0% | UW is "Not Authorized" to Talk About Raises
As tensions rise at the bargaining table and UW holds firm on their offers of nothing, our walkouts are more important than ever.
Find your walkout and RSVP at the links below:
University of Washington - Bothell
University of Washington - Tacoma
University of Washington – Main Campus (Seattle)
Our August 14 bargaining session followed a format all too familiar to your bargaining team: we show up prepared, UW doesn’t show up with anything.
We began discussing raises for our bargaining unit in earnest last week. We put together a long, thought-out proposal. Nearly every person on our team shared a personal story about why we need and deserve living wages.
Management took about 90 seconds to respond, saying essentially, they “aren’t authorized” to discuss raises and would be offering us a zero percent raise.
Why would the University of Washington send negotiators who can’t discuss financial matters to the bargaining table? Why would they offer us 0% and 0% when they know their workers are paid below 51% of competitors?
They’re wasting our time when we only have a few bargaining dates left.
Watch the video update here.UW Strategy: Deny and Delay
Every session, we put forward the proposals that you, our members, told us would have the biggest impact on your lives. Every session, management gives us the runaround.
They either flat-out refuse to respond in a meaningful way or tell us that the issues we raise is something that could be solved in a demand to bargain (DTBs are meetings to negotiate policies and agreements; we can call them when our contract needs minor changes outside bargaining seasons).
But as your member leaders and stewards at UW know, management frequently tells us in our DTBs that the issues we want to change should be done during contract negotiations.
Management is constantly kicking the responsibility of negotiating with their workers to someone else. They refuse to take accountability and work with their employees.
Even the most minimal asks are met with pushback; management even refused to agree on non-discrimination language!
We Deserve Better: Stand Up Together!
Our solidarity right now is paramount. If you have a question, comment, or idea to share with your bargaining team, please reach out here. We’re fighting for you and care about your input.
Share your story of why a fair contract matters to you. These stories help guide us as we take on UW in the coming weeks. They also help show the public how high the stakes are as we fight for you!
Make sure to show up to solidarity events happening soon. Wear lots of green and build a strong community to help support one another!
Upcoming events:
Sign up for your walkout at the top of this email and join the events below as well.
Sept. 9, 2 PM: UW Board of Regents Picket
Sept. 13, 11 AM: Back2School Splash Local 3488 Family Picnic
In solidarity,
Your UW Bargaining Team