CONTRACT UNANIMOUSLY RATIFIED!

Members at Renton Technical College today ratified their new three-year collective bargaining agreement on a vote of 29-0. RTC negotiates under a different collective bargainging law with different time frames than all other WFSE/AFSCME members. So they're wrapping their contract just as most others are just starting. The RTC tentative agreement comes with no take-aways and new language on personal convenience leave, college closure, union-management, new employee orientation, layoff and recall, reclassification, discipline, safety, performance evaluations, training and in-service training. Seniority definitions and rights were retained. And the contract document has been restructured to make it easier to use.

This is a summary that highlights and explains the most significant provisions of the Tentative Master Agreement between the Washington Federation of State Employees bargaining unit and Renton Technical College. It does not cover every article or every provision.  Click  here to read tentative agreement text.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT YOU GAIN IN THE NEW CONTRACT

• Additional Day Off: You wanted more leave and your negotiating team got it. The contract now includes one (1) additional Personal Convenience Leave day for a total of three (3) days per each year of the contract (this is in addition to your Personal Holiday) and gives you more flexibility in using your Personal Convenience Leave.

• College Closure: You told us this was the most important issue you wanted addressed in bargaining. We heard you and your negotiating team got what you wanted. Now with newly bargained language, if you are scheduled and not required to work during any college closure, you will be paid for the first full day of any closure of the college and may request a schedule change to make-up time for the balance of the closure.

• First Ever Union-Management Communication Committee: For the first time, your contract contains a formal process for communicating with the College through the establishment of this committee. This will provide you an opportunity to share information, address concerns and promote constructive union-management relations at the College.

• New Employee Orientation: New language in your contract includes an opportunity for the union steward or WFSE staff representative to speak to each new employee for up to thirty (30) minutes of work time to provide information about the union and the contract.

• Layoff and Recall: You told us you wanted better layoff language. So, the Layoff and Recall Article was completely restructured to provide a stronger layoff and recall procedure that everyone can understand. Seniority continues to be the basis for layoff and recall and the article provides more rights to you with added timeframes and additional options for those subject to layoff.

• Reclassification: Your contract now provides a detailed procedure to request a reclassification of your position with required timeframes for the College to respond and an appeal process if they deny your request.

• Discipline: New language requiring a pre-disciplinary meeting with Union representation prior to the College imposing discipline. The College is now required to provide the reasons for the discipline in writing along with the entire investigation and all the evidence used to support it.

• Safety: New language strengthening the College’s commitment to providing a safe and secure working environment as well as spelling out the safety committee process in more detail.

• Seniority: The definition of seniority remains the same and all of your seniority rights were retained.

• Performance Evaluations: Your bargaining team negotiated an entirely restructured evaluation article that contains an improved process and stronger protections.
• Training: The process for requesting training funds was improved to make it easier to understand and for you to apply for and receive training reimbursement.

• In-Service Training Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): If the other Unions on campus agree, MOU would grant you another paid holiday on Christmas Eve (DEC. 24th or whatever day it is observed) in exchange for using the Veterans Day Holiday as a paid training day.