Bargaining Updates: Economic proposals are on the table!

This past Monday marked our 4th bargaining session with Columbia, where our bargaining committee presented economic proposals at the table. In total, we introduced 8 articles centered around priorities raised through hundreds of conversations with colleagues over the past several years that aim to raise our overall standard of living while making Columbia a more inclusive and competitive institution.

The full text of each article is available on our public bargaining tracker, and you can find the articles summarized below:

Compensation: We proposed a new minimum salary of $90,000 for Postdocs and $115,000 for ARS, with an increase to anniversary raises to account for inflation and cost of living.

Housing: We proposed memorializing the existing housing benefit in our contract, including improvements such as expanding access to ARS, a more transparent application process, and monthly housing subsidies.

Childcare: We proposed memorializing the existing Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit parents receive, increasing the FSA amount to the federal limit, extending the age limit to the federal age cap of 13 years old, and memorializing the back-up dependent care program.

Hardship Support Fund: Currently a side letter in our contract, we proposed making it an article and expanding the fund from $500,000 to $2 million while also increasing the maximum disbursement amount to $10,000.

Immigration Support Fund: We introduced a side letter establishing a $1 million fund to assist international workers facing immigration-related challenges, including legal representation, immigration filing and application fees.

Parking and Transportation: We proposed maintaining Columbia’s shuttle bus services at least at current levels at no cost to employees, and memorializing the Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP) program while expanding eligibility to Postdoctoral Fellows.

Leaves of Absence: We proposed 15 paid sick days and unused sick day accrual year to year, and increasing parental leave to 16 weeks at full pay.

Relocation Assistance: Currently a side letter in our contract, we are proposing to make this an article and to raise the amount from $1,500 to $2,000 to better account for the cost of relocation to NYC.

Columbia’s team did not directly engage with the substance of the proposals or ask questions at the session. Instead, the University stated that they need additional internal discussions before responding. We believe our proposals represent fair compensation for the critical role that we play in research at Columbia.

Next, Columbia presented a revised counterproposal on the Non-Discrimination article to address some concerns previously raised by our committee, particularly around interim protective measures. The counter did not respond to our core concerns, however, about timeliness of addressing cases of discrimination and harassment. Additional edits included language related to anti-bullying initiatives, reporting mechanisms through HR, and clarifications regarding confidentiality within the Title IX process.

Lastly, we were able to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Copyright and Intellectual Property, and we are close to a TA on Grievance and Arbitration.

It will take work for us to win meaningful improvements, but it is possible if we all stay informed and engaged. Help continue demonstrating the urgency of reaching a fair contract that ensures secure and equitable jobs for all workers to Columbia by signing and sharing our Job Security petition, joining our Day of Action next Wednesday, May 20th, and joining us at the bargaining table on Thursday, May 21st.

As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch with any thoughts or questions,

Solidarity,

Natalia Gutierrez-Bayona, Center for Radiological Research
CPW-UAW 4100 Bargaining Committee

Bargaining Updates: Columbia counters, fails to address key concerns

Last Wednesday, our elected bargaining committee had our third bargaining session with the Columbia administration. Columbia finally returned counter proposals on Appointments, International Employees, Union Access, and Non-Discrimination. However, Columbia’s responses largely failed to address key concerns raised by the bargaining committee regarding postdocs/ARS job stability, including on securing 12-month appointments, increasing visa flexibility, and more timely procedures for addressing discrimination and harassment.
If you haven’t already, click here to sign our petition demanding greater job stability from Columbia

The University’s team began by offering counterproposals. We were glad to see some progress, including reaching a tentative agreement on the Joint-Union Management Committee and moving closer to an agreement on Copyright and Intellectual Property. However, the progress did not go much farther than that.

On Appointments, despite acknowledging postdoc/ARS job instability and unpredictability over this past year, the University denied the issue of short-term appointments. The University’s team claimed the appointment data they provide us is incorrect, data that clearly shows that approximately one third of postdocs/ARS are on appointments of less than 12 months. We emphasized more stable appointments were among our top priorities according to hundreds of conversations and bargaining surveys filled out by a majority of postdocs/ARS. Columbia’s counter did include ensuring that reappointment letters be provided 60 days before the end of an appointment, but more is needed.

