member of the University community because of protected characteristics under EO81. In accordance with the Employer’s compliance agreement with the Department of Education, the Employer proposed an editon where and how employees could report information or make complaints on violations of the executive order.
Article 3: Reasonable Accommodations of Employees with Disabilities
The Employer proposed revising language to include “pregnancy-related conditions”, replacing the previous term “pregnancy”.
Article 4: Workplace Behavior
The Employer proposed removing the provision on bullying and replacing it with a university-wide definition on the term in forthcoming policy. The Employer proposed that no employee would be subjected to adverse or inequitable treatment based on ethnic origin, political affiliation, medical condition, or membership or non-membership in a union. The Employer also proposed that it would reserve the right to develop a university-wide workplace behavior policy, and that if the executive order is implemented, the Employer would satisfy the collective bargaining obligations by providing the Union with a notice and opportunity to bargain.
Article 5: Affirmative Action
The Employer proposed replacing the provisions of this article and stating that the University would maintain an Affirmative Action program, and that nothing in this agreement would prevent the implementation of an approved affirmative action plan.
Article 10: Overtime
The Employer proposed clarifying language that states overtime hours shall be compensated at one and one-half (1 ½) times the employee’s rate of pay. The Employer proposed adding transfers from a regular position to a nonpermanent or intermittent position as a reason compensatory time may be cashed out.
Article 11: Training and Professional Development
The Employer proposed replacing dated references to the rescinded Executive order 52 with a clear definition of release time.
Article 18: Sick Time Off
The Employer proposed clarifying the language on the compensation of unused sick time for employees who separate from the university due to death or retirement to align with current practice. For employees who retire, funds will be placed in a VEBA account. Employees who separate due to death will be compensated with the deceased’s final pay.
Article 21: Federal Family Medical Leave Act and Parental Leave (FMLA)
The Employer proposed that an employee may use any combination of sick time or vacation time amounting to eighty (80) hours as a remaining balance while on FMLA-covered leave, a change from current contract language which requires all eighty (80) hours to be in either vacation time off or sick time off, counted separately. .
Article 28: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
The Employer proposed eliminating make-up time for suspended operations.
Article 40: Mandatory Subject
The Employer proposed that when a release request involves one (1) or two (2) departments or units, the Employer would approve paid release time for up to four (4) employee representatives from the impacted department or three (3) impacted employees and one (1) Union steward. The Employer also proposed that when a release request involves more than two (2) departments or units, the Employer would approve paid release time for up to six (6) employees from the impacted department or a mix of impacted employees and up to two (2) Union stewards.
Article 42: Union Activities, Rights and Stewards
The Employer proposed that stewards’ work time spent on authorized activity on behalf of the Union would be maintained in Workday or in UW Medicine Timekeeping. The Employer proposed that if the Union and the Employer are unable to agree on the relevance of an information request, the Union would instead submit a Public Records Request for the requested information.
Article 53: Washington Family Medical Leave Program (PFML)
The Employer proposed aligning language with RCW 50A whereby an employee on any period of PFML leave would be entitled to job protection. If the employee gives the University notice of intent to not return to work, the Employer proposed that obligations to maintain health benefits would end.
Article 61: Diversity and Inclusion
The Employer proposed to maintain the language around WFSE’s participation in the University’s Diversity Council and language around the Staff Focused Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Council Workgroup at Harborview Medical Center (HMC). Otherwise, the Employer proposed striking the rest of this article as it is outdated.
MOU: Hospital Staffing Committee (Harborview)
The Employer proposed that time spent working on the Harborview Hospital Staffing Committee would be considered time worked and would be paid at the applicable rate of pay; a change from current contract language whereby time worked on the HSC does not count towards any overtime calculations.
MOU: Hospital Staffing Committee (Montlake)
The Employer proposed that time spent working on the Montlake Hospital Staffing Committee would be considered time worked and would be paid at the applicable rate of pay; a change from current contact language whereby time worked on the HSC does not count towards any overtime calculations.
MOU: Motor Equipment Mechanic Apprenticeship Program
The Employer proposed striking language around the Employer sharing with the union a written Motor Equipment Mechanic Apprenticeship program curriculum prior to implementation, as the program has already been implemented. Along with the ASE certification requirement, the Employer proposed that an employee would be guaranteed a Motor Equipment Mechanic position if they also met the required minimum job qualifications.
MOU: Trades Apprenticeship Program
The Employer proposed that the program would be in accordance with the L&I Apprenticeship rules; currently, the program conforms to the standards of WAC 296 05.
MOU: Public Records Requests and Privacy
The Employer proposed that this MOU would expire on June 30, 2029.
