November 2018: We send Labor Relations proposing dates for contract negotiations. We explain we continue to prefer to meet after-hours for contract negotiation, as we did during the last round of negotiations. Labor Relations write back immediately threatening us that we are are committing and unfair labor practice (breaking the law) in demanding to meet after hours.

December 2018: After waiting one month, Labor Relations sends back dates that would work for them. Banks Evans, their lead negotiator, estimates that our entire contract negotiation will take 64-80 hours. UWHA representatives meet in-person with Mr. Evans at our bimonthly HAC meeting and discuss our patient care and resident education. Labor Relations offers to do half of our negotiation meetings after hours, saying that they are unwilling to meet on weeknights because it is inefficient to bargain in short chunks of time. In response, we offer to meet for full days on weekends. They ask us to again send dates we are available, which we do. They agree to set the first two negotiation dates after-hours and then take it from there.

January 2019: We are officially eligible to start negotiating our next contract, to take effect July 2019. Banks now states over email that he will not set any negotiation dates with us until we agree to do half during business hours “Our offer was clearly a quid pro quo.”

February: We start collecting signatures on our petition to the UW administration regarding after-hours bargaining. Members start sending their program directors emails about their concerns. Banks Evans falsely accuses residents of breaking the law by doing that.

March: Petition signing happy hours! We get over 500 signatures. PDs start advocating on our behalves to Dr. Byron Joyner. Dr. Joyner send an email accusing residents of acting unethically by using UW email addresses to discuss union matters with their PDs, discuss happy hours, etc. We respond to our members and our lawyers responds to them.

April: We rally for after-hours bargaining and our commitment to patient care. UWHA begins mediation regarding the bargaining times issue with UW’s bargaining team representatives.

May: UWHA continues mediation. We also speak out at the Board of Regents meeting, voicing our concerns.

June: In an effort to avoid further delays, having exhausted each avenue to voice our concerns, the board votes to offer to start bargaining sessions at 4pm– viewing this as a compromise that would have minimum impact on patient care and resident education. UW Labor counters with a proposal to hold bargaining meetings from 3pm-7pm. UWHA accepts.