UW labor proposals upset unions

Rules proposed by the UW have some unionized employees worried that layoffs, subcontracting to private firms and performance evaluations may end up claiming their jobs.

The most controversial proposal of the new bargaining initiatives, which were issued last month by the UW, would allow management to seek competitive bids for labor.

The proposal would allow management to lay off current UW employees and subcontract work to private companies, said Michael Laslett, spokesman for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 925, which represents about 6,000 UW classified workers.

"Using these types of things as bargaining chips undermines the negotiation process," said Laslett.

According to Laslett, SEIU members are clearly threatened by the new demands put forward by management and will not accept them as part of the new contract.

Patricia Carson, UW vice president for human resources, does not see it that way.

"They are not contract demands," Carson said.

The UW's ability to use these initiatives was part of a trade-off made in Washington state's Personnel System Reform Act of 2002, said Carson.

"The 2002 Reform Act let unions have the opportunity to bargain for wages locally," said Carson. "In return, it allows us to bargain on certain initiatives."

While Laslett agrees in principle, he views the initiatives in a different light.

"The Act of 2002 does allow the University to raise these issues in bargaining, but it does not require them to do so," said Laslett.

Laslett said the UW has had the right to bring the bids issue to the table with SEIU since 1994, but has chosen not to do so until now.

Other unions at separate bargaining tables have seen the new initiatives but are prohibited from discussing them.

"One of the handicaps we have is the agreement not to talk about ongoing negotiations," said Tim Welch, director of public affairs for the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), a union with roughly 2,500 classified employees at the UW.

The WSFE local 1488 agrees to the silence in order to get release time for it's negotiators, who are UW employees, to leave work and attend negotiations.

Welch said that progress had been made in negotiations. He said a number of non-economic issues had been tentatively agreed upon.

Carson also stated that progress had been made in the labor talks.

"I do know that people are working very, very hard at the bargaining tables," said Carson.

Carson said UW negotiators have agreed on 18 non-economic points with WFSE, 13 points with SEIU and 28 points with the Washington State Nursing Association, the union representing registered nurses at the UW Medical Center (UWMC). Five unions are representing classified workers in negotiations.

Classified staff at the UW has not received a cost-of-living increase in three years. A classified worker is one who must compete for a job through standard recruitment practices.

The length of time since a cost-of-living increase is an issue for SEIU.

"On July 1, everyone (at the UW) got a 2 percent raise except for classified staff,"said Laslett.

SEIU is also concerned about the possibility of linking cost-of-living increases to performance evaluations completed by supervisors.

"Linking our wages and layoff protection to performance evaluations opens the door to favoritism and different standards by different supervisors," said Greg Pattle, a UWMC patient registration representative and SEIU member.

The UW's recent decision to close the Portage Bay Galley has brought the issue of layoff protection to the fore. The UW's actions in the closure have angered union members there.

"Our bosses have shown no respect to us; in fact, they flouted labor law by closing Portage Bay Galley before contacting our union," said Joe Davenport, a food service worker and steward for WSFE 1488.

Paul Brown, director of Housing and Food Services said his department did not break any rules in the closure of the restaurant.

"We have talked to the employees and notified labor relations to set up a meeting with the union. Those are the only requirements I am aware of. We have followed them," said Brown.

Welch confirmed that a meeting with the UW on the Portage Bay Galley closure was pending, although a date had not yet been set.

The Galley will be closing Sept. 1 and will result in the re-assignment of five permanent employees and the layoff of two employees.

Negotiations with the unions representing classified workers are required to be completed and reach the governor's office by Oct. 1. Union and UW negotiators must reach agreements much sooner than the deadline so the unions will have enough time to take agreements to the rank and file for ratification.

"Everyone's looking at the 31st of August," said Welch.

Management initiatives troubling the unions

? Ability to subcontract work to private companies

? Increased ability to lay-off workers

? Ability to lay off senior employees before junior employees

? Link cost-of-living increases to performance evaluations

? Allow temporary layoffs on short notice

? Pay overtime only after the 40 hour a week mark

? Eliminate automatic cost-of-living raises