July 17, 2006

On the first day of negotiations, the Higher Education management team presented their “initial” proposals – not counter proposals to WPEA/UFCW 365 proposals that were presented on June 26, 2006. 

Management admitted that there were “bumps” in implementation of the 2005-07 Master Agreement and that they were “looking forward,” identifying problems, and working towards solutions.  However, their proposals fail to demonstrate this viewpoint, specifically:

• Parking - Management wants to establish (if they have not already) parking fees, assess fines for violations of motor vehicles and parking regulations, order the removal of vehicles parked in violation of regulations at the expense of the employee, and seek collection of any unpaid fines. 

• Discipline - Management wants to exclude oral reprimands from the definition of discipline.  They want to immediately terminate a disabled employee and take away their right to appeal the termination or file a grievance to arbitration. 

• Layoffs - Management is proposing to institute a provision for “temporary layoff” of employees up to 90 days where they can temporarily reduce work hours due to loss of funding, revenue shortfall, lack of work, shortage of material or equipment or “other unexpected or unusual reasons”, along with greatly increasing the number of layoff units – some with only one person in them. 

• Union Representation - They want to allow you to have a union representative present only when you believe that a meeting would result in disciplinary action – a BIG take away from the current agreement. 

Despite these proposals that included some giant steps backwards, the parties were able to tentatively agree on the following:

• Preamble

• Work-Related Injury or Illness

• Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace

• Use of Electronic Devices and Equipment

• General Conditions and Benefits

• Legal Liability

• Strikes

• Savings

• Printing of Agreement

• Duration 

WPEA kicks-off Higher Ed bargaining with support rally in Tacoma. Nearly 30 WPEA members came out to show support for the Higher Education Master Bargaining Team who began negotiations at the Tacoma Community College on Monday, July 17 with the State.

July 18, 2006

Both the Union and management spent most of the day working on some of the more difficult articles.  The Union presented counter proposals on:

• Performance Evaluations

• Reasonable Accommodation & Disability Separation

• Labor/Management Communications Committee

Management offered a counter on:

• Electronic Monitoring of Employee Activity

• Performance Evaluation

• Reasonable Accommodation

The parties reached tentative agreement on Electronic Monitoring of Employee Activity

July 19, 2006

The Union presented counter proposals on:

• Employee Training and Development

• Non-Discrimination/Workplace Dignity

• Performance Evaluation and Shared Leave.

Management offered counters on:

• Employee Training and Development

The parties were unable to reach tentative agreement on any articles.

July 20, 2006

The Union presented a counter to the Grievance Procedure and management offered a counter for Labor Management Communication Committee for which the parties were able to reach tentative agreement. 

Both the Union and management agreed to spend the major part of the day working on counter proposals and re-convene discussions on July 21.

August 7, 2006

Negotiations resumed today for the second week of bargaining with little progress made and great frustration for the union.

August 8, 2006

WPEA higher education negotiations with the state broke down today. WPEA has requested the services of a Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) mediator to assist the parties in reaching an agreement.

The management team demonstrated an unwillingness to negotiate changes in non-economic items which caused the union to conclude that the parties needed further assistance to provide substantial discussions on numerous articles in the contract.

WPEA members were loud and proud as we came together in solidarity at our higher education negotiation site on the Tacoma Community College campus Wednesday, August 8. We let the state's higher ed negotiating team know that we are fed up with their lack of fair bargaining and their delay tactics (see below). Our rally unified state workers from other unions, including our brothers and sisters at UFCW Local 367, as well as college students, construction workers, and folks passing by who joined in support of state employees!

August 14, 2006

PERC assigned a mediator who contacted both the lead negotiator for the colleges and WPEA. Bargaining with the mediator continues August 28-29 with the hopes of finalizing open articles, as well as coming to agreement on the economic portion of the contract.

August 28-29, 2006

The parties met for two days and have tentatively agreed to only a couple more articles. Though they are using the services of a mediator, negotiations are not progressing as they should. The teams will meet again at 1 pm on Wednesday, August 30.

August 30, 2006

Higher Ed negotiations end at midnight.