We are excited to inform you that our contract campaign is in full swing after these 2 past weeks of organizing for our historic strike authorization vote. Here are the headlines: 

  • 🗳️ 962 postdocs & associate researchers voted in our strike authorization vote – our highest participation since the 2018 vote to form our union! 
  • ✅ 97.56% of union members VOTED YES to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike if there is not enough progress towards our contract demands
  • ✍️ In addition, over 130 new members have signed a membership card  to officially join our union since bargaining started, greatly building our power (haven’t signed yet? Do it here!)

What is next?

  • Wednesday August 30th at 6.30pm we will have our monthly membership meeting, in which we will discuss next steps including bargaining updates and if/when/how we would consider a strike
  • On Thursday August 31st starting at 10am (current location is Studebaker but trying to move it to CUIMC) – we will have our 19th bargaining session. Our team will present the results of the vote and let  Columbia admin know that we are ready and willing to truly fight for our demands.

Where are we in bargaining?

We are expecting a response from the Columbia administration in the few articles left to finalize. These are: 

1.- Compensation (new minimum salaries and yearly raises), 

2.- Benefits (including a housing stipend and the hardship fund to cover medical emergencies), 

3.- Child Care benefits, 

4.- Appointments (covering who is included in our union and will receive all benefits of our new contract and whether Fellows will have full employment status) and 

5.- Duration of our next contract –  which we will win next! 

While we continue our fight for key economic topics, it’s also important to remember that we have come a long way with important victories for our new contract (like $1,250 towards covering Visa renewal costs, neutral arbitration in cases of bullying and venues to improve IP/authorship rights & DEI during the life of the contract).

Thank You!

This campaign is possible thanks to hundreds of postdocs and Associate researchers building our union, reaching out to coworkers, engaging in meetings and rallies, petitions and events. Every vote in the SAV, every new member, and every conversation about our union builds our collective power and moves us closer to the contract we deserve. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, Bargaining Committee and Elections Committee, we would like to sincerely thank everyone for their ongoing time and efforts in this contract campaign! We hope you share the energy and excitement we feel at this moment, as we continue to use our strength to finish this campaign with a contract that recognizes our efforts, value and experience.

Become a member today!

Get involved to build your union!

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In solidarity, 

CPW Organizing committee & Organizers

Panos Oikonomou, Associate researcher in Biological Sciences 

Michael Mauro, postdoc in Pathology and Cell Biology

Thomas Donoghue, postdoc in Biomedical Engineering

Álvaro Cuesta-Domínguez, Associate researcher in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Elsy El Khoury, postdoc in Chemistry

Jatan Buch, postdoc at Earth and Environmental Engineering

Bill Glassford, Associate researcher in Zuckerman Institute

Jinqiu Lu, postdoc in Medicine – Hematology and Oncology

Marti Cadena Sandoval, postdoc in Pathology and Cell Biology

Nachi Kamatkar, postdoc Fellow in Medicine – Preventive Medicine 

Josue Curto Navarro, postdoc in Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

Mark He, postdoc in Biostatistics

Matt Jerram, postdoc in Geochemistry

Tanguy Lucas, postdoc in Zuckerman Institute

Sreeharsha Gurrapu, Associate researcher in Genetics

Jeff Johnston, postdoc in Zuckerman Institute

Rosie Cater, Associate researcher in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Giulia Zanni, Psychiatry

Rossella Labella, postdoc in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Oriol Bover Centelles, postdoc in Medicine – Pulmonary

Tania Wong, Associate researcher in Pediatrics – Infectious Diseases

Laura Xicota Vila, Associate researcher in Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center

Rachel Gonzalez, postdoc fellow in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Martina Proietti Onori, postdoc in Zuckerman Institute

Anna K. Yoney, postdoc in Department of Genetics and Medicine

Syed M. Shoiab Bukhari, Associate researcher in Medicine – Immunology

Samantha Plummer, Associate researcher in the Justice Lab

Gan Zhou, postdoc in Dental Medicine

Chiara Camillo, Associate researcher in Surgery

Astrid Deryckere, postdoc Fellow in Biological Sciences

CPW Bargaining committee

Cora Bergantiños-Crespo, previous Associate researcher in Genetics and Development 

Enrica Calzoni, previous postdoc in Pediatrics 

Erica Rodriguez, postdoc Fellow in Zuckerman Institute

Fede Amoedo, Associate researcher in Neurology

Georgia Ntermentzaki, Associate researcher in Systems Biology

PJ Brun,  Associate researcher in Medicine – Preventive Medicine

Rafa Gras,  Associate researcher in Medicine – Nephrology

Stefano Cataldi,  Associate researcher in Psychiatry

Sumaira Zamurrad,  postdoc fellow in Zuckerman Institute

Thiago Arzua,  postdoc in Zuckerman Institute

CPW-UAW Elections Committee

John Christin, postdoc in Medicine – Hematology and Oncology

Camilo Duarte, postdoc in Mechanical Engineering

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