Summary of Bargaining Progress on Issues where we’re far apart
After winning our union more than one year ago and bargaining for eleven months we have made significant progress toward a strong first contract (see proposal listings in the table below this). These improvements would not have been possible without strong participation by ASEs throughout the state! However, WSU admin continues to slow-roll negotiations, bargain in bad faith and has been unwilling to meet some of our key demands. Here’s what you need to know about where things stand on these items:
Article | Summary of Union's last proposal | Summary of Admin's last proposal | What's the holdup? |
TUITION AND FEES | 10/31/23 -Waive Operating Fee, Building Fee, and Non-Resident tuition for ASEs with 50% appointments -Waive all fees for all ASEs (salaried and hourly), excluding the media and food pantry fees. -Any newly created student fees shall be waived or remitted for all ASEs | 9/19/23 -Waive Operating Fee, Building Fee, , Non-Resident tuition and Technology Fee for ASEs with 50% appointments. - ASEs on the Pullman campus, for example, would still be responsible for ~$715 in fees per semester. | Admin is (incorrectly) claiming that they think the law prevents them from waiving additional fees, and further that even if the law doesn’t prevent this they are not interested in doing so |
WAGES | 10/31/23 - Minimum monthly wage for 50% ASEs: $2586.5 in Pullman, $2640 in Spokane, Prosser and Tri-Cities, $2691 in Wenatchee, $2829.5 in Mt. Vernon, $3034.5 in Puyallup, and $3451 in Vancouver. Effective 10/1/23, any ASE whose wages are not adjusted by 6% as a result of new salary minimums will receive a 6% increase - Guaranteed 7.5% Experience Increases at each step of ASEs’ Academic Program (Pre-Master, Post-Master, Candidate) - Minimum wage for hourly ASEs: $29.29 in Pullman, adjusted +2% in Spokane, Prosser and Tri-Cities, + 4% in Wenatchee, + 9% in Mt. Vernon, + 18% in Puyallup, and + 34% in Vancouver. - On 8/16 in 2024 and any subsequent years of the agreement, increase minimums by 8% and adjust pay to 10% across-the-board | 9/19/23 - Minimum monthly wage for 50% ASEs: $1919.4 in Pullman, $1957 in Spokane, Prosser, Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, $1997.2 in Mt. Vernon, Puyallup, and $2036.31 in Vancouver. Upon the effective date of the agreement, any ASE whose wages are not adjusted by 3% as a result of new salary minimums will receive a 3% increase - No guarantee of experience based wage increases - Minimum wage for hourly ASEs: $16.21 for all campuses - On 8/16/24, increase all salary ranges by 2.5% | Status quo graduate appointee minimum monthly wage for 50% ASEs is $1,670. Status quo hourly minimum is $15.74. Admin asserts that they do not think ASE positions are “career” positions and therefore don’t think liveable wages are appropriate. |
HEALTHCARE | 8/23/23 - Increase the amount insurance will pay for both in-network and out-of-network providers to lower cost and account for a lack of providers in more rural locations | 9/19/23 -Maintain the current health insurance plan, which they implemented after failing to bargain this summer, through August 15, 2024. -They have proposed that we do not negotiate on health insurance until November 2023 for changes to insurance benefits and costs for the year beginning August 16, 2024. | Admin has not yet substantively negotiated this article, and instead made changes unilaterally to the 2023/24 plan. We filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge alleging that this failure to bargain violated the law. We are pushing to negotiate this critical provision now but still have not received a substantive response to our June proposal. Admin is claiming that - due to the unilateral changes they made to the plan - they don’t have sufficient experience data to respond. |
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION | 9/7/23 Incorporate existing University policy regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation into the CBA. Also expand categories of protected classes (such as body weight and size, and those with chronic health conditions) -Create a survivor-centered process for addressing claims, within which ASEs have the right to access multiple avenues (including but not limited to a grievance procedure with neutral 3rd party arbitration). Extend the grievance timeline so that ASEs have enough time to process traumatic events and determine whether and how to pursue a claim. Provide the right to interim measures to that ASEs can continue working in an environment free from harassment. -Expand and specify the definitions of retaliation and of sexual harassment -Ensure that ASEs experiencing discrimination or harassment receive prompt, equitable interim solutions with ASE input that stop harm from continuing to occur | 8/31/23 -Maintain existing University policy regarding discrimination and harassment, including current categories of protected classes, and rules on what constitutes retaliation and harassment. -When an ASE files a discrimination or harassment claim, the university may choose whether they will offer interim solutions, and what those solutions should look like | Admin has not returned a counterproposal in nearly two months. Admin’s last proposal largely represents the current status quo and is geared toward mitigating the Administration’s legal risks in case an ASE files a claim. Our proposal is designed to encourage reporting and maintain and survivor-centered approach to responding to toxic work environments, including maintaining options for pursuing claim and access to advocacy and support. |
RESPECTFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT | 7/20/23 - Contractualize ASEs’ right to work in an environment free of “abusive conduct”, which includes the use of insulting language, bullying, and inappropriate comments. | 7/12/23 -Rely on current policy (BPPM 50.31) to define and prevent inappropriate workplace behavior. Create no additional protections for ASEs against hostile work environments. | Admin has not returned a counterproposal in over three months. Admin’s last proposal largely represents the status quo, despite evidence and testimony that the status quo does not work and is leaving ASEs to struggle in toxic work environments. |
ACCOMMODATIONS | 8/31/23 -Ensure that lactation rooms are comfortable, safe, private, and functional for lactation purposes (ie. that they include a sink, fridge etc) -Introduce accommodations without medical documentation requirements for someone who is pregnant or has recently given birth | 8/23/23 - Ensure that lactation rooms meet the minimum legal requirements ie. that they are private and not a bathroom -Accept our proposed accommodations for someone who is pregnant or has recently given birth but reject our proposal to not require medical documentation for these accommodations | Admin is asserting they are interested only in contractualizing the minimum legal requirements for accommodations regarding pregnancy and lactation support. |
LEAVES | 10/31/23 -Twelve weeks of long-term family/medical leave for ASEs who are unable to qualify for Washington State PFML (Paid Family Medical Leave) -Maintenance of benefits during long term leave -Options to maintain health insurance during longer unpaid leaves | 9/19/23 -Four weeks of parental leave (birth parent only), and no additional long term / family and medical leave, as is currently offered by the Graduate School. -No options to maintain insurance during unpaid leaves | We have codified that all ASEs are entitled to paid sick leave! This had been denied for years. However, on long term leave, Admin’s proposal represents the status quo. |
CHILD & DEPENDENT CARE | 10/31/23 -Access to on-campus childcare resources on the same basis provided for other University employees | 8/15/23 -Meeting to discuss Child & Dependent care-related improvements on request. | Admin asserts that dependent care subsidies are inappropriate for an ASE unit, despite it being offered at many Universities. They have pushed back on our proposal to create a formal taskforce to discuss improvements. |
SUMMER SESSION | 9/19/23 -All ASEs are notified of departmental summer appointment opportunities 60 days before the start of the term -ASEs who are unable to work outside of WSU due to visa restrictions will receive either a 6-week ASE appointment or equivalent compensation -Establishes a workload maximum of 240 hours per summer term | 9/13/23 -ASEs are notified of departmental summer appointment opportunities as soon as practicable -No appointment or compensation guarantees for ASEs who cannot work outside of WSU due to visa restrictions -Establishes a workload maximum of an average of 20 hours per week of appointment | Admin has framed the ASE work we perform over the summer as an “opportunity offered to some of your members”. Their proposal reflects the current status quo of summer appointments having unstandardized wages and less security. |
WORKLOAD | 10/31/23 (4.15pm) -Establishes the right of all ASEs - including hourlies - to be informed of assigned workload at the time of the appointment -Establishes a workload maximum of 340 hours per semester for 50% ASEs, to ensure that an ASE cannot be required to work additional hours unless they choose to do so. Weekly required hours cannot exceed 30; alternate percentage appointments are assigned hours proportionately. Hourly employees shall not exceed 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day. -No unpaid hours can be required; hours are not reduced by vacation time or holidays. | 10/31/23 (10.15am) -Establishes the right of all ASEs - including hourlies - to be informed of assigned workload at the time of the appointment. -Establishes an annual tally of compensated hours (including time off). Weekly required hours cannot exceed 30; alternate percentage appointments are assigned hours proportionately. Hourly employees shall not exceed 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day. | Rather than agreeing to a workload maximum per term (so ASEs can more easily identify and protect themselves against having to work excess hours), Admin calculates an annual total of “compensated hours” that includes work time and any paid time off. |