Last updated: August 25, 2026
Background
This recap details the sixth and seventh sessions 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.
Employer Presentations
The AVP of Finance, Planning and Budgeting of UW gave a presentation sharing the context around the University’s budget and financial frameworks.
The Director of Recruiting for UW Medicine gave a presentation on how UW Medicine measures the health of recruitment between open positions and filled positions.
A Consultant from Milliman presented the results of the 2026 Classified Staff Salary Survey results.
Tentative Agreements
Article 44: Classification and Reclassification
The Parties tentatively agreed to maintain current contract language.
Article 53: Washington Family Medical Leave
The Parties tentatively agreed to align language with RCW 50A. If the employee gives the University notice of intent to not return to work, the University’s obligation to maintain health benefits will end on the last day of employment.
Article 58: Term of Agreement
The Parties tentatively agreed to update the effective years of a successor agreement from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2029.
UW Initial Proposals
Article 45: Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions
The Employer proposed to maintain existing salary ranges with no across the board increases for the life of the contract. The Employer proposed adding “increased value to the department” to the list of reasons that an employee may be approved for a Career Enhancement Growth Program (CEGP) step. The Employer proposed that the effective date of CEGP approvals would be at the beginning of a pay period, in alignment with current practice. The Employer also proposed that decisions about CEGP steps would be made within sixty (60) days of the submission of a completed CEGP form to the employee’s manager.
NEW MOU: WFSE Market Based Increases
The Employer proposed a new MOU that details the market-based increases for several job profiles along with their proposed new ranges. The Employer proposed maintaining the current pay tables. The Employer also proposed that employees would be placed on the new range at their current step and that Progression Start Dates (PSDs) would not be impacted. The Employer proposed that this MOU would expire upon implementation.
UW Counter Proposals
Article 11: Training and Professional Development
In response to the Union’s proposal, the Employer accepted the Union’s proposal that educational support funds may include but are not limited to certification and re-certification fees, licensure, books, magazines, seminars, tuition for college courses, audio, video, or virtual courses, conference registration, and travel related expenses for conferences and that employees who work .9FTE would receive full-time amount of release time. However, the Employer maintained its proposal that the education support funds would continue to assist permanent employees in the following job profiles: surgical technologists, hospital central services technicians, mental health practitioner leads, and mental health practitioner clinical specialists.
Article 18: Sick Time Off
In response to the Union, the Employer added personal holiday time off to the list of time off types an employee may use for sick time off with supervisory approval. The Employer also proposed striking language describing how an employee may use accrued compensatory time, as it is already described in stand-alone articles.
Article 20: Miscellaneous Leave
In response to the Union, the Employer accepted the Union’s proposal to include a provision on immigration purposes, however the Employer proposed expanding the language stating that if an employee is legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law, and the employee’s absence from work would be due to the involvement of the employee or employee’s relative or household member in an immigration enforcement action (as defined in RCW 41.04).
Article 21: Federal Family Medical Leave Act and Parental Leave
In response to the Union, the Employer proposed that compensatory time off and personal holiday time off that has 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.
Article 31: Health and Safety
In response to the Union, the Employer proposed language highlighting that employees are encouraged to report potential hazards and conditions. The Employer incorporated the Union’s proposal stating that the Employer would follow state and University EH&S workplace safety rules and guidelines for the prevention of heat related illness and wildfire smoke and that additional mitigation strategies needed to address climate issues in specific worksites would be appropriate topics for Joint Union/Management committee meetings. The Employer also proposed adding reporting structure contact information for reporting air quality and air temperature concerns.
Article 36: Corrective Action Dismissal
The Employer incorporated the Union’s proposed language change from “formal or final” to “corrective action”. The Employer withdrew its proposal that corrective action may be removed after three (3) years. Current contract language states it will be removed after three (3) years. The Employer rejected other aspects of the Union’s proposal.
Article 52: Salary Overpayment Recovery
In response to the Union, the Employer proposed that no interest would be charged for active employees or separated employees who enter into a repayment arrangement.
