May 29 Update
7: Fee and Tuition Waivers
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
This article continues to be a major dispute. On May 22, we proposed a remission of fees (Services and Activities, IMA Bond, Facilities Renovation, and U-PASS) rather than a waiver, which means the services funded by the fees would continue to be funded, but by Central Admin and not on the backs of underpaid, overworked ASEs. This is in direct response to the University’s rhetoric regarding who should fund vital services on campus and situating these remittances of fee-based services as benefits of employment. UW Admin continues to not show any movement on this article, and maintains their position that they have the right to make changes to fee waivers by re-defining eligibility for waivers in the future (per the non-negotiated Executive Order 28, which they have the authority to change at any time). More info on fees here. More info on our collective bargaining statue here.
32: Wages
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
Our most recent wages proposal (contingent on a full fee waiver) would provide increases as follows:
- In the first year of the contract, the base rate would increase either 2% or the same rate as the Global Challenge States Median (our current metric, expected to be 3-4% for each year of a three-year contract), whichever is greater
- In the second and third years of the contract, the base rate would increase either 2% or the same rate as the Global Challenge States Median, whichever is greater
Meanwhile UW is maintaining their proposal for a 2% wage increase in each year of a three-year contract, without a full fee-waiver.
5: Childcare
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We are very close together on childcare. We reached agreement on increasing ASE childcare subsidies from $900/quarter to $1250/quarter, but have yet to reach agreement on the full amount of funding available. Because we moved towards them on dependents’ premium shares in Article 12, we proposed increasing the fund from $45,000 to $80,000. UW is proposing increasing it to $50,000 and did not have a response for us on May 22.
12: Insurance Programs
UAW 4121 & UW Admin Proposal
(Highlighted are changes from current Appendix 1, which is otherwise the same as current language.)
On May 14 – the eve of our one-day strike, after months of no movement whatsoever — UW made significant movement towards us on insurance: For trans health, they gave us a real proposal that accomplishes everything we have been demanding. For mental health, they proposed waiving deductibles for mental health coverage (regardless of whether in-network or out-of-network). On May 22, we communicated that we were ready to accept that language, but Admin said that they were only interested in finalizing it if it were part of a full package with their fees and wages proposals.
35: Duration
UAW 4121 Proposal & UW Admin Proposal
We are now both proposing 3-year contracts. This article will remain open until we reach tentative agreement on everything else.
May 14, 10pm Update
12: Insurance Programs
In addition to moving toward us by proposing waived deductibles for mental health coverage earlier in the day, UW also changed their health insurance proposal to cover trans-inclusive procedures and services.
While we recognize the movement by the Admin on two of our priority health care items, they refused to budge on increasing wages beyond their current offer of only 2% for each of the next 3 years and on improving their current fee waiver proposal that gives them the right to make changes to this essential benefit by defining it in terms of the non-negotiated Executive Order 28 which they have the authority to change at any time.
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May 14, 5pm Update
12: Insurance Programs
UW has moved toward us in proposing waived deductibles for mental health coverage. Otherwise their proposal was the same as May 12 (below)
19: Non-Discrimination and Harassment
We reached agreement (check below for more info)
MOU Sexual Harassment and Prevention Training
We reached agreement (check below for more info)
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May 12 Update
5: Childcare
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We reached agreement on increasing ASE childcare subsidies from $900/quarter to $1250/quarter, but have yet to reach agreement on the full amount of funding available. We are proposing increasing the fund from $45,000 to $60,000 (a proportionate increase); UW is proposing increasing it to $50,000.
7: Fee and Tuition Waivers
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
Our proposal is fully waive all student fees for 50% FTE ASEs. After ASEs overwhelmingly rejected their “last, best, and final” offer on April 30, UW removed language from their proposal that would allow them to raise or add fees and charge us the difference. However, they have not agreed to waive any additional fees beyond what we currently have waived.
12: Insurance Programs
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We are proposing that mental health coverage be extended so that all in-network providers (not just Hall Health) are covered 100%. We are also proposing improvement to trans health coverage. On May 8, UW informed us that the improvements to trans health care would only cost $90,000/year, but despite that small cost and the importance to our members, they have yet to actually to agree to them. Instead, UW is continuing to propose status quo on our coverage.
19: Non-Discrimination and Harassment
Update: We reached agreement on Article 19 on May 14.
UAW 4121 Proposal & UW Admin Proposal
We are very close to reaching agreement on Article 19. Changes we’ve reached tentative agreement on:
- Added language guaranteeing protection from retaliation
- Added language formerly in an MOU that defines and protects ASEs from microaggressions
- Added language entitling ASEs to interim measures in the complaint procedure so they can continue to work and learn during a harassment investigation
- Added language ensuring resolutions for harassment grievances will allow ASEs to continue their work/learning free from harassment
- Added language that will include information about workers’ rights through their contracts in all initial emails the University’s discrimination complaint office sends during their investigations
- Added language that will establish an annual equity survey jointly developed by the University and the Union, which will be distributed to all ASEs. Each year the Union and the University will meet to discuss the survey results and strategize further steps to promote equity & accountability.
This article is still open because we have not reached tentative agreement on the MOU on Sexual Harassment and Prevention Training, which we formerly included in our Article 19 proposal.
32: Wages
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
On May 8, we countered UW’s last proposal with a proposal that would increase wages as follows:
- In the first year of the contract, the base rate would increase either 3% or the same rate as the Global Challenge States Median (our current metric, expected to be 3-4% for each year of a three-year contract), whichever is greater
- In the second and third years of the contract, the base rate would increase either 6% or the same rate as the Global Challenge States Median
These rates in our proposal are contingent on also receiving a full fee waiver. However, UW is maintaining their proposal for a 2% wage increase in each year of a three-year contract, without a full fee-waiver.