On International Employees, the University’s counter included offering Premium Processing for visa petitions, but only subject to departmental approval and “where necessary”. They also countered our proposal of 15 days of visa renewal leave with two days, framing this as a significant benefit and suggesting that maintaining valid work authorization, essential for continuing employment, is expected to come at the expense of employees personal time. Their counter did not address visa flexibility or other critical forms of support that would improve security for international employees.

We have created a survey to collect input from international employees to help strengthen our case at the bargaining table. The survey takes less than 5 min to complete: https://form.jotform.com/261066984187065

On Union Access, the University removed language about entitled time off to attend orientations because they stated this time is already protected as an officer of research. Columbia’s counter did not acknowledge the issue of sharing necessary information for us to effectively reach and represent members.

Finally, on Non-Discrimination, the University’s counter proposal added more prohibited forms of discrimination and harassment. On the process for actually addressing cases of discrimination, however, the proposal added caveats regarding the timeline for redress which seemed to extend an already lengthy process. Moreover, during questioning, the University at several points failed to answer questions, seeming to be confused by their own proposal. Their proposal also continues to delay defining anti-bullying and power-based harassment, and does nothing to increase the ability of workers to find solutions to bullying and harassment.

The University opened our third negotiation session stating they were ready to deliver a new contract by June 30th, but their proposals demonstrated they aren’t serious about addressing major concerns of postdoc/ARS around job stability and equitable employment. When confronted by these concerns during negotiations, the University’s representatives downplayed, distracted, and denied that these concerns were real. Columbia must do better.

You can find details on the proposals and counter proposals on our Bargaining Tracker.

What are the next steps? 

We will be bargaining on several more dates! Please register to join a session here:

Monday, May 11th, 2:00PM – 5:00 PM, CUIMC in Hammer LL207

Thursday, May 21st, 12:00PM – 4:00 PM, CUIMC in Hammer LL 207

Thursday, May 28th, 12:00PM – 4:00PM, Studebaker in room 469

Monday, June 1st, 1:30PM – 5:00PM, CUIMC in Hammer LL 207

Friday, June 12th, 11:00AM – 3:30PM, Studebaker in room 469

We will continue adding additional bargaining dates in May and June as needed to ensure we can work with management to reach an agreement ahead of contract expiration on June 30th. Please join the slack channel to receive updates during bargaining sessions and to discuss the proposals and reactions by Columbia. Click here if you want to help with the campaign.

Solidarity,

Sam Seidman, Psychiatry
CPW-UAW 4100 Bargaining Committee

Bargaining Updates: Some progress at the table despite Columbia coming empty-handed

Our second session took place in a bigger room, but we still had observers lining the wall!

Our elected bargaining committee had our second bargaining session with the Columbia administration this past Monday. While we were able to make progress on two proposals the University made last session, Joint Union Management Committee and Copyright & Intellectual Property, we were disappointed to learn that Columbia’s team did not have responses to any of our proposals.

The University’s team did engage us in more discussion on our proposals. On Appointments, despite acknowledging postdoc/ARS job instability and unpredictability over this past year, the University downplayed the issue of short-term reappointments and the idea that longer renewal notices would alleviate stress among postdocs. We will keep fighting for greater stability for postdocs and ARS including basic appointment protections that exist in other NYC postdoc union contracts.

On International Employees, we were pleased to learn that the University agrees that providing the maximum DS-2019 length eases the burden on international researchers and that this is something several departments already do. They also acknowledged that 1 day leave for visa stamp renewal is insufficient, but did not counter our proposal of 15 days.

We provided counter proposals on Copyright and Intellectual Property and Joint-Union Management Committee in an attempt to make progress in the negotiations. The University had initially proposed to remove language concerning holding a meeting with our Union on IP policy. After mutually agreeing on the importance of being able to have such meetings, we proposed having the option to meet as needed.

The University also initially proposed removing the side letter from our contract that established a meeting with the Union to discuss diversity in hiring as well as bathroom equity, and adding language that would include discussion of such topics into our Joint Union Management Committee. After confirming that the University’s proposal would not limit discussion on these topics, we agreed to remove the side letter and provided a counter proposal with modified language to be consistent with our contract. We emphasized to the University that this was a big step on our part in the hope of continuing movement towards an agreement prior to contract expiration on June 30th.

Columbia’s bargaining team said they need more time to respond to our proposals but they would bring a proposal on Non-Discrimination to our next session, which you can RSVP for here. We re-emphasized the urgency of making progress in areas crucial for job stability, such as Appointments and International Employees, before moving to the economic stage of negotiations.

