Labor Relations

SEIU 925 Libraries – UW Negotiations Recap for February 12, 2026

This recap details the eleventh session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and SEIU 925 – Libraries.

Tentative Agreements

The parties tentatively agreed to the following articles:

  • Article 2: Non-Discrimination
    • The parties agreed to update language in this article to reflect the University’s discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct policies as set forth in UW Executive Order No. 81., plus language updates on information about complaint reporting to the University’s Civil Rights Compliance Office.
  • Article 7: Employee Facilities
    • The parties agreed to updated language stating that wellness rooms and lactation spaces can be utilized in ways consistent with APS 46.7 Reasonable Accommodation of Pregnant Employees and Related Conditions.
  • Article 9: Probation for Professional Libraries and Press Employees
    • The parties agreed to new language that will require supervisors to provide feedback to employees halfway through their six (6) month probationary period when possible.
  • Article 12: Professional Development
    • The parties agreed to language that would allow employees on furlough for up to sixty (60) days following layoff to participate in Professional & Organizational Development programs.
  • Article 20: Telework
    • The parties agreed to new language stating that regular telework must be supported by a telework agreement that specifies the requirements and details of the arrangement. Consistent with the University’s telework policy, the parties also agreed to new language that would allow telework agreements to be reviewed and updated as workplace needs change.
  • Article 29: Shared Leave
    • The parties agreed to include hate crimes as an eligible reason for taking part in the leave sharing program.
  • Article 39: Health and Safety
    • The parties agreed to new language that will allow building issues, including security issues, to be subjects for the Joint Union-Management Committee.
    • The parties also agreed to updated language throughout this Article to reflect current practices of the UW Environmental Health & Safety office.
  • Article 40: Health Care Benefits Amounts
    • The parties agreed to updated language to align with the coalition health care benefits agreement reached for the 2025-27 biennium.
  • Article 50: Union Activities, Rights, and Stewards
    • The parties agreed to allow elected Union chapter officers eight (8) working hours annually without loss of pay to participate in the Union’s stewards training program.
  • Article 53: Salary Overpayment Recovery
    • The parties agreed to updated language stating that using vacation or compensatory time to pay back an overpayment is only intended when unreported unpaid time off occurs and required prior approval from payroll.
  • MOU: Time Grants
    • The parties agreed to rollover this MOU into the next cycle of the contract.

The parties tentatively agreed to minor housekeeping edits only in the following articles:

  • Article 1: Preamble and Purpose
  • Article 4: Affirmative Action
  • Article 27: Federal Family Medical Leave Act
  • Article 41: Transportation, Travel, and Commute Reduction

The parties tentatively agreed to maintain current contract language in the following articles:

  • Article 23: Holidays
  • Article 37: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
  • Article 51: Joint Union Management Committee
  • Article 54: Tuition Exemption Program
Union Counter Proposals

Article 28: Parental Leave – In response to the Employer’s proposed language that the Employer would not require use of paid time that would result in an employee having less than forty (40) hours of sick time upon returning to work, the Union counter-proposed language stating that employees must use all accrued leave prior to going on leave without pay, with the exception of cases in which employees would have less than forty (40) hours of accrued sick time upon returning to work.

Article 38: Time Off Due to Family Care Emergencies – The Union dropped its proposals to rename this article to ’Time Off Due to Personal Family Care Emergencies’ and define a new “miscellaneous emergency” type. However, the Union maintained its proposal to strike language that limits the amount of time off employees can use in a year for family care emergencies to a maximum of three (3) days per calendar year.

Article 61: Intellectual Freedom – The Union adjusted language in its prior counterproposal around protections for employees that exercise academic or intellectual freedoms, stating that retaliation or intimidation of employees who exercise such freedom rights as outlined in this article would not be tolerated.

Employer Counter Proposals

The Employer presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Package highlights are outlined below.

  • Article 18: Rank, Status, Initial Appointments, Renewal of Appointments, and Promotions for Gallagher Law Librarians – In response to the Union’s proposal for new language that would require the chair of the Librarian Personnel Committee to provide a redacted version of their recommendation, the Employer counter-proposed relabeling the personnel committee’s recommendation to a report summary that should describe proceedings, concerns, and any related counterarguments and that it should include the qualifications of the candidate for the requested action and the committee’s recommendation. The Employer further counter-proposed language that would instead require the Review Committee to submit a redacted version of the report that would omit specific attributions.
  • Article 19: Duties and Assignments – As part this package proposal, the Union would accept the Employer’s initial proposal for this Article as presented during the December 2 bargaining session.
  • Article 22: Performance Evaluations – The Employer counter-proposed new language that would recognize evaluators as typically being an employee’s supervisor, but that it could also include someone other than the employee’s direct or current supervisor in some instances. The Employer also proposed to strike language requiring evaluators to complete implicit bias training.

The Employer presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. Package highlights are outlined below.

  • Article 10: Hours of Work – In response to the Union’s prior proposal to include new language around schedule changes and related notifications, the Employer counter-proposed with language that would define temporary schedule changes as no longer than twenty-one (21) days and that the Employer would be required to provide three (3) calendar days’ notice when possible for a temporary schedule change. With respect to permanent schedule changes, the Employer counter-proposed new language that would require the Employer to provide no fewer than fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice for an Employer-direct permanent change in an employee’s shift assignment or schedule.
  • Article 11: Overtime – As part of this package proposal, the Union would accept the Employer initial proposal for this Article as presented during the December 16 bargaining session.
  • Article 21: Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions – The Employer agreed to increase salary ranges for bargaining unit employees, but counter-proposed increasing salary ranges by two percent (2%) on March 1, 2026, plus an additional one percent (1%) on March 1, 2027, and March 1, 2028. The Employer’s compensation counterproposal would also increase all bargaining unit salaries by two percent (2%) on March 1, 2026, if the Union was to ratify the agreement on or before February 28, 2026, plus an additional one percent (1%) on March 1, 2027, and March 1, 2028. The Employer maintained the remainder of its initial proposal for this Article.
  • Article 64: Duration – As part of this package proposal, the Union would accept the Employer’s initial proposal for this Article as presented during the December 19 bargaining session.
  • Appendix 1: Librarians Job Groups and Pay Ranges – The Employer proposed to update salary figures in this Appendix to align with its most recent counterproposal for Article 21 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions.
  • Appendix 2: Professional Libraries and Press – The Employer proposed to update salary figures in this Appendix to align with its most recent counterproposal for Article 21 – Compensation, Wages, and Other Pay Provisions.
  • New MOU: Longevity Retention Raises – As part of this package, the Employer would reject the Union’s proposal to create a new MOU that would increase salaries for employees reaching 10 years of cumulative UW Library service by 1.5% and 4% for those reaching 20 years of cumulative service.
Next Steps

The next SEIU 925-Libraries and UW bargaining session is scheduled for February 17, 2026, and will be held in-person at the UDSB Gateway building.