Summary of 3/20/23 bargaining session

March 21, 2023

Yesterday (3/20) we had our 3rd bargaining session with WSU admin! We presented proposals regarding health and safety in ASE work environments and clear communication in hiring practices and job postings. Admin presented counterproposals on the grievance procedure and discipline and dismissal policies, and introduced an article on management rights. Finally, we reached three more tentative agreements on severability, union dues, and the voluntary community action plan (VCAP). For a more detailed summary of today’s bargaining meeting and the proposals mentioned here, see the WSU-CASE website.

In addition to these proposals, we also discussed our Request for Information (RFI) with Labor Relations. The RFI requests data and policies on topics including wages, healthcare, transit, mentoring, and anti-discrimination. We will use answers to these questions to develop strong and data-informed proposals and counterproposals. We sent admin a list of our highest priority questions, and clarified some of our requests during the bargaining session.

Though we’ve already made significant progress, admin cut this session short and has canceled our previously scheduled session on April 13th. We remain adamant that they make up for these delays by providing additional bargaining times.

Our next meeting with the WSU admin is scheduled for March 27th. At this meeting, we will continue to negotiate counterproposals and pass new proposals. We may also reserve some time for subject-matter experts who can speak to the processes and decision-making behind the University’s budget, healthcare plan, and transit and parking.

Between now and our next bargaining session, there are four big ways you can get help move this process forward:

Take the bargaining survey and pass on the link to make sure you and your peer’s priorities are incorporated into contract proposals
RVSP to attend bargaining sessions
Join one of our workgroups. Each workgroup develops proposals on specific subjects that we wish to negotiate. These subjects range from parking and wages to healthcare and harassment, and everything in between
Come to our next monthly meeting on Thursday, 3/23, at 6pm!

Is there a different way you’d like to get involved? Send an email to contact@wsucase.org.

In Solidarity,
WSU-CASE Bargaining Committee:
Acacia Patterson, Physics & Astronomy (Pullman)
Adam Bozman, Carson College of Business – Finance (Pullman)
Andre Diehl, Comparative Ethnic Studies (Pullman)
Arianna Gonzales, Psychology (Pullman)
Aurora Brinkman, Psychology (Pullman)
Chelsea Mitchell, School of the Environment (Puyallup Research and Extension Center)
Chia-Hui Chen, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Spokane)
Claudia Skinner, School of Languages, Cultures, and Race (Pullman)
Cody Lauritsen, College of Veterinary Medicine (Pullman)
Coty Jasper, Integrative Physiology & Neuroscience (Vancouver)
Dano Holt, School of the Environment (Pullman)
Evan Domsic, Crop and Soil Science (Mount Vernon NWREC)
Gavin Doyle, English (Pullman)
Hannah Cohen, Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Pullman)
Kartik Sreedhar, Physics & Astronomy (Pullman)
Kayla Spawton, Plant Pathology (Mount Vernon NWREC)
Kelsey King, School of Biological Sciences (Vancouver)
Miles Hopkins, School of the Environment (Pullman)
Miranda Zuniga-Kennedy, Clinical Psychology (Pullman)
Naseeha Cardwell, Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering (Pullman/Tri-Cities)
Natalie Yaw, Chemistry (Pullman)
Ninh Khuu, Plant Pathology (Prosser)
Peter Obi, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Spokane)
Raymond Bennett, Psychology (Pullman)
Rebecca Evans, Biology (Vancouver)
Shawn Domgaard, Communication (Pullman)
Tazin Rahman, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Pullman)
Tholen Justin Blasko, Animal Sciences (Pullman)
Victor Moore, History (Pullman)
Victoria Oyanna, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Spokane)
Whitney Shervey, Sociology (Pullman)
Yiran Guo, Mechanical and Materials Engineering (Pullman)