WFSE Initial Proposals
Article 10: Overtime
The Union proposed increasing the overtime pay rate to two (2) times the employee’s regular rate from the current rate of one and one-one half (1-1/2).
The Union proposed that overtime exempt employees will be authorized to receive compensatory time off at two (2) times the rate of the employees’ rate, a change from current language which states employes may receive compensatory time off at one and one-one half (1-1/2) times.
The Union proposed increasing the rate of compensatory time off to two (2) times the hours worked in lieu of pay, an increase from the current rate of one and one half (1 ½).
The Union proposed that employees may choose to cash out their compensatory time balance when transferring positions.
The Union proposed that mandatory overtime would be paid at the rate of double time and a half (2 ½) for hospital security officers.
The Union proposed that when overtime is pre-scheduled for an employee and the employee is onsite, the Employer would give the employee two (2) hours’ notice if the overtime shift is going to be cancelled. If an employee is offsite, the Union proposed that a minimum of eight (8) hours’ notice would be given. If the Employer fails to notify the employee within the time frames above, the Union proposed that the employee would receive three (3) hours of penalty pay at the overtime rate.
Article 45: Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions
The Union proposed adjusting the current B0, BV, BI, BL, and BM pay tables whereby some steps and ranges would be eliminated and replaced with new steps/ranges, resulting in increases of varying amounts to all four pay tables. The Union proposed to convert CEGP steps into automatic increment steps as well as the addition of new CEGP.
The Union proposed that effective July 1, 2027, all newly proposed salary ranges would be increased by ten percent (10%). The Union also proposed that effective July 1, 2028, all newly proposed salary ranges would be increased by ten percent (10%).
The Union proposed that the Employer would increase the salary of classifications that are experiencing recruitment/retention problems before contracting out work.
The Union proposed that staff working in divisions or units facing long term vacancies defined as vacancies in twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the division or unit’s permanent positions for a period of four (4) months or more would receive an additional R&R step increase after the first four (4) months and every four (4) months thereafter until the vacancies are filled. If an employee is at the top step of their pay range, the Union proposed that automatic elevation to Career Enhancement/Growth Program steps would apply until vacancies are filled.
The Union proposed that if a bargaining unit employee is promoted or reallocated from one position under this contract to another position under this contract with a higher salary range, the affected employee would be placed on the salary step of the new range which reflects a minimum of eight percent (8%). This is an increase from the current minimum of either a three (3) step increase or six percent (6%) depending on the pay table.
The Union also proposed that if an employee occupying a position that is reclassified to an existing class with a lower salary range, the employee would be placed in the salary step in the new range which is closest to but not less than their current rate of pay, up to maximum auto step. If an employee’s current salary is above maximum auto step, the Union proposed that the employee’s salary would be y-rated (frozen) until the new range catches up.
The Union proposed increasing the evening or night shift differential from at least one dollar fifty cents ($1.50) per hour to at least two dollars ($2.00) per hour. The Union proposed increasing the evening or night shift differential for employees in skilled trades job classifications from at least two dollars ($2.00) per hour to three dollars ($3.00) per hour.
For employees on stand-by pay (on call), the Union proposed increasing the rate of compensation for stand-by status to seven dollars ($7.00) per hour, an increase from the current rate of four dollars ($4.00) per hour. If an employee is called to physically return to the workstation from stand-by status, the Union proposed that the employee would receive a minimum premium pay of double time and one half (2 ½) the employee’s regular rate for a minimum work period of three (3) hours.
For employees that have left the grounds and are required to physically return to the workstation outside of regularly scheduled hours, the Union proposed increasing the call back pay bonus pay to the premium rate of double time and one half (2 ½) the employee’s rate, an increase from the current premium of time and one half (1 ½) of the employee’s rate and increasing the time worked compensation rate from time and one half (1 ½) to the overtime rate (double time).