You can find details on the proposals and counter proposals on our Bargaining Tracker.

What are the next steps?

We will be bargaining on several more dates! Please register to join a session here:

  • Wednesday, April 29th, 1:00PM – 5:00PM, in Studebaker Building Room 469
  • Monday, May 11th, 2:00PM – 5:00 PM, tentatively at CUMC, room TBD
  • Thursday, May 21st, 12:00PM – 4:00 PM, location TBD
  • Thursday, May 28th, 12:00PM – 4:00PM, tentatively at CUMC, room TBD
  • Monday, June 1st, 1:30PM – 5:00PM, location TBD
  • Friday, June 12th, time and location TBD

We will be adding additional bargaining dates in May and June as needed to ensure we can work with management to reach an agreement ahead of contract expiration. Please join the slack channel to receive updates during bargaining sessions, and get in contact if you want to help organize for the campaign!

Solidarity,

Anna Yoney, ARS, Genetics and Development
The CPW-UAW 4100 Bargaining Committee

Start to Negotiations: Presenting our Bargaining Goals to Columbia Administration

This past Tuesday was our first day of bargaining with Columbia, and we had fantastic turnout from our colleagues; over 33 postdocs and ARS helped pack the room and show Columbia how excited we are to bargain a fair contract. If you would like to sign up to attend a future bargaining session to come show the administration that we need improvements, sign up here!

What happened at the first bargaining session:

After introductions, we presented the Columbia administration with our Initial Bargaining Goals, which were 99% ratified by a majority of postdocs/ARS, and demonstrated our arguments for seeking improvements to the future contract. We found common ground on trying to find ways to improve stability through these uncertain times related to federal funding and attacks on international workers. Our differences however, were quite clear when we presented our four new proposals for Appointments, International Employees, Non-discrimination, and Union Access, Rights and Activity.

Appointments: In accordance with our bargaining goals, we proposed a minimum of 1 year for appointments, allowing for flexibility to elect shorter appointments when mutually agreed upon with our PI, with 6 months notice for renewal or non-renewal. The administration pushed back pointing to the faculty handbook policies and funding constraints. We explained that more predictable, stable appointments would allow postdocs and researchers to focus on our research without unnecessary distractions. Many postdocs have had to endure short term appointments in the past year, especially during the funding crisis.

International Employees: Our proposal aims to increase stability and security for those of us who are on visas, including by expanding visa options, leave for visa renewal, and protections for international researchers. While Columbia acknowledged that “it’s good to support the international community”, they dismissed our proposal as “ambitious” and engaged very little on the very real concerns that international workers have in the current climate of extreme scrutiny. They proposed only a single day of leave for visa renewals, which is entirely out of touch with real world timelines.

Non-discrimination: We proposed changes to the Non-discrimination article that establish protections against bullying, and significantly improve the process for addressing instances of bullying and discrimination with an accelerated timeline through our grievance process and interim measures. Columbia’s team said they plan to bring their own proposal on amendments to this article in the next session.

Union Access, Rights and Activity: We also proposed changes to Union Rights and Access that will improve our ability to orient new postdocs/ARS to being a part of the union, as well as provide basic demographic information to allow us to better identify potential discrimination occurring against specific workers.

Proposals made by Columbia: The administration proposal included minor changes in several articles related to arbitrators, as well as removing meetings specific to the previous contracts. They did, however, attempt to address international workers’ concerns by proposing a single day of leave for visa renewal. This is unacceptable, as typical visa renewals overseas require significantly more time to complete. They also want to have all vacation requests in writing, as well as cap the PTO payout at the end of employment to 5 days only. Lastly, they proposed removing the side letter related to the child care payment, by arguing that the increase to $5k has already been implemented. We will be bringing a proposal a child care at a later bargaining session.

Although the tone of yesterday’s session was civil, it was clear that a lot of work will be needed to show the Columbia administration why these issues matter to us. If you would like to get involved in efforts to build our contract campaign, click here, or sign up for a working group. You can also view all the proposals passed throughout the negotiations going forward in this public bargaining tracker.

What are the next steps? 

We will be bargaining again on the following dates, please register to join a session here.

Monday, April 13th, 2:00PM – 5:00PM, in Studebaker Building Room 469

Wednesday, April 29th, 1:00PM – 5:00PM, in Studebaker Building Room 469

We are negotiating more bargaining dates in May and June, to ensure we can work with management to reach agreement ahead of contract expiration. Please join the slack channel to receive updates during bargaining sessions and to discuss the proposals and reactions by Columbia. Please get in contact if you want to help organize for a fair contract.

