Dear UW Administration,

We, the undersigned, are Academic Student Employees, Postdocs, and supporters at all three campuses of the University of Washington. As you are aware, pursuant to both the UAW 4121 ASE and Postdoc Collective Bargaining Agreements, the University has contractual obligations to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for ASEs and Postdocs.

In recent weeks, the omicron variant of COVID-19 has surged across the country, including in our region, resulting in the highest case counts at any time since the pandemic began. The omicron variant is also far more transmissible, including among those who are fully vaccinated. As President Cauce communicated on January 3, given current trends, significant numbers of UW community members are likely to need to isolate or quarantine at some point in the quarter.

We share the University’s commitment to maintaining high standards of instruction and research, and believe these standards can only be met when instructors and researchers are able to work in healthy and safe conditions. While current research suggests omicron cases have generally been more mild for those who are fully vaccinated, we also believe that UW is not a healthy and safe university until it is healthy and safe for all — including those who are immunocompromised, have children at home who are too young to be vaccinated, or face other risk factors.

To address these issues, we have filed union grievances calling for University Administration to ensure our contractual rights are upheld by:

Ensuring no ASE or Postdoc is required to work in conditions that pose an imminent threat to health and safety;
Ensuring ASEs and Postdocs who wish to work remotely are able to do so;
Ensuring ASEs and Postdocs who do any part of their work in-person receive N95, KN95, or equivalent personal protective equipment; and
In all other ways ensuring ASE and Postdoc working conditions are healthy and safe.

We look forward to quickly reaching an agreement that ensures healthy, safe instruction and research at UW.