With this email we would like to inform you that the first Hardship Fund application round will open tomorrow March 1st. 

Please check out the Hardship Support Fund website, for all the information and to apply (scroll to the bottom of the webpage). 

In short, through our union negotiations, we won the hardship fund included in the last CBA in November 2023. This fund is specifically for postdocs/ARSs who are experiencing financial hardship. 

  • You can apply for reimbursement for any accidental or unexpected medical or non-medical expenses, from bills going back to January 1st 2024. 
  • There are no additional requirements other than being a postdoc/ARS, however, you do have to provide a copy of the bill and proof of payment (and Explanation Of Benefits for a medical reimbursement). 
  • Each application will be reviewed by a small group of Union members and Columbia administrative workers but to the extent possible information will not be shared beyond the Review Committee.
  • At the end of each academic year, the Union and the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) will evaluate the utilization of the Hardship Support Fund. 
  • Union members will be able to suggest improvements in the process to continue building on our initial victory.

The website has all the info you need, so please go check it out. If you are unsure if your expense can be applied for, just go ahead and put in an application, or email us at postdocunion@uaw4100.org. . 

💸Apply to the Postdoc/ARS Hardship Support Fund here 💸

Becoming a union member makes a difference!

We won this Hardship Fund exercising our collective power during our contract campaign. We incentivized Columbia University to commit central money to support postdocs/ARSs. This victory would not have been possible without a majority of us becoming union members. 

Click to become a member today to keep building in our success!

Note if you want to object to membership you still need to indicate so in the link above, and contribute a fair share fee as a condition of employment as per our contract with Columbia (Art. 25 Section 4).

Solidarity,

Your friendly local Executive Board and Organizing Committee

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