Solidarity,

Philip Creamer, ARS, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
CPW-UAW 4100 Bargaining Committee

November 2024 Election Results for UAW 4100

The nomination period has concluded, and we are ready to announce our new Executive Board, Joint Council, and Stewards for our Local!

The deadline to accept steward nominations closed yesterday, Monday, November 18th at 11:59 PM EST. As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winners of their districts by acclamation:

SPOC Stewards

District 2: Kaitlin Murtha

District 3: Mahima Rasquinha

District 5: Alanna Cote

CPW Stewards

MS2: Ankit Roy and Nimesh Chahare

CUMC4: Iya Prytkova

CUMC5: Samuel Seidman

The deadline to accept Joint Council nominations also closed Monday, November 18th at 11:59 PM EST. As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winners of their positions by acclamation:

Columbia Joint Council 3 – Head Steward: Anna Yoney

Columbia Joint Council 4 – Head Steward: Alexa Nichols

The deadline to accept the open executive board nominations also closed last Monday, November 18th at 11:59 PM EST. As the following positions were unopposed, we can announce the winners of their positions by acclamation:

Vice President: Paola Bianchimano

Trustee: Clauvis Yengo

Sergeant of Arms: Thomas Donoghue

Mount Sinai Member at Large: Bremy Alburquerque

There will be an election held for the President of Local 4100 (1 position). The candidates are:

Morteza Chalabi

Andrew Little

The candidates have each prepared a statement that can be viewed at the following link: November 2024 UAW 4100 Presidential Candidate Statements

The election in accordance with our bylaws will be a secret ballot carried out online 14 days from the close of nominations yesterday, from December 3rd, 2024, to December 7th, 2024, via ElectionBuddy. All Local 4100 members in good standing will be eligible to vote in this election. If you have questions, please reach out to the Elections Committee by emailing cpwuawelections@gmail.com. 

Election Location: Online

Election Start Date: Tuesday, December 3 at 9:00am EST

Election End Date: Saturday, December 7 at 12:00pm EST

In Solidarity,

The Elections Committee

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Notice of Nomination of Local 4100 Elected Positions: November 2024

As mentioned in our special membership meeting, we are announcing the opening of elections for Local 4100 executive board positions, Joint Council positions, and steward positions, including positions across both units (Columbia and Mount Sinai). Please see below for the open positions and guidelines. You can send your nomination and candidate statement to the following address: cpwuawelections@gmail.com

Please do not hesitate to contact us (cpwuawelections@gmail.com) with any questions regarding this election. We hope you will be interested in running for one of the open positions. 

In solidarity,

UAW Local 4100 Elections Committee

Nominations are hereby declared open on November 4th, 2024 for the UAW Local 4100 Stewards (13 positions), Joint Council (3 positions) and Executive Board (6 positions). 

The following positions are open (see below for a detailed description of roles):

Executive Board positions:

  • President
  • Vice president
  • Trustee
  • Sergeant of Arms
  • Guide
  • SPOC Member at large

Joint Council Positions: 

  • 1 CPW Head Steward – Unit Recording Secretary 
  • 2 CPW Head Stewards

SPOC Steward positions: 

  • District 2 (Annenber floors 20-26), 1 position
  • District 3 (Hess floors 1-6), 1 position
  • District 5 (Icahn floors MC-11), 1 position

CPW Steward Positions: 

  • CUMC1 (Black, Milstein Hospital, Harkness, Eye Institute, Herbert Irving Pavilion), 1 position*
  • CUMC2 (P&S, Vanderbilt), 1 position
  • CUMC3 (PHMC, Harkness Pavilion, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, Harlem Medical Office), 1 position*
  • CUMC4 (Hammer), 1 position*
  • CUMC5 (ARB, Kolb, Pardes, NINY, 60 Haven Ave), 2 positions
  • CUMC6 (Lasker, ICRC), 1 position
  • CUMC7 (Russ Berrie, Nursing, 51 Audubon Ave, Audubon PCP), 1 position
  • MS1 (Humanities), 1 position
  • MS2 (Fairchild, Mudd complex, SCEPSR, Hogan, Armstrong), 1 position
  • MS3 (Pupin, Math, NWC, Havemeyer, Nevis), 2 positions
  • Lamont, 1 position

(*These positions were added to the list of open positions in a reminder email on Monday, November 11.)

