UW Libraries staff avert strike

The SEIU 925 UW Libraries and Press bargaining team secured a tentative agreement after a marathon bargaining session

SEATTLE, WA (May 11, 2026) — After a 14 hour bargaining session that stretched late into Friday night, UW Libraries and Press workers reached a tentative agreement with the University of Washington, averting a strike that had been called for May 14. Details of the tentative agreement have not been released as membership meetings to review specifics are ongoing; a contract ratification vote is expected this week.

“Getting to a tentative agreement took 18 bargaining sessions, three months of working past the contract, a petition delivery march, community rallies, a half-day walkout, and a strike vote,” per a SEIU 925 release announcing the news. “Union members stood strong together to show that they deserve a fair contract; they will now meet as a unit to discuss internally and vote within the next few days on whether or not to ratify it.”

UW Libraries & Press workers during a work stoppage in March of 2026. Photo: SEIU 925

An overwhelming majority of workers voted to authorize a strike last week, making clear to management that continued subpar wage offers were unacceptable. As workers prepared to hit the picket line this week, fellow union-represented library workers in the region made clear their support for workers’ demands.

“College libraries and presses are vital: they serve as welcoming third spaces in our communities; they nurture learning, curiosity, and discovery; and they publish and share stories, books, and ideas that would otherwise go overlooked or be lost,” wrote Washington Public Employees Association (UFCW 365) in a letter to university leadership. “All of this is made possible by the hardworking, dedicated human beings who show up to serve the college communities and the broader public.”

“The University of Washington’s reputation as a world-renowned research institution is made possible in large part by the labor, care, and skill of UWLU members,” wrote AFSCME Local 2083, the union of Seattle Public Library workers. “And as readers, we know that university presses are essential to sharing stories, knowledge, and new discoveries often overlooked by other publishers, especially stories that define our region and its peoples. Without press employees, we would not have access to these stories.”

If ratified, the contract will cover 160 workers across the University of Washington system.