35: Duration
UAW 4121 Proposal & UW Admin Proposal
We are now both proposing 3-year contracts. This article will remain open until we reach tentative agreement on everything else.
NEW MOU Sexual Harassment and Prevention Training
Update: We reached agreement on this new MOU on May 14.
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We’ve made substantial progress on this new language, which would establish a sexual harassment training program jointly developed and administered by the UW and paid ASEs, and would be conducted for all new ASEs each year. Our only outstanding difference on this new MOU is that UW wants it to automatically expire on April 30, 2021, and we do not.
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April 30th Update
On April 30th, we passed the following package proposal to University Administration in an effort to reach an agreement with them before our current contract expired. After removing more than 400 members from bargaining, UW Admin countered with their own package proposal that falls far short of what our members need. At our post-bargaining meeting on April 30, the bargaining committee and over 100 members unanimously agreed to reject UW’s proposal. Of course, most of our members weren’t present at this meeting, and we need to know what all members think by voting in this straw poll. You can find the language of both our proposal and UW Admin’s below:
Article 5: Childcare
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
UW’s proposal raises the quarterly amount of childcare subsidies available to ASEs, but does not raise the full amount of funding available. The entire $45,000 currently provided by our contract was used up in the past year, so without raising the full fund proportionate to the increase in quarterly subsidies, their proposal does nothing to help student parents.
Article 7: Fee and Tuition Waivers
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We have consistently proposed a full fee waiver for ASEs. UW’s proposal maintains a waiver of the building fee at its current rate, but is worse than our current contract language in leaving room for them to raise fees and charge us the difference.
Article 12: Health Insurance
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We are proposing that mental health coverage be extended so that all in-network providers (not just Hall Health) are covered 100%. We are also proposing lower monthly costs to ASEs for dependent coverage, and that our health insurance be fully trans affirming. UW is proposing complete status quo on our coverage — maintaining $0 premiums for ASEs, but no changes to coverage.
Article 16: Leaves
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal (Article 16, MOU)
Because we’ve proposed a 1-year contract, the changes we’ve proposed in Section 2 and 3 are consistent with Admin’s proposals. Where we differ is that Admin is proposing a 3-year contract in which we would re-open the Leaves article once rule-making on the new state family and medical leave act is complete.
Article 19: Non-Discrimination and Harassment
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal (Article 19, MOU on Sexual Harassment Trainings, MOU on Equity Committees)
Since we’ve moved to a 1-year proposal, our only difference from Admin on the sexual harassment trainings is that they are proposing including it in a Memorandum of Understanding with expiration dates, and we are proposing including it in Article 19. Hearing Admin’s concerns with our original equity committees proposal and wanting to enshrine something that would be more effective than their proposal, in our most recent counter we’ve instead proposed a unit-wide survey that would be jointly developed and circulated by the Union and the University, and the results of which would be discussed and strategized on a departmental level in the upcoming year. Admin’s current Equity Committees proposal is not much different from the current structures and practices of existing departmental diversity committees.
Article 32: Wages
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We have proposed a 3% wage increase to the base rate for salaried ASEs and 6% for hourly ASEs for the upcoming year. When packaged with a full fee waiver, this would amount to an 8% increase. UW’s proposal is a 2% increase to the base each year for three years, without a full fee waiver. This would not even cover the cost of inflation (2.4%).
Article 35: Duration
UAW 4121 Proposal / UW Admin Proposal
We are proposing a 1 year contract. UW Admin is proposing 3 years. We have communicated to Admin that in many ways we would prefer a 3-year contract, but could not agree to one that did not include fairer compensation and benefits than their current proposal.
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April 24 Update
Wages
On April 12, University Administration made their first proposal on wages, in which ASEs would receive 0% wage increases for 2018-19, and 1% wage increases for 2019-20 and 2020-21. You can read their full proposal here. On April 16, we countered with a proposal that would take seriously the incredible burden the cost of living has on ASEs. We’ve proposed that for 2018-19, wages would be increased to ensure that the average rent paid by ASEs would not exceed 30% of take home pay. In subsequent years, wage increases would track the cost of living or 4%, whichever is higher. You can read our full proposal here.
On April 24, University Administration invited Provost Jerry Baldasty, and over 450 academic student workers attended. The Provost admitted that he had no plan to provide the compensation needed to keep pace with rising costs of living in Seattle and no advice on how we should handle these rising costs. The next day, April 25, UW Administration offered a new counter-proposal including 1% wage increases for the 2018, 2019, and 2020. Our counter-proposal would ensure that base salaries would match the NSF GRFP rate by the 2020-2021 academic year, and that hourly rates would be increased by at least 6% per year.
Non-Discrimination and Harassment:
Our Local has made a number of proposals to improve equity and inclusion at UW — you can check them out in full with annotations for further explanation. Please also take a minute to sign on to the petition calling for UW Admin to show their commitment to making the University a welcoming and supportive place for all ASEs by accepting our proposals now.
Childcare:
On April 17, three academic student employees who are parents came to discuss the challenges they have experienced in finding adequate childcare, and all of them have been unable to utilize the childcare subsidies because the waitlists for approved childcare providers are years long or geographically inaccessible (or both).
Management then brought us a proposal in which they did not increase funding for childcare subsidies (despite the current fund being used at capacity), and did not address our members concerns that finding an approved childcare provider is untenable. They have not offered us a counter-proposal since April 17, but our most up-to-date counter-proposal is available in full here.
Union Rights:
Our Article 28 proposal from April 4 includes expanded access to union orientations so that ASEs are better informed of their rights and clarifying language around the release time mechanism for five (5) bargaining committee members doing the work of negotiating our contract.