June 15, 2023
Preparing for Ratification Vote
We (the bargaining committee) are really excited about the tentative agreement we reached with UW on our first Research Scientist A-4 Contract. Now that we have reached this tentative agreement, our next step is to hold a ratification vote. The vote will be held from Friday, 6/16/2023 through Tuesday, 6/20/2023. The voting link will be sent via email, shared on slack, and will also be shared by strike captains.
We want to make sure all RSEs have the chance to learn about our tentatively agreed upon contract before casting a ballot in the ratification vote. Here is where you can view the entirety of the tentatively agreed upon articles in the RSE contract. There is also a summary of the articles located on the UWRU Bargaining Center page (several updates to this table are still being added today). We will also be holding RSE contract ratification information sessions during the coming days.
RSE Ratification Info sessions
Below is the schedule of these sessions:
- Thursday, 6/15: 4pm, 7pm
- Friday, 6/16: 10am, noon, 3pm
- Sunday 6/18: 10am
- Monday 6/19: 9am
- Tuesday 6/20: 9am, noon, 3pm
There is no need to pre-register, you can just show up to whichever one works well with your schedule. The same zoom link will work to attend any of these sessions. At each info session we’ll provide an overview of the articles in our contract and there will be a chance for Q/A.
Issued demand to bargain over changes to working conditions
Last week the RSE bargaining team (along with Postdocs and Academic Student Employees) issued a demand to bargain over a new policy of reporting hours worked. The union became aware of communications originating with UW Labor Relations that instruct UW managers and supervisors to implement a new work rule for their UAW direct reports (RSEs, Postdocs, and ASEs), requiring these reports to confirm daily work attendance by 5 p.m. on the date requested by their supervisor/manager. None of these employees have previously been required to confirm their workday time under threat of having “unauthorized unpaid time off” entered into Workday. Furthermore, Labor Relations dishonestly claimed that a member of the bargaining team instructed union members to falsify attendance during a mass action event.
If you have any issues that are arising related to attestations/workday, please reach out, contact@uwresearchersunited.
In solidarity,
UWRU/UAW Bargaining Committee
Thaddeus Armstrong
Nick Bolten
Jai Broome
Erin Carll
Morgan Crotta
Iván Cruz
Abby Gambrill
Jay Mas Gilvydis
Anya Kalata
Julia Kobelt
Katherine Lasdin
Ellen MacLachlan
Katie Osterhage
Deborah Nemens
Van Redila
Annelise Smith
Galen Stewart
Jacob Tietsort
Stacey Wedlake
Ryan Will
Tricia Wu