All unit members having signed a Local 4100 membership card and meeting the eligibility criteria, as outlined in Article 15 of the UAW Local 4100 bylaws, are automatically considered nominees for positions on the Executive Board and as stewards in their respective districts. In accordance with the bylaws, eligibility requirements for candidates are as follows: candidates for the Executive Board must have maintained continuous good standing for a period of one (1) year preceding the acceptance of nomination, while candidates for the steward position must have maintained continuous good standing for a period of ninety (90) days prior to accepting nomination. As a new unit, these requirements are modified for candidates from Mount Sinai. Some positions are unit specific – listed positions above labeled as “Columbia” or “Mount Sinai” are restricted to members of that unit.

Membership Eligibility Description (per the bylaws):

Membership in this Local Union shall be extended to all employees who have at any time been under titles that come under the jurisdiction of this Local Union. Membership shall be defined as members in good standing as defined in the International Constitution. 

Local 4100 has 29 steward positions, broken up into districts (22 at Columbia and 7 at Mt. Sinai), a Joint Council with proportional representation from each unit (6 members total; 4 from Columbia and 2 from Mt. Sinai), and an Executive Board across the whole local. For this election there are 13 open steward positions, 3 open Joint Council positions and 5 open executive board positions. Each district is a campus, building/s, or lab where postdoctoral academic workers are working. For every 75 workers in a district, one steward will be elected. To learn more about the responsibilities of the stewards, visit the UAW constitution (Article 45) and our Local Bylaws (Article 10). 

Any eligible member in good standing who wishes to accept the nomination for one of the Executive board or steward positions in their district must indicate their intention, in writing, including the position they wish to run for. You can only run for one position. The acceptance of your nomination in writing must be submitted no later than November 18th, 2024 11:59 EST. Submit your acceptance to the Local 4100 UAW Elections committee by emailing cpwuawelections@gmail.com. If you have questions about which district you belong to, please reach out to the Elections committee at cpwuawelections@gmail.com. 

Positions on the Executive Board

The Executive Board positions are elected for a term expiring in June 2027. Officers are allowed to vacate their positions before the end of their terms, in which case the Elections Committee would hold a vacancy election. Click here (or see below) to read more about the responsibilities of the Executive Board Officer positions.

Candidate Statements (Optional)

Each candidate may write and submit a candidate statement of no more than 250 words. These statements will be posted on the Local 4100 UAW website if there are contested elections. Your mailing address, phone number, and personal email address must be included, but will not be counted toward the 250 words. 

It is the responsibility of the candidate to submit the candidate statement, if they choose to have one. All candidate statements must be received by the time nominations close on November 18th, 2024 11:59 EST.

Candidates Meeting 

Following the close of nominations, all candidates in contested districts will meet with the Elections Committee via Zoom. This meeting will determine the order of names on the ballot and the method of mass communications, and address other concerns any candidate may have. This meeting will take place following the close of nominations, but before ballots are sent to members. 

Election Dates, Times and Locations

In the event that the number of eligible candidates who accept nomination for the specified position do not exceed the number of vacant positions, such candidates will be deemed elected by acclamation and no election will be held. 

If there are contested positions, elections will take place online from November 19th – December 3rd. If you are a member of the union, you will receive a ballot in your email and text messages once voting begins. If you wish to participate, you will need to sign a membership card for Columbia Postdoctoral Workers or the Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee. 

  • Election Location: Online
  • Election Start Date: Tuesday, November 19th at 9:00 am EST
  • Election End Date: Tuesday, December 3rd at 11:59 pm EST

A runoff election, if necessary, will be held at a future date. The details will be announced if necessary.

The following are descriptions of the open roles:

  • Steward: Leads organizing in their District for collective actions and contract enforcement handling for District workers.
  • Head Steward: Oversees Unit Stewards and represents their Unit on the Joint Council.
  • Unit Recording Secretary: Maintains records for their Unit, in addition to the responsibilities of Head Steward.
  • President: Presides over all meetings, co-signs orders and checks, enforces the constitution, appoints needed committees and is an automatic member of all committees.
  • Vice President: Assists president in all duties, attends all local union sessions, performs presidential duties when president cannot do so.
  • Trustee: Supervise funds and property, audit or cause to semiannually audit by a CPA, make sure Financial Officers follow the rules, see that funds are deposited in the bank appropriately.
  • Sergeant of Arms: Introduces new members and visitors, assists the president, is in charge of all unassigned properties and performs various duties when called upon.
  • Guide: Maintains order, inspects membership receipts, makes sure only authorized members are in a given Local Union meeting.
  • Member-at-Large: Supports duties and activities of the Executive Board and represents their Unit on the Executive Board.
HAVE AN ISSUE? GET IN CONTACT!

