August 12th Bargaining Session

UWHA and UW Labor Relations met for the fifth bargaining session on August 12th. UWHA covered proposals for the remaining articles to be discussed – included Leave (Bereavement, Extended, Holidays, Miscellaneous, Professional, Sick, Vacation), Moonlighting, Licensing, in addition to one new article, covering Miscellaneous topics. Leave time continues to be one of the most valuable benefits to residents, and to reflect this, UWHA proposed the following:

• Vacation leave be increased to 28 days per appointment period
• Separate holiday rates for 11 holidays per calendar year
• Increased professional leave days to 10 per appointment year with us to 5 rollover unused days, and separate paid leave for licensure exams
• Each unused sick, vacation, and personal holiday leave day to be compensated to residents at 1/365th their current annual salary

UW is significantly outdated in its leave policy for residents – and there are regularly discrepancies between how leave is approved and coded, including that residents are held to significantly different rules than the rest of UW employees. These proposals will bring the university up to par with peer institutions, attract and retain top candidates, improve resident wellbeing and productivity, improve patient care and outcomes, and will come at minimal cost. 

Following the leave proposals, UWHA covered Article 21 – Professional Development and Licensing. UWHA proposals on the topic are simple – it is requested that residents are fully reimbursed for licenses when eligible, creating parity between states. While the university is based in Washington state, many residents are required to work in states throughout the WWAMI region (AK, MT, ID, WA, and WY). Licenses are required in all states in which resident physicians perform clinical duties. Licensing costs are a substantial burden to residents, and in many cases residents are required to pay completely out of pocket. 

Article 18, Moonlighting was also discussed. While there were minimal changes overall, the most substantial change was adjusting language to make the opportunity and accessibility of moonlighting more inclusive to all residents. This would also allow for improved notification of opportunities when available.

Lastly, a new article was proposed, titled “Miscellaneous” which covers a small variety of topics. Most notable, this includes clarification of bargaining unit members and agreement of the employer to provide a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice to an employee in the event of an Employer-directed permanent change in the employee’s shift assignment or work schedule. 

The next bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, August 15th from 3:00-7:00pm on the UW Campus. UW Labor Relations will be introducing their proposals for the contract during this session. UWHA encourages members to attend.