9/15 UW Action and In-Person Bargaining

Walkout with Washington at Harborview Medical Center

We’re nearing the end of contract negotiations, and here’s what UW is offering: No additional time off, and no more money. What we’re able to accomplish is directly related to how loud we are and how many members show up and take action.

UW won’t be moved by the bargaining team sitting across the table alone—it takes our collective solidarity and visibility to win a fair contract.

Meet Your Bargaining Team and March on Tuesday!

Make plans to join us on Tuesday, 9/15 @ 4:30 pm outside the UW Tower near the Gateway Building as we march with our union siblings from SEIU to demand a fair deal!

RSVP and learn more here.

Update from Yesterday's Session

Walkout with Washington at UW Seattle

Recognizing Our Work — And Management's Hypocrisy

Funds Drying Out? Stop Contracting Out! The UW likes to cry poverty, yet consistently outsources work to non-union contractors that cost two to three times more than in-house employees. We’re pushing for consistency so management’s actions match their words and highlighting how contractors are used to cover up for mismanagement and poor planning.
Not Interested in Substance: We have members being taken into ICE detention. We have members unable to pay their bills. Yet the UW wants to spend our final days talking about minor issues and editing bits of inconsequential language in our contract. But when we ask for the tools we deserve—such as better protections against discrimination and federal attacks—management's response has been a shrug. We can only get them onto the issues that care about our members you, our membership, pushes them.
We Provide Services. We’re Not Here to Generate Revenue: Management acts as though the UW is in a constant crisis, asking us to do more with less and focus on revenue. We reminded management that our job is not to create revenue—our job is to serve students, patients, and families. State education and good healthcare are priceless. Our members in EVS, security, and trades may not "bring in money" on a ledger, but see how much money the UW can bring in when the trash piles up, when the heat doesn’t come on, and when the toilets don’t flush.

Floorchild + WFSE Local 3488 President Play "9 to 5" for a Fair Contract

Floorchild is made up of WFSE members Josh and Charles from DCYF and Erica Mattingly, the president of WFSE Local 3488 at Harborview Medical Center.

They played several original songs at our rally at the State Capitol as well as "9 to 5" by the late great Dolly Parton:Check out the performance here.

In a speech at the same rally, WFSE Vice President Ashley Fueston called out the glaring contradiction at the heart of the University of Washington.

"Our members at the UW and UW Medicine maintain the campuses, the libraries, the infrastructure, the facilities, the medical centers. They take pride in their work, and what are they asking for? Better tools to fight discrimination. What are they being told? We're not interested. Well, I'm here to tell you we are interested.”

Find more speeches and info from our rally here.

Walkout with Washington at UW Tacoma

Get Their Attention: Take Action

UW won’t be moved by the bargaining team sitting across the table—it takes our collective solidarity and visibility to win a fair contract.

Send a Message to UW Leadership
- Click here send a letter: You can’t cut public services to excellence!
Join us Sept 15th: In-Person Bargaining & Picket Action: RSVP here
- When: Tuesday, September 15th at 4:30 PM.
- Where: Outside the UW Tower (45th & Brooklyn) near the Gateway Building.
- Details: When we break, we will be coming out to meet you and march right alongside you and our SEIU siblings as they march down from the W on Montlake. Grab swag (shirts, bandanas, armbands) and show management that campus workers are united from the inside out!
Have you made a call to the Gov?Find details to call Governor Ferguson here and demand a fair contract.

Continue showing up, wearing your green on bargaining days, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your coworkers. Reach out to your bargaining team and local stewards to get involved as we push across the finish line!

In solidarity

Your UW Bargaining Team