Want to stay informed? Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our and Slack​.

RSVP: August Membership Meeting and Local 4100 Retreat!

RSVP for our next membership meeting on August 1st at 6:30pm!

Join us for our next membership meeting on August 1st at 6:30pm! You can attend in person at Columbia or Mount Sinai or attend virtually. RSVP here. 

Part of our agenda, shared below, will be to discuss a new logo for the Local. Please email us if you have any ideas or would like to work with us on this project.

  • Financial Report
  • Upcoming Events
  • Farewell to former Local 4100 President Cora Bergantinos-Crespo
  • Local 4100 Needs a New Logo!
  • Update from bargaining with UAW Staff United (USU)
RSVP to attend our first UAW Local 4100 Retreat on August 10th!

Join us for our union’s first-ever contract campaign retreat, bringing together postdoctoral workers from across New York City and the surrounding area! The retreat will be held on August 10th at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute. Whether you’re already actively involved in union organizing or interested in becoming more involved in building our union, you are welcome to join. 

The retreat will consist of hands-on workshop sessions covering different phases of a typical contract campaign that build toward winning a strong contract. In each session, we will discuss successful strategies and tools from past campaigns and brainstorm new approaches. Come work to build a movement together with us.
 

In Solidarity,

Columbia Postdoctoral Workers, UAW 4100 Joint Council

HAVE AN ISSUE? GET IN CONTACT!

Want to stay informed? Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our and Slack​.

Updates on the Second Year of Our Contract: Salary Increases, Fellow Lump Sum, and Hardship Fund

July 1st marked the beginning of the second year of our three-year contract (2023-2026) with Columbia University! Here are a few updates on what may be available to you through our contract, plus other news:

  • Your 3% annual salary increase should be coming up.
  • Are you a Fellow that is eligible for the $3,500 lump sum?
  • Have unexpected expenses? Apply for the Hardship Fund!
  • Election results.
  • Join your union to help build a better workplace and be part of a national movement.

Salary Increase

In this second year, everyone should receive a 3% increase in their salary. The date on which this increase is applied will depend on your appointment date.

  • For many Postdoc Research Scientists and Associate Research Scientists, the re-appointment date is July 1st. These workers should see the increase reflected in their next paycheck on July 15th. The change should appear on PAC as of July 13th.
  • For Postdoc Research Fellows whose appointment date is also July 1st, 2024, the raise should have been applied to July 1st’s paycheck.
  • For all other workers with an appointment date different from July 1st, the raise will be applied on their respective appointment dates, effective July 1st. 

If you believe you should receive a raise and do not see it, please reach out to your HR or department administrator. If you need additional assistance from the union, send an email to the central account at postdocunion@uaw41000.org.

Fellowship Lump Sum

As part of our contract, workers who have accepted a fellowship may qualify for a $3,500 lump sum if they have acquired the appropriate vesting period to qualify for retirement benefits as per Columbia guidelines. It’s up to the worker to reach out to their department administrator or HR to request the lump sum. Here are the requirements to qualify:

  • You are eligible if you are a benefits-eligible Officer of the University and have accumulated a two-year (24 months) vesting period in an eligible title (e.g. Postdoctoral Research Scientist/Scholar). Time spent at Columbia under the title Postdoctoral Research Fellow does not count toward the vesting period for retirement benefits.
  • You have been in the title of Fellow for a minimum period of 12 months. The fund should be available to you at the end of each 12-month period under the fellowship. If you qualify and have been a Fellow for the past 12 months, you should request the lump sum. If you have not completed 12 months under the fellowship yet, you will be able to access the lump sum at the end of the 12 months, and then every 12 months after that.

Hardship Fund

Have you experienced an unexpected medical emergency, or other unanticipated expenses causing financial hardship (e.g., emergency childcare, loss of housing, death of family member including funeral and travel costs, extraordinary relocation costs, loss of family income, or natural disaster)? The Hardship Fund application period for this quarter is now open. This is available to all Postdoc Research Scientists/Fellows and Associate Researcher Scientists/Scholars covered by our union. Check out the application process and all relevant information at this link. The application will close on July 15th, 2024.

