Union Representatives

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There are several student, trainee (e.g. Resident and Fellow Physician Union – Northwest), and staff unions that represent the diverse workforce at UW and offer their own incident reporting systems. 

Types of Complaints / Topics Addressed

Specific grievance processes vary depending on the relevant Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The grievance procedure is specifically detailed in each CBA – all the CBAs can be found on the Labor Relations website (https://hr.uw.edu/labor/). If an employee has questions about the grievance process outlined in their specific CBA, they can reach out directly to their Union for support and advice.

Disclaimers

Retaliation protection:
University of Washington policy prohibits retaliation against people who bring a complaint or participate in the complaint process. An employee who engages in retaliatory conduct is subject to appropriate corrective action, including dismissal. 

Exception to confidentiality:
Any information shared in emails, tools, or reports may be subject to public records requests or released under federal and state law. 

Process

What information you need to submit, what happens after

NOTE: This process may vary depending on your specific union. Please refer to your union’s grievance contract for detailed information. Grievances are typically initiated by the union on behalf of its members. To begin, you must report your grievance to your union. Union staff will then work with you to file the grievance and coordinate representation throughout the hearing process. For more information, consult your union’s grievance contact or refer to Article 6 on the grievance process. The grievance process generally follows a four-step procedure after a grievance is filed: 

• Step 1: If the issue is not resolved informally, the union may file a written grievance with the supervisor or designee and the labor relations office. 
• Step 2: If a satisfactory resolution is not reached in Step 1, the respondent can appeal the decision. 
• Step 3: If the grievance remains unresolved after Step 2, grievance mediation is conducted with a member of the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC). 
• Step 4: If no satisfactory resolution is achieved in prior steps, either party may move the grievance to binding arbitration. In this stage, the matter is reviewed by an impartial third-party panel. 

Please consult your specific union contract for additional details on these steps and timelines. 

When does reporter hear back?

After a grievance is reported, a union representative will contact the reporting member within a week to discuss the matter further. Once the grievance is formally filed, most union contracts stipulate that the university, as the opposing party, has 15 days to respond. If the initial outcome does not align with the reporting member’s goals, there is typically a 30-day window to file an appeal, though this timeframe may vary depending on the union contract. Please refer to your specific union contract for detailed information regarding response and appeal deadlines.

Point of Contact Info

Reach out to your specific union for further information on where to submit a grievance. They may prefer to have you email, leave a voicemail to the specific union, or submit with an intake form. If you are a supervisor or HR admin, it is more helpful to reach out to labor relations directly at laborrel@uw.edu. 

Other Considerations

Please refer to your specific union contact for detailed information regarding the information above.