Bargaining Updates

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. The UW Bargaining Team caucused Oct. 20 to prepare for mediation. The Public Employment Relations Commissions is expected to appoint a mediator and set dates sometime in November. In contract mediation, the mediator meets separately with each side and attempts to find solutions that the parties might have missed – or common ground that was never considered. Meanwhile, a subcommittee of the UW Bargaining Team on Oct. 28 will meet with management to negotiate improvements in the language on “cyclic employees” (all in Housing and Food Services or Student Union Activities and Facilities); these members work nine, 10 or, in rare cases, 11 months a year. The language in question involves how work is assigned during layoff periods.

Follow negotiations on WFSE.org > Bargaining > UW/HMC Bargaining news & information.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE COALITION. The bargaining team for the coalition of 12 Community Colleges negotiated last Friday, Oct. 22. The team is producing an update. It will be posted online at WFSE.org  > Bargaining > Community College Coalition news & information.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT. Well, with the governor giving the impression in the media that nothing is happening at the bargaining table because of the impasse over the health care article, your General Government Bargaining Team decided it’s time to be more explicit about the progress your team has made. It’s similar to what other bargaining teams are doing, but up to now the General Government team has hyper-respected the contractual restrictions on what can be said publicly. So the team believes we can give you a broad outline without violating any contractual restrictions.


Read the full report at WFSE.org > Bargaining > General Government Bargaining news & information (scroll down to read the update).