NEW MOU: Voluntary Float Between UWMC-NW and Montlake Campuses for Bargaining Units Represented by SEIU 1199, SEIU 925, and WFSE
The Employer proposed a new MOU that would allow management to float staff between UWMC-NW and UWMC-Montlake, if the employee agrees to float. The Employer proposed that a bargaining unit employee that holds a represented position at UWMC-Montlake and agrees to float between both UWMC-Montlake and UWMC-Northwest would receive the following resources:
- Adequate orientation, including an introduction to the unit leader for the shift;
- A tour of the physical environment and location of supplies and equipment;
- A review of emergency procedures for that unit;
- A review of the patient assignment and unit routine;
- An additional four dollars ($4) per hour minimum premium pay for all hours worked outside the employee’s home entity;
- Reimbursement for travel, mileage and parking at the second site per university policy;
The Employer proposed that employees shall seek guidance for tasks or procedures for which they have not been trained. If an employee encounters difficulties related to floating, the Employer proposed that the employee would report these to the appropriate unit leader, and that there would be no adverse consequences for an employee filing a concern. The Employer also proposed that the premium would apply to employees already receiving a premium for being in the float team but would not otherwise be stacked with any other float premiums.
Side Letter E: Actual Time Reporting
The Employer proposed removing the provision around providing the Union with at least six (6) months’ notice prior to implementation.
WFSE Initial Proposals
The Union proposed minor housekeeping edits for the following:
- MOU: Public Record Requests and Privacy
- Side Letter A: City of Seattle Minimum Wage
Article 3: Reasonable Accommodation of Employees with Disabilities
The Union proposed including personal leave in the combination of leave options used for disability leave. Personal leave is a new time off type which the Union proposed in Article 26.
Article 16: Holiday
The Union proposed that when the holiday falls on a full-time employee’s regularly scheduled workday, and that employee’s shift is more than eight (8) hours and is not worked, the employee would be paid the amount of hours the employee would normally be scheduled to work.
Article 17: Vacations
The Union proposed increasing the annual accrual schedule for full-time employees, prorated for part-time employees. In the Union’s proposal, employees in their first year of service would receive fifteen (15) vacation days off per year and would receive an additional day off for each year of service up to twenty-five (25) years. The Union also proposed that if the Employer fails to approve or deny a vacation request in seven (7) calendar days, the request would be approved.
Article 18: Sick Time Off
The Union proposed that all employees would begin with a bank of twenty-four (24) hours of sick leave upon hire.
The Union proposed that employees would also be allowed to use other accrued time off for sick time off purposes without requiring authorization by the employee’s departmental supervisor. The Union proposed adding personal holiday or personal leave day to the list of leave types to care for family members, as defined in this article. Personal leave is a new time off type which the Union proposed in Article 26.
The Union proposed that sick time off may not be designated as unauthorized. Additionally, the Union proposed adding vacation time off, compensatory time, personal holiday, and personal leave to the list of time off types that will not be abused or arbitrarily denied. The Union proposed that staff who are sent home by the Employer would have their absence documented as authorized.
Article 20: Miscellaneous Leave
The Union proposed including healthcare appointments for veterans and veteran spouses and immigration purposes as reasons that an employee may be granted for unpaid time off.
Article 21: Federal Family Medical Leave Act and Parental Leave
The Union proposed that should an employee be assigned to home/administrative leave or be directed to leave work due to illness during the rolling twelve (12) month period, this time would be included in FMLA eligibility calculations.
The Union proposed that compensatory time, personal holidays, or personal leave days that have been requested and approved prior to the request for the use of FMLA would not be considered when requiring employees to use leave during FMLA-covered leave. The Union proposed listing out the types of paid time off that if an employee may elect to use to maintain health insurance benefits during an approved absence. The Union proposed that employees would also be permitted to use their personal leave day in several instances in this article. Personal leave is a new time off type which the Union proposed in Article 26.
Article 23: Shared Leave
The Union proposed that with the consent of the receiving employee, the Employer would notify all employees via email within five (5) business days that they are approved for shared leave and are accepting donations.
Article 24: Unpaid Holidays for a Reason of Faith or Conscience
The Union proposed that the Employer would allow employees to use personal leave in lieu of unpaid time off, and that all requests to use personal leave must indicate the time off being used in lieu of unpaid time off for a reason of faith or conscience. Personal leave is a new time off type which the Union proposed in Article 26.
Article 25: Absence Due to Family Care Emergencies
The Union proposed that if an employee is unable to report for work or remain at work due to a family care emergency, they would be able to utilize personal leave as a time off option. Personal leave is a new time off type which the Union proposed in Article 26.
Article 26: Civil Duty Time Off and Bereavement Time Off
The Union proposed renaming this article to Miscellaneous Paid Leaves. The Union proposed that under the Employer’s approval, the employee may use personal leave days for bereavement time off. The Union proposed including parents’ siblings in the definition of family member for the purpose of bereavement time off.
The Union proposed that in the event that a state of emergency is declared by a public official, the Employer would grant up twenty-four (24) hours of leave with pay per occurrence to employees who are experiencing extraordinary or severe impacts. The Union proposed that approved leave would be used within three (3) months from the date of declaration, and that employees would not be required to use the hours consecutively.
The Union proposed that the Employer would allow paid leave time to access the Employee Assistance Program.
