Dear Colleagues:

Recently, a group of graduate teaching assistants filed a request with the Public Employment Relations Commission of the State of Washington (PERC), indicating their desire to be represented in collective bargaining by the Graduate Student Employee Action Coalition, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (GSEAC/UAW). PERC, which manages public sector collective bargaining in the state of Washington, subsequently notified the University that it had begun to process the petition. The University has written the Executive Director of PERC informing him that the University will cooperate with PERC in its administrative procedures. The University has also requested specific information from PERC with regard to the statutory framework under which it will consider the petition, and the basis of the law governing collective bargaining by University teaching assistants. The answers to our inquiries will assist the University in determining what further steps on this matter should be taken

The University supports approximately 4,100 graduate teaching, research, and staff assistants. The petition for union representation in collective bargaining has been filed on behalf of the approximately 1,400 teaching assistants, readers/graders and tutors at all three University of Washington campuses. The petition asks that GSEAC/UAW be recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for this specific group of graduate student appointees in negotiating wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment

Until we have a ruling from PERC, under standard principles of labor law we are precluded from engaging in any meaningful dialogue with the teaching assistants about the substantive issues that have given rise to this petition. However, the University will continue its strong ongoing commitment to improving the welfare of our graduate assistants through existing task forces, the biennial budgeting process, and working with the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. Currently, three task forces are hard at work in the Graduate School, one studying the TA/RA insurance program, one studying family leave issues and another conducting a comprehensive revision of Executive Order No. 28, which deals with appointment policy for teaching assistants, research assistants, and graduate staff assistants. We have had ongoing conversations with the GPSS about health care issues, and a number of years ago the University secured funding for health care coverage for graduate student appointees long before most institutions in the country provided this benefit. In the current legislative session, we have been aggressively pursuing supplemental funding for this health insurance program.

These have been positive, progressive steps. This is not to say that there is not more to be done. We continue to work hard to keep our compensation levels competitive with our peer institutions and to develop progressive training programs and work policies for our highly valued graduate assistants.

We will keep you informed about the progress of this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Richard L. McCormick