Transportation Services is seeking feedback from the Seattle campus community on a proposal to significantly raise your already exorbitant parking rates. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 22. The main recommendations of this proposal include:

Increase parking fees by 4% in FY23, FY24, FY25 and FY26

This represents a 16% increase over 4 years under the guise of garages needing maintenance and a need to “Keep up with the Consumer Index”. Did they worry about your salaries keeping up with the Consumer Index in recent negotiations? This would take away any recently negotiated pay increases that we fought so hard for!

Their claims for these increases are:

Provide fully subsidized U-PASS to Faculty and Professional staff

This is already achieved by utilizing the benefit load for these costs. Parking rate increases are not needed to achieve this.

Reduce U-PASS and shuttle funding’s dependence on parking revenue

This is in direct opposition to the item above. They want to charge more in order to reduce funding to fully subsidize a benefit…WHAT?

Increase deferred maintenance and strategic initiative spending

How will any of this benefit you after UWMC has already made millions a year in parking revenue. The University’s decision to put off maintenance is now your responsibility? We think not.

Parking rates are not final until they are approved by the UW Board of Regents.

This is your chance to be heard and let the University know that you have had enough. In these times of job and wage uncertainties, we cannot afford to have them take back your raises by increasing parking rates in order to pad their pockets!

Feedback opportunities:

Public hearing on TS funding model changes

Tuesday, Feb. 22, noon - 1 p.m.

• This meeting will be held via Zoom at https://washington.zoom.us/j/93302900319
  • Meeting ID: 933 0290 0319
  • Dial in option: 206-337-9723 or 253-215-8782

We need you to show up at this Public Hearing and Speak up in opposition to this proposal.

We also encourage all of you to Send feedback via email. Let them know that enough is enough and you are not supportive for being punished for driving to work! Send a message of opposition to the email below and let the University know that “We do not support an increase in already sky high parking rates”.

Email to tsfeedback@uw.edu. Please submit feedback no later than Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Standing together as the individuals impacted most by these short-sighted decisions, we can make a difference!

We have heard from a lot of RNs that have expressed dismay in the way that their Retention Incentive Bonus was hit hard by taxes and Retirement contributions.

WSNA reached out to UWMC Labor Relations and was told that they are held to minimum payroll standards that require all income (including OT, benefit payouts and bonuses) to be taxed per the IRS standards via payroll. The same goes for PERS contributions.

If you paid an amount of taxes that proves to be in excess of your required tax burden, this will likely be recaptured in your 2022 tax returns.

WSNA is currently exploring other possible payout methodology so as to minimize such a hit in the future. We are grateful that so many RNs elected to participate in this Retention Incentive Program.

Thanks to all the RNs that go above and beyond each and every day to show up knowing you will be short staffed and tested to your limits.

We applaud your persistence, passion and commitment to the patients you care for each day.

In Solidarity,
Ed Zercher BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative