Voting Information
Voting will begin Monday, January 28th to determine whether to approve the Settlement Agreement over the fees arbitration. Please note that the reimbursements stipulated under the Agreement will not happen automatically unless members collectively vote to approve it. Members will have the opportunity to vote online and on campus as follows:
- All members will receive an email inviting them to participate in an online vote by 9:00 a.m. Monday (1/28). Voting will close at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday (1/29).
- Members may also vote with physical ballots that union activists can bring to your work location any time between Monday at 9:00 a.m. through Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. If you wish to vote in person please let us know a good time to stop by your office/lab; union activists will also be circulating throughout campus during each of the voting days.
- We will be holding information sessions in Foege N303 for any member who wishes to ask questions or learn more about the settlement agreement on Monday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 3:30 to 4 p.m.
- Union activists will also be present each day of voting from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Kane Hall entrance (facing Red Square) to answer questions, or you can contact us to set up an appointment to talk to a union rep at any time during the voting period. You can also cast your vote at Kane Hall from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Please see our website for more information about the Agreement, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Your continued activism around this issue has moved the University to enter this Agreement and make significant movement away from its “Last Best and Final Offer” of Fall 2012. We ask that you continue your considerable engagement on this issue to ensure that tuition/fees for all graduate and undergraduate students don’t increase this year. In addition to voting to approve the agreement, please contact your state legislators now, urging them to fully fund UW in the budget and maintain tuition/fees at their current rates.
Agreement Summary
The executive board of the union unanimously recommends approval of our agreement with the University to begin immediate reimbursements and end further challenges to the arbitrator’s decision on fees. The components of the agreement [which you can read in its entirety here] are as follows:
- The decision of the arbitrator, which held that the University violated the collective bargaining agreement when they imposed these new fees without waiving them—for ASEs with 50% appointments, will stand, and UW will not continue to challenge it in the courts.
- All ASEs with 50% appointments who paid the SFR Fee from Fall 2011 through Winter 2013 will receive a full reimbursement. This reimbursement will be paid with 12% interest.
- All ASEs with 50% appointments who paid the UPASS Fee from Fall 2011 through Fall 2012 shall receive a full reimbursement for the U-PASS Fee for each quarter where it was used 5 or fewer times. Reimbursements will be paid with 12% interest.
- For the duration of the current collective bargaining agreement (which expires April 30, 2015), ASEs with 50% appointments who do not use the U-PASS will be eligible for a full reimbursement (if the total number of ASEs seeking reimbursement exceeds 15% of eligible ASEs, the reimbursements will be prorated).
- ASEs with 50% appointments will also receive a 50% remittance (pay-back) of the SFR fee between Spring 2013 and Spring 2014; and a 100% remittance of the SFR fee between Summer 2014 and the expiration of the contract.
If members approve the agreement, the University will begin processing reimbursements for fees paid between Fall 2011 and Winter 2013 immediately. ASEs could expect to receive reimbursement checks later this quarter (Winter 2013).
FAQ
1) How does this Agreement relate to the Arbitrator’s decision on fees?
The Arbitrator ruled that the University violated our Collective Bargaining Agreement when they started requiring ASEs with 50% appointments to pay two new fees (SFR and Universal U-PASS). He did not order a specific remedy, however, and in his most recent decision he directed the Union and the University to negotiate the terms of the remedy. This Agreement is the product of our negotiations with UW, and now is subject to a vote by UAW members.
2) Under this Agreement, how much money will I get back?
If the Agreement is approved by members, the amount of your reimbursement will depend on 1) the number of quarters between Fall 2011 and Winter 2013 you worked as a 50% ASE; 2) whether you are eligible for the U-PASS reimbursement. Please see the following chart to calculate your reimbursement amount based on these two factors.
