Dear UAW Member,
We had our second bargaining session with the UW administration today. We presented a variety of important proposals, including the GAIP Gap, Immigration Status & Work Authorization, the U-PASS, and the IHME appendix. UW administration also presented proposals on Health Insurance and Union Security, as well as proposing a new article about Resignation & Abandonment. Administration also asked if we would be willing to consider a one-year duration for the next contract. We responded that we are not opposed to a one-year contract in principle but that it would be contingent on the degree to which our bargaining proposals could be met. UW administration also had some questions about our data regarding wages which we offered to provide more details about. They also said they would bring a package of proposals to our next bargaining session
Our specific proposals included:
- GAIP Gap: To help address issues many ASEs have experienced with gaps in GAIP coverage at the beginning of October, we proposed changes to two articles: First, a proposal to add language to all ASE offer letters with information about how to confirm GAIP eligibility, and second, a proposal to ensure that as a union, we receive a report on preliminary eligibility that administration has raised in grievance meetings over these issues. Together, these would better enable us to ensure that ASEs do not experience gaps in coverage.
- Immigration Status & Work Authorization: To facilitate university accountability, we proposed continuing union meetings with the university to discuss issues arising from academic student employment, immigration status, and work authorization.
- U-PASS: To reduce fee burdens and aid in transportation, we proposed that all ASEs continue to receive a free U-PASS.
- IHME Appendix: We proposed increasing the wages of Post-Bachelor Fellows at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation by the same percentage as the ASE base rate.
- We also proposed maintaining Articles 19 and 21 at current contract language.
UW administration proposed:
- Health Insurance: Administration has proposed an amendment to the current contract language which strikes Section 1B2 concerning the agreement to meet around unforeseen material changes to GAIP fees due to changes in law or regulation.
- Union Security: Administration has proposed an amendment to the current contract language around how the union sends updated lists of union members to administration. They have proposed a web-based electronic reporting system. We responded that we would like more details, but that this would likely be an improvement on the current system.
- Resignation & Abandonment: Administration has proposed this as a new article to add to our contract. This proposal recommends that ASEs give at least two weeks notice of resignation to their employing department. There is also a presumption of resignation section that says any ASE is presumed to have resigned from their position if they have been absent from work for 3 consecutive days without reporting their absence to their supervisor. If the employer presumes an ASE to have resigned in the above fashion it would not be subject to our grievance procedure in Article 8 of our contract. We don’t believe this proposed article would be helpful or necessary.
Additionally, administration verbally affirmed they would Tentatively Agree to our proposals maintaining the following articles at current contract language: Preamble, Articles 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 18, 23, 27, 28, 35. They also said they would agree to our proposals to remove LOU B and MOU Lump Sum Payment.
Upcoming meetings and actions
- Next bargaining session: Thursday 4/1 (not a joke!), with caucus starting at 8:30am. All members are welcome and encouraged to join bargaining. To learn more about the bargaining process and get involved, please join our union’s bargaining Slack by filling out this form. For a full schedule of upcoming sessions, check out our ASE Bargaining Center.
- Equity Survey turnout: To continue building momentum behind our contract campaign and our demands, especially on issues of equity, please fill out our union’s equity survey! We are asking supportive members to help phone and textbank their colleagues to build equity survey turnout. If you can help build turnout in your department, email our Organizing Committee (ase-organizing@uaw4121.org) and we will connect you with the relevant resources!
- Organizing trainings: Our ability to win on any of our demands in bargaining depends on how much power and momentum we can build in the next seven weeks! Our Organizing Committee is hosting two organizing trainings to provide members with the skills needed to organize in their departments and build our contract campaign. RSVP here for our first training, which will cover 1-to-1 organizing on Thursday 3/18 at 5pm. RSVP here for our second training, which will cover building broad power and campaigns on Thursday 3/25 at 5pm.
In Solidarity,
UAW 4121 ASE Bargaining Committee
Douglas Avella
Vern Harner
Amzi Jeffs
Levin Kim
Kyle Kubler
Jacob O’Connor
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
Paige Sechrest
Solmaz Shakerifard
Samantha Thompson
Momona Yamagami
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