UAW Research – UW Negotiations Recap for March 26, 2026
This recap details the third session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and UAW Research.
Union Initial Proposals
Article 1: Purpose and Intent
The Union proposed to strike language that allows the Employer to implement certain changes immediately in cases of emergencies or mandated conditions.
Article 16: Inclement Weather and Suspended Operations
The Union proposed to allow employees that cannot telework during an operation suspension to be granted use of unpaid time off instead of being required to use other available time off types before taking unpaid time off.
Article 30: Recognition of Work
The Union proposed to strike language which gives the University the right to amend, change and alter UW EO 36 and UW EO 61 at any time and notify the Union of substantive changes. The Union also proposed to strike current language that the grievance procedure will only apply if there was a misapplication of the elements of these policies. Additionally, the Union proposed new language that details how employee contributions to their sciences can be recognized, including but not limited to credits in presentations, tools, datasets, and any other open-access work products.
Article 40: Union Security
The Union proposed new language that would require errors in dues deductions to be corrected by the Employer within one pay period when ascertained.
Employer Initial Proposals
Article 12: Health Care Benefits Amounts
The Employer proposed to update language to align with the coalition health care benefits agreement reached for the 2025-27 biennium.
Article 29: Reasonable Accommodation of Employees with Disabilities
The Employer proposed to update language in this Article to include the UWHR Leave and Accommodations team to align with current practice around accommodations. The Employer also proposed new language detailing accommodations related to lactating employees that do not require health care provider certification, including, providing reasonable break time, providing a lactation space, and accommodations related to nursing during work hours where nursing during work hours is possibly because an employee’s child is in close proximity.
Article 32: Salary Overpayment Recovery
The Employer proposed to update language around use of vacation time for paying back an overpayment, including updating the max vacation time balance to 280 hours. The Employer also proposed new language stating that using vacation or compensatory time to pay back an overpayment is only intended to be used when unreported unpaid time off occurs and require prior approval from payroll.
Article 35: Time Off and Leave
The Employer proposed to align RSEs and Research Coordinators and Research Consultants to have the same number of bereavement leave days, increasing the days from three (3) to five (5) days for RSEs. Additionally, the Employer proposed to align the two employee groups to have the same vacation hours payout amount increasing the vacation time off payout amount from two hundred forty (240) to two hundred eighty (280) hours for RSEs. The Employer also proposed new language that would allow employees to use sick time off for domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or hate crime covered absences, and during furlough for benefits maintenance if the employee has previously exhausted all other paid time off balances.
With respect to the Washington Family Medical Leave Program (RCW 50A), the Employer proposed new language that would automatically incorporate changes to the PFML program into the contract as well as allow certain provisions in the contract to be considered expired and no longer in effect in the event the legislature repeals all or part of RCW 50A.04.
Next Steps
The next UAW Research and UW bargaining session is scheduled for April 8, 2026, and will be held in-person at the UDSB Gateway building.