|
If Members Vote to Approve the Agreement, the following amounts will be reimbursed to eligible ASEs in Winter 2013 |
|||||||||
| Year | Quarter | SFR Fee | % paid by UW | Approximate Interest | Amount Paid TO Eligible ASE | U-PASS Fee | % paid by UW (for Eligible Non-Users) | Approximate Interest | Amount Paid by TO Eligible ASE |
|
2011 |
Fall |
6 |
100% |
1.20 |
7.20 |
74 |
100% |
14.80 |
88.80 |
|
2012 |
Winter |
6 |
100% |
0.84 |
6.84 |
74 |
100% |
10.36 |
84.36 |
|
2012 |
Spring |
6 |
100% |
0.66 |
6.66 |
74 |
100% |
8.14 |
82.14 |
|
2012 |
Summer* |
6 |
100% |
0.48 |
6.48 |
74 |
100% |
5.92 |
79.92 |
|
2012 |
Fall |
80 |
100% |
4.00 |
84.00 |
74 |
100% |
3.70 |
77.70 |
|
2013 |
Winter |
91 |
100% |
1.82 |
92.82 |
74 |
100% |
1.48 |
75.48 |
|
If Members Vote to Approve the Agreement, the following amounts will be paid by UW to eligible ASEs each quarter as follows |
|||||||||
| Year | Quarter | SFR Fee | % paid by UW | Approximate Interest | Amount Paid BY Eligible ASE | U-PASS Fee | % paid by UW (for Eligible Non-Users) | Approximate Interest | Amount Paid BY Eligible ASE |
|
2013 |
Spring |
91 |
50% |
0 |
45.50 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2013 |
Summer* |
91 |
50% |
0 |
45.50 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2013 |
Fall |
91 |
50% |
0 |
45.50 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
Winter |
91 |
50% |
0 |
45.50 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
Spring |
91 |
50% |
0 |
45.50 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
Summer* |
91 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
Fall |
91 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2015 |
Winter |
91 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
2015 |
Spring |
91 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
76 |
100% |
0 |
0 |
* Summer values are based upon full time enrollment during Summer Quarter. Not all eligible ASEs are required to register in this manner.
3) What if we vote to reject this Agreement? What happens next?
If members vote to reject the Agreement the remedy will remain unresolved and the University will resume its challenge to the Arbitrator’s decision. This means UW will almost certainly file in court, a process that will likely take years to resolve. While we are confident in our case, there are no guarantees.
Moreover, as long as the University has an outstanding court challenge they will not reimburse any ASEs for the SFR and U-PASS, and they will continue requiring that we pay these fees. UW might also continue to impose new fees as long as the Arbitrator’s decision remains under challenge.
4) Why is the Executive Board recommending this for approval?
The Board is unanimously recommending this Agreement because it brings certainty and immediacy in dealing with these fees. All fees erroneously charged in the past will be fully refunded, and eligible ASEs be reimbursed for one or both fees in the future. Plus the Arbitrator’s decision would be allowed to stand, protecting 50% ASEs from new fees being imposed for the life of the collective bargaining agreement. Conversely, a rejection of the Agreement would bring the opposite: uncertainty about these fees and any others the University may want to impose, and significant delay in knowing whether the dispute would get resolved.
5) Will I have to apply for reimbursements or will they happen automatically?
For reimbursements of fees paid this (Winter 2013) quarter and before, the University will send the checks automatically to eligible ASEs. In the future, we’re not aware of any plans for the University to require ASEs to apply for reimbursement for the SFR. For the U-PASS, however, the University might need Eligible Non-Users to sign disclosures that allow them to access individual accounts to verify that the U-PASS has not been used.
6) When will reimbursement checks be issued?
If the agreement is approved, the University will begin issuing checks within a few weeks. We expect that eligible ASEs will start receiving checks towards the end of February or March 2013.
7) If we approve the Agreement won’t the University just challenge the decision anyway?
No. The University has agreed that this Settlement Agreement represents a “full and final remedy” for this grievance.
8) How will I know if I used my U-PASS fewer than 5 times per quarter?
The University will assemble a list of ASEs they think are eligible for reimbursement and issue payments. If you do not receive a reimbursement but think you should be eligible, please contact the Union.
9) Does this Agreement mean that all of my fees will be waived?
No. This grievance only relates to the two new fees that the University began to impose in Fall 2011: the SFR and Universal U-PASS. The other unwaived fees (Building, SAF, IMA) will still be required of all ASEs under the collective bargaining agreement.
10) Does this Agreement hurt our position in bargaining in 2015?
By the time the collective bargaining agreement expires April 30, 2015, the University will be covering the full amount of the SFR for 50% ASEs and the U-PASS will continue to be optional for 50% ASEs. Additionally the Arbitrator’s decision, which interprets the current language of Article 7 of the collective bargaining agreement to mean that the University cannot impose new fees without bargaining, will remain in effect. If the University wishes to bargain a reduction in their payment level of these fees, we would need to agree to either a change in the language of Article 7, or a new interpretation of the existing language. Members in 2015 would need to vote to approve such a change: agreeing now to pay 50% of the SFR from Spring 2013 through Spring 2014 does not in any way mandate that we would have to agree to pay this amount after 2015.
11) Will I get a reimbursement if I’m no longer working as an ASE at UW but did work at some point between Fall 2011 and Winter 2013?
Yes – anyone who paid the fees for any quarter starting Fall 2011 will be eligible for reimbursement. If you have left the University you will be mailed your reimbursement check; you can send us your updated address if you think the University may not have it.