Last updated: September 10, 2026
Background
This recap details the ninth 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.
Tentative Agreements
Article 24: Unpaid holidays for a Reason of Faith or Conscience
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits only.
Article 25: Absence Due to Family Care Emergencies
The parties agreed to current contract language.
Article 29: Military Leave
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits and they agreed to include personal holiday in the list of types available to employees in addition to paid military leave.
Article 40: Mandatory Subject
The parties agreed to current contract language.
Article 42: Union Activities, Rights, and Stewards
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits throughout this article.
42.2. Union Stewards
The parties agreed that stewards will keep record of their release time in Workday or in UW Medicine Timekeeping. The parties also agreed to increase the number of times apprentice stewards may attend meetings as a second steward from one (1) time to three (3) times. .
Article 43: Joint Union/Management Committees
The parties agreed to expand the number of members involved in joint union/management committee meetings to four (4) at the department level and seven (7) at the University-wide level. This is an increase from current contract language which allows for three (3) and six (6). Additionally, the parties agreed that time spent in these meetings during normal University business hours would count towards the calculation of overtime.
Article 52: Salary Overpayment Recovery
The parties agreed to include clarifying language regarding the methods of payback for both active employees and separated employees. Additionally, the parties agreed no interest would be charged for active or separated employees who enter a repayment arrangement.
Article 55: Contract Publication
The parties agreed to housekeeping edits and to include a reference to a new the QR Code will be included in the final published contract in Appendix V: Pay Tables.
Appendix V: Pay Tables
The parties agreed to update the URL to Compensation’s website where the pay tables can be found, and to include a new QR Code linking directly to Compensation’s website for these pay tables.
MOU: Leave of Absence WFSE President
The parties agreed to rollover this MOU.
Side Letter E: Actual Time Reporting
The parties agreed to rollover this Side Letter and to include language that the Employer would provide the Union with at least four (4) months’ notice prior to implementing Actual Time Reporting.
UW Counter Proposals
Article 5: Affirmative Action
In response to the Union, the Employer withdrew its proposal to strike and replace the language in this article from July 16, 2026. In this counter proposal, the Employer maintained the language regarding maintaining an Affirmative Action Program as a federal contractor. Additionally, the Employer proposed including language detailing how interested individuals could obtain Affirmative Action Plan reports.
Article 14: Hiring, Appointments, Promotions, and Transfers
14.3. Filling Positions
The Employer rejected the Union’s proposal restricting the use Artificial Intelligence and the Union’s proposed new language regarding student employees. In response to the Union, the Employer incorporated the Union’s proposed language that Volunteers may be used only if they do not supplant or supervise bargaining unit employees.
14.16. Temporary Assignment to a Higher Position
In response to the Union, the Employer reasserted current contract language.
Article 31: Health and Safety
In response to the Union, the Employer reasserted its counter proposal from August 13, 2026.
Article 37: Employee Assistance Program
In response to the Union, the Employer proposed new language detailing how an employee could secure release time to participate in EAP.
Article 47: Contracting
In response to the Union, the Employer reasserted its initial proposal from July 16, 2026.
Attachment B
In response to the Union, the Employer proposed current contract language.
UW Package Proposals
The Employer presented three package proposals. The provisions in each package proposal would need to be accepted in their entirety as a package.
Employer Package Proposal
Article 2: Non-Discrimination
As a part of this package, the Employer would withdraw its proposal to move some classes into Article 4 and proposed instead to include language regarding which allegations are investigated by the Civil Rights Compliance Office and which should be reported to UW Human Resources.
Article 4: Workplace Behavior
As a part of this package, the Employer would withdraw its proposal to strike the current definition of bullying, and reasserted that the Employer could develop a university wide workplace behavior policy.
Article 61: Diversity and Inclusion
As a part of this package, the Employer reasserted its initial proposal from July 16, 2026.
Employer Package Proposal
Article 10: Overtime
As a part of this package, the Employer reasserted its initial proposal from July 16, 2026.
MOU: UW Medicine Pre-Scheduled Voluntary Double-Time Shift Incentive for Critical Staffing Needs
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed striking this MOU.
MOU: Pre-Scheduled Overtime
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed striking this MOU.