  • Make sure to read all the FAQs before applying.
  • Provide comprehensive information to ensure a faster reviewing process and response to applicants.
  • Non-medical expenses will be taxed, so you will only receive a portion of the money you have requested a refund for.

Election Results

The nomination period has concluded, and we are ready to announce our new Unit Recording Secretary for the Mt Sinai Joint Council 2 for our local.

As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winner by acclamation:

Mount Sinai – Joint Council 1 – Unit Recording Secretary: Anthony Lozano.

Join the Slack channel for members

Slack is the best way for members to stay up to date with everything union-related, and to connect with your peers, stewards, executive board, and joint council. Slack provides a space to create community, with many channels dedicated to social activities, info for parents, housing, and our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership (IDEAL) working group. Join by filling out this form and become an active part of our vibrant community today!

Join the team

If you want to get involved and help build a stronger Union pushing for change at Columbia and academia at large, you can contact us here. 

Additionally, some positions on the executive board, joint council, and among the stewards are currently available. We will launch a new election timeline in the next few weeks. These roles offer great opportunities to enhance your leadership skills, collaborate within a team, and support your fellow postdocs and ARSs in building a strong union and improving working conditions in academia for all postdoctoral workers. If you would like to learn more about each available position, reach out to postdocunion@uaw41000.org.


In Solidarity,
Columbia Postdoctoral Workers, UAW 4100 Joint Council

HAVE AN ISSUE? GET IN CONTACT!

Want to stay informed? Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our and Slack​.

Hardship Fund Application Is Now Live!

The HARDSHIP SUPPORT FUND APPLICATION is now LIVE. Are you experiencing financial hardship due to an unexpected medical emergency or other unanticipated expense? Apply for reimbursement through the Hardship Support Fund by July 15 at the link here. 

Make sure your application is accurate and complete to ensure quick decisions can be made by the Hardship Support Fund Review Committee, which includes 2 union representatives, 1 OPA representative and 1 Columbia administrator. Approved funds will be disbursed in August. For further details please see the webpage here.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
 

In solidarity,

UAW Local 4100 Executive Board

HAVE AN ISSUE? GET IN CONTACT!

Want to stay informed? Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our and Slack​.

[Reminder] Deadline to Accept Nomination for 4100 Elections: Monday, 06/24 at 11:59pm EST

This is a reminder that the deadline to accept nominations for a position as steward, Joint Council, or Executive Board member is next Monday, 06/24 at 11:59PM EST. 

If you are accepting nomination for the vacant steward, Joint Council, or Executive Board positions, please submit your acceptance to 4100 Elections Committee by emailing cpwuawelections@gmail.com by June 24th at 11:59pm EST (before midnight). The open positions are:

  • Columbia steward districts [5 positions – CUMC-5 (X2), MS-1, MS-2, MS-3]
    • CUMC-5 includes NYSPI/NI/Mailman. See the full Columbia steward district map here.
  • Mt Sinai Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary
  • Columbia Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary
  • Columbia Joint Council 4 – Head Steward
  • Executive Board – Trustee

See details in this link and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Elections Committee at cpwuawelections@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Join fellow Local 4100 members at the 6th Annual Queer Liberation March! 

We will meet on Sunday June 30, 2024 at 11:00 am at Sheridan Square and march to Battery Park. RSVP to join us here.

The Queer Liberation March is organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition (RPC), a grassroots collective that has organized the march in New York City every June since 2019. They seek to honor and reclaim the spirit of the Stonewall Riots, centering and amplifying the voices and needs of marginalized LGBTQIA2S+ communities. You can consider donating and learning more here.

Support UAW Region 9A-endorsed candidates for Election Day!

Join UAW Region 9A and Local 4100 members at a rally this Saturday, June 22, in St. Mary’s Park, for Jamaal Bowman for Congress with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. RSVP here if you can make it!

UAW Region 9A has also endorsed Eli Northrup, a public defender and former UAW member, and Claire Valdez, a current UAW member and Unit Chair of UAW Local 2110, in their races for State Assembly. RSVP here to join Claire’s final canvass before the election this Sunday in Long Island City; and sign up here to volunteer in the Upper West Side on Election Day (Tuesday, June 25) to canvass for Eli’s campaign and help at poll sites.

In solidarity,

UAW Local 4100 Executive Board

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