The Union proposed increasing the assignment pay to at least five dollars and fifty cents ($5.50) per hour above an employee’s base salary, a change from the current assignment pay of at least two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour. The Union proposed that adding the following assignments to assignments pay premium: work performed as a roll-up door specialist; working in an uncontrolled environment such as out in the community, on the street, in a patient’s home/shelter, or other assigned field location; and while assigned to work in a hospital emergency department. The Union proposed that when Biomedical Electronic Technicians are required to leave their official duty station or their home would be paid a premium of ten dollars ($10.00) per hour in addition to any differentials in Appendix II and any callback pay.
The Union proposed that all bargaining unit employees would be permitted to serve as a preceptor after successfully meeting the requirements. The Union also proposed increasing the preceptor premium to three dollars ($3.00) per hour, an increase from the current premium of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per hour.
The Union proposed that employees of any class not in applicable job titles that include a weekend premium pay in accordance with Appendix II would receive a weekend premium pay of four dollars ($4.00) per hour for all hours worked on weekends.
The Union proposed that when a hospital security officer at HMC has been designated as a Field Training Officer for a new employee, they would receive a ten percent (10%) increase for all the hours they provide direct training/instruction, an increase from seven percent (7%). The Union proposed that when a Hospital Security Officer at HMC has been designated as Officer in Charge, they would receive a twelve percent (12%) increase for all hours they provide supervision. In the event that a Hospital Security Officer is performing the roles of Officer in Charge and Field Training Officer simultaneously, the Union proposed that they would receive both the ten percent (10%) and the twelve percent (12%) increase.
The Union proposed that custodians assigned lead duties by the Employer would be paid three dollars ($3.00) per hour for the duration of the assignment; the current rate is two dollars ($2.00) per hour. The
The Union proposed including all Elevator Mechanic and Sheet Metal Mechanic job profiles and corresponding eligible licenses to those eligible for the ten percent (10%) Trades License Premium:
The Union proposed that all employees who are assigned to float areas outside of their primary assignment area would receive a float premium of four dollars ($4.00) per hour for all hours worked, an increase from the current float premium of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per hour that applies only to employees hired solely in an Ambulatory Float Pool.
Article 62: Advance Certification Registration Pay
The Union proposed increasing the hourly premium pay rate for hospital employees certified in a specialty area and working in that area of certification to two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50), an increase from the current premium pay rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25). The Union also proposed incorporating the following job profiles amongst titles that would be eligible for the advance certification registration pay premium: profiles of Mental Health Practitioners, Mental Health Specialists, Hospital Security Officers and Patient Services Specialists.
Appendix II: Differentials
The Union proposed raising the standby pay shift differential for all health care professional/technical classifications to ten dollars ($10.00) per hour, and raising the weekend pay shift differential to four dollars ($4.00) per hour. The Union also proposed adding Hospital Security Officers to this table.
Appendix V: Pay Tables
The Union proposed that the Employer would incorporate printed pay tables into this appendix and provide a QR code that employees would scan to access the pay table. The Union also proposed housekeeping edits.
Attachment B
The Union proposed that when a work order is initiated, the Employer would email a notice to all maintenance and construction shops, describe the support and qualifications needed, specify that overtime is authorized, pause for 4 working days after the email is sent for responses from employees and determine feasibility of performing the work internally. The Union proposed that if work is contracted out, the Employer would provide an explanation of specific specialized equipment, qualifications, licenses, or expertise that bargaining unit members don’t have.
WFSE Counter Proposals
Article 14: Hiring, Appointment, Promotions, and Transfers
The Union proposed including large language models (LLMs) to their previous proposal around artificial intelligence (AI) and reasserted the remainer of their proposal.
Article 26: Civil Duty Time Off and Bereavement Time Off
The Union proposed that the Employer would provide paid leave time for EAP purposes of up to twenty-four (24) hours per calendar year.
Article 28: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
In response to the Employer, the Union proposed maintaining the current practice that only employees using unpaid time off because they don’t have other paid time available may make up time for suspended operations.
Next Steps
The next UW & WFSE bargaining session is scheduled for September 3, 2026, and will be held virtually.