February 23, 2022
Bargaining Update
Yesterday was our first bargaining session with UW Admin following our successful Strike Authorization Vote.
Research scientists from across campus showed up to tell Admin that we are unwilling to entertain their insulting compensation proposal from two weeks ago of a 0% market adjustment and 2% annual increase; we re-asserted the numbers from our original compensation proposal. We also re-asserted our original proposal on Retaining Institutional Knowledge (bridge funding) and made a counter-proposal on Childcare. The faculty Bridge Funding program has a 12.1% return on investment, and support for childcare makes UW a more equitable workplace, and yet UW remains uninterested in providing support for RSEs on either one.
Our Bargaining Committee continued to push for fair, comprehensive Performance Evaluations that would support career growth. UW Admin maintains that the system in place works—despite hearing directly from research scientists telling them it doesn’t.
The Grievance Procedure is still a sticking point – with UW making efforts to defang an article that is designed to protect research scientists and make sure our contract can be fairly enforced.
Later in the day, UW Admin countered our proposal on International Scholar Rights by striking it in its entirety; they informed us that they are not willing to sponsor H1-B visas for RSEs and made the claim that they never have done so. Given that they provided us a spreadsheet containing the names of unit members who hold visas, this is an erroneous claim. While it is a small number of unit members who hold H1-B visas, it is clear that this is something UW has done for RSEs before. By not having a process in place and UW providing visa support on an exceptions basis, they are upholding a discriminatory status quo.
Our next bargaining session is this coming Monday, February 27th. Caucus starts at 8am. We invite you to attend for any portion of the day you are able. Please RSVP here.
Also, a reminder that you can view all exchanged proposals at our Bargaining Center.
Unfair Labor Practice Charge
There will be a pre-hearing conference between our legal team and UW’s on Monday, March 6th. We will provide updates when we have them.
Stay up to date with our latest news and actions by following our social media accounts: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and also, reach out if you have any questions.
In solidarity,
UW Researchers United Bargaining Committee
Thaddeus Armstrong, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Nick Bolten, Computer Science
Jai Broome, Medical Genetics
Erin Carll, Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity
Morgan Crotta, Department of Comparative Medicine
Iván Cruz, Biological Structure
Abby Gambrill, Physiology & Biophysics
Jay Mas Gilvydis, I-TECH/Global Health
Anya Kalata, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Julia Kobelt, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Katherine Lasdin, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Ellen MacLachlan, I-TECH/Global Health
Katie Osterhage, Family Medicine
Deborah Nemens, School of Environmental and Forest Science
Van Redila, Otolaryngology
Annelise Smith, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors
Galen Stewart, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Kambiz Tavabi, I-LABS
Jacob Tietsort, Comparative Medicine
Stacey Wedlake, Information School
Ryan Will, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Tricia Wu, Biological Structure