New MOU: Voluntary Pre-Scheduled Overtime
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed a new MOU that would expand voluntary pre-scheduled overtime to Harborview Medical Center and UW Medical Center-Montlake campuses. In this proposal, the Employer could designate open shifts as eligible for voluntary pre-scheduled overtime and offer them to employees.
New MOU: Hospital Security Officer Mandatory Overtime Double Time
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed a new MOU where Hospital Security Officers at Harborview Medical Center who were assigned to work mandatory overtime would receive two times (2x) the regular rate of pay for all time worked past their shift.
Side Letter D: HMC Hospital Security Officers Compensatory Time
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed rolling over Side Letter D which it previously proposed to allow to expire.
Employer Package Proposal
Article 20: Miscellaneous Leave
As a part of this package, the Employer would agree to the Union’s proposal for Article 20: Miscellaneous Leave that it had presented during bargaining on this same day.
Article 35: Personnel Files
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed current contract language.
Article 50: No Strike, No Lockout
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed current contract language.
Article 51: Board of Regents
As a part of this package, the Employer proposed current contract language.
WFSE Counter Proposals
Article 18: Sick Time Off
18.1. Sick Time Off
Accrual
In response to the Employer, the Union withdrew its proposal regarding twenty-four hours bank of sick leave upon hire.
Use of Vacation Time Off, or Compensatory Time Off for Sick Time Off Purposes
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal that other time off types will be allowed to be used as sick time off without the need for supervisory approval.
Sick Time Off Verification
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal where staff sent home by the Employer would have their absence documented as “authorized”.
18.2. Sick Time Off Cash Out
In response to the Employer, the Union agreed to the Employer’s proposal regarding sick time compensation for employees who retire or are separated due to death.
Article 20: Miscellaneous Leave
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal that unpaid time off may be granted for health care appointments for veterans and veteran spouses. The Union counter proposed removing from the Employer’s proposed definition of unpaid time off for immigration purposes that the employee is legally authorized to work in the United States.
Article 21: Federal Family Medical Leave Act and Parental Leave
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its previous proposal regarding 21.2 where should an employee be assigned home or administrative leave, this time would be included in FMLA eligibility calculations. The Union also incorporated the Employer’s proposal 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 23: Shared Leave
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal that upon request of the employee, that the Employer would notify all employees about a shared leave request.
Article 32: Uniforms and Special Clothing
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal that the Employer would reimburse employees up to two hundred dollars ($200) per year for protective footwear such as the ASTM F3445 (or similar) slip resistant footwear, and other footwear as personal protective equipment, for safety and/or related to uniform expectations. Currently this allowance only applies to facilities trades as determined by the Employer for PPE.
Article 35: Personnel Files
In response to the Employer, the Union proposed that adverse material or information related to misconduct would not remain in an employee’s personnel file for a period of more than eighteen (18) months which is an increase from the Union’s initial proposal of six (6) months.
Article 36: Corrective Action/Dismissal
36.5. Removal of Records
In response to the Employer, the Union proposed that records would be removed from an employee’s personnel file after eighteen (18) months which is an increase from the Union’s initial proposal of six (6) months.
Article 37: Employee Assistance Program
In response to the Employer, the Union proposed that employees could receive paid leave for up to three (3) EAP visits per year where it had previously proposed an unlimited amount of paid leave for the purposes of participating in EAP.
Article 38: Seniority, Layoff, Rehire
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal around Artificial Intelligence not being used to perform bargaining unit work. The Union also accepted the Employer’s proposed language where months of service toward a higher vacation time off accrual rate would be awarded by the amount of time equal to time spent on the rehire list. Finally, the Union withdrew its proposal that the parties develop a joint list of resources for separated employees and that the Employer would participate In the General Government Transition Pool.
Article 41: New Employees
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its proposal regarding sixty (60) minutes for a union representative participation time at new employee orientations and that if the representative were a steward, release time would be automatic. The Union also reasserted that the Employer would send all appointment letters for bargaining unit positions to NEO@wfse.org.
Article 48: Staffing Concerns
In response to the Employer, the Union reasserted its previous proposal where the Union could file a grievance if a satisfactory conclusion wasn’t reached after a meeting between both parties where the assignment of additional duties was discussed.
Next Steps
The next UW & WFSE bargaining session is scheduled for September 15, 2026 and will be held in-person.