The Union proposed personal leave as a new paid time off type in this article. In this proposal, an employee may choose three (3) workdays as personal leave days each fiscal year if the employee has been continuously employed for more than four (4) months. The Union proposed that the Employer would release the employee for personal leave if the employee has given at least fourteen (14) calendar days written notice to their supervisor and if the number of employees selecting a particular day would not prevent the from providing continued public service. The Union proposed that the supervisor would have the discretion to allow a shorter notice period and that personal leave could not be carried over from one fiscal year to the next. For part-time and nonintermittent employees who are employed during the month in which the personal leave is taken, the Union proposed that the employee would be compensated for the personal leave in an amount proportionate to the time in pay status during the month to that required for full-time employees. Finally, the Union proposed that upon request, an employee would be approved to use part or all their personal leave day to care for family members as required by the Family Care Act, for leave required by the Military Family Act and for leave required by the Domestic Violence Leave Act.
Article 28: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
The Union proposed that non-essential employees may make up time for suspended operations regardless of if they have other paid time available or could use any paid time off type available to them. Currently, employees must use paid time off in a specific order and can make up time off only if no other paid time is available. The Union also proposed that employees would have up to sixty (60) calendar days after operations resume to make up for work time lost, an increase from current contract language of fifteen (15) days.
Article 29: Military Leave
The Union proposed that the Employer would include personal holiday and personal leave as paid leave options for employees called to active duty.
Article 42: Union Activities, Rights and Stewards
The Union proposed striking the example of time limits that a union steward would have to confer with an employee during work hours in advance of a grievance meeting. The Union proposed that the Employer would revise the time allowed for Union stewards to participate in the Union’s steward training program from eight (8) working hours to one full workday annually without loss of pay. The Union proposed eliminating language that limits the number of times a steward would be allowed to attend as a second steward more than once.
The Union proposed that the Employer would grant leave with pay for the WFSE Council President and Vice-President (Union officers) for the term of their office and that the Union would reimburse the Employer for the fully burdened costs. The Union proposed that the Union officers would accrue one (1) hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked but would not accrue vacation time during their absence. The Union also proposed language around how sick leave balances would apply when returning to state service and when retiring or separating from state language.
The Union proposed that Union officers would have the right to return to the same position or in another position in the same job classification and the same geographic area, as determined by the Employer.
The Union proposed that for formal contract negotiations, the Employer would agree to provide paid release time for the first ten (10) days of bargaining for members of the negotiating committee and would approve paid release time for any subsequent says beyond the first ten (10) days of bargaining to official union bargaining team members. The Union proposed that no overtime or compensatory time would be incurred because of negotiations and/or travel to and from formal negotiations. The Union proposed all confirmed dates would be sent to directors and/or supervisors to facilitate team members’ attendance and that Labor Relations would confirm that employees will be released for bargaining and/or preparatory sessions with the departments.
Article 53: Washington Family Medical Leave Program (PFML)
The Union proposed that the Employer would also include personal leave as a supplemental benefit for PFML leave.
Article 60: Nonpermanent and Intermittent Employees
The Union proposed that intermittent positions could only be created if they met the conditions currently required only for nonpermanent positions. The Union proposed striking language stating that the Employer could utilize nonpermanent employees if there is an impending or actual layoff of a permanent employee. The Union proposed that the Employer would notify the Union of the creation of a nonpermanent or intermittent position within two (2) weeks of the decision, and that the employer would describe the need for creating such position.
The Union proposed that the Employer would convert an intermittent appointment to a regular appointment if the employee holding the intermittent appointment has been working a fixed number of hours every week for a period of at least six (6) months and the work is ongoing.
The Union proposed that the initial duration of nonpermanent hourly and nonpermanent fixed duration appointments would not exceed six (6) months from the hire date, a reduction from current contract language of twelve (12) months, but may be extended to no more than twelve (12) months, a reduction from current policy of twenty-four (24) months. If an appointment is extended, the Union proposed that the Employer would provide notification to the Union stating the business need for the extension.
The Union proposed that overtime hours for nonpermanent and intermittent employees would be compensated at a rate of two (2) times the employee’s rate, an increase from one and one-half (1 ½).
The Union proposed that the Employer would provide civil duty leave as paid release time. The Union proposed that the Employer would include Article 23, Shared Leave related to the involvement of the employee, their relative or household member involvement of immigration enforcement of an employee, and article 26, Miscellaneous Paid Leaves as other provisions that apply to all employees covered by this article.
MOU: Trades Apprenticeship Program
The Union proposed striking the entirety of this MOU.
Side Letter C: Tracking Discrimination and Bias
The Union proposed that the Employer would allow employees to utilize the bias incident reporting tool as an avenue to report incidents of suspected bias between staff and between staff and patients.
Side Letter D: HMC Hospital Security Officers Compensatory Time
The Union proposed that the Employer would increase the maximum hours of accrued compensatory time employees can have from forty (40) hours to two hundred and forty (240) hours and from forty (40) hours to four hundred and eighty (480) hours for employees engaged in public safety.
Appendix VI: Contracting Out Form
The Union proposed removing the provision stating that this notification form would not be necessary if the work scope falls within work included on the monthly or annual notification list provided from the Employer to the Union.
Next Steps
The next UW & WFSE bargaining session is scheduled for August 7, 2026, and will be held virtually.