Dear Colleague,
Another week, another Bargaining Session! UW Research Coordinators and Consultants (CoCos) met with UW administration for our third Bargaining Session on Monday, June 16th, and we made significant movement on several articles.
Here’s a quick recap of what we covered:
Contract Agreements: Movement Made!
- We reiterated the need for exit interviews, especially as more CoCos face layoffs. One of our own Bargaining Committee members who has been fighting hard for this contract received layoff notice just last week. Everyone deserves an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences as they leave UW, whether they’ve left voluntarily or not. After hearing our counter proposal, UW agreed to add exit interviews for CoCos who have been laid off! This is a direct result of collective action!
- We reached agreement with UW on several more articles from the existing RSE contract that will remain unchanged, and also made updates to a few key articles including Exit Interviews, Health Care, and Time Off and Leave.
- Great news: We’re now down to just two CoCo specific articles left to bargain!
Anti-Harassment: Still Pushing for Protections
- We continued advocating for stronger anti-bullying protections in the workplace. Current UW policies do not cover the full spectrum of bullying and abusive behavior, and no one should have to put up with being bullied on the job. We shared examples from existing union contracts that clearly define and address bullying, as well as powerful personal stories illustrating the need for improved protections.
- UW rejected our proposal, responding with, “UW is not interested in writing language around bullying that is specific to RCoCos.” We’re holding firm and expect a counterproposal next week. Depending on what we see, it might be time to regroup and plan our next moves together.
Compensation: Your Voice Matters
- We’re still waiting for UW to respond to our initial compensation proposal, but we expect to hear a counter proposal at our next session.
- This issue affects all of us, so let’s talk about it together! Please RSVP here to join our CoCo Compensation Forum on Monday, June 30 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM. The more that CoCos band together, the better chance we have of winning a great compensation package that works for everyone.
We have 3 more bargaining sessions scheduled, and all members are welcome! RSVP here to attend all or just part of a session on June 26, July 7, and/or July 14.
You can check out the current CoCo proposals – along with bargaining updates, ways to get involved, and more – on our shiny new website!