August 15th Bargaining Session

UWHA and UW Labor Relations met for the sixth bargaining session on August 15th. UWHA finished presenting all proposals last session and UW Labor Relations had agreed to present their initial proposal in its entirety on this date. Labor Relations stated that their “Goal is to condense language” and “reduce the administrative burden,” but presented very few changes overall. The highlights include:

• Salary/Stipend
  • 1% raise within 90 days of ratification, and 1% raise in July 2020 (no additional raises in subsequent years)
  • No increase in the base pay for each PGY level
  • No offer on home Call Stipend – “placeholder”
• Leave
  • No changes in vacation time, still three (3) weeks
  • Removal of protection of current leave benefits
  • Miscellaneous and Extended leave language change to reflect recent Family & Medical Leave Act (FLMA) passed in Washington state
• Transportation
  • No additional funds for parking, Emergency Ride Home Program, no full-subsidized UPASS
  • Proposed they no longer have to notify UWHA if parking rates for residents and fellows will change
  • Travel Allowance – “placeholder”
• Fringe Benefits
  • Meal Reimbursements – “placeholder”
• Moonlighting
  • Removal of protections from the current contract, would shift to GME policy
• Professional Development Funds
  • Removal of roll over for professional development funds in successive training years
  • Professional Development Funds Reimbursement is removed – “placeholder”
• Union Activities
  • Use of state-owned email, fax machines, the Internet, and Intranets is prohibited
• Grievances
  • Language changes to mirror peer unions at UW – which constrict ability to grieve

*Items that have “placeholder” – we have been told we will receive numbers on “later”. Labor relations stated a few times during the meeting that they “didn’t want to put in the work before we knew what you wanted.” Labor relations further explained to keep with their goal “to reduce the administrative burden” they would like to offer a stipend to cover several prior benefits (the placeholder “super stipend”). They did not offer a dollar number or further explain what this would look like. 

In response, UWHA expressed that the offer was insulting and was clearly without effort. UWHA further pressed Labor Relations on the fact that UWHA had spent five sessions detailing, with precise asks, what was necessary to be added to the new contract.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20th from 3:00-7:00pm on the UW Campus. UWHA encourages all members to attend.