Workplace safety in light of student arrests

Yesterday was a turbulent day at the Morningside campus, with over 100 students arrested on campus by NYPD. Many of us witnessed the arrests either in person while at work, or through the media. Academia, and Columbia in particular, has a storied past with protests. Having NYPD on campus and arresting peaceful protesters is a clear break from past practice, and could present workplace safety issues. 

We are not currently aware of any Local 4100 members who were directly involved in the arrests – if you or anyone you know in the unit are affected by these events, you can reach out (postdocunion@uaw4100.org) if you require representation by the union. We want to point out that we have a standing Human Rights committee, any member is welcome to join this committee, please reach out if you’re interested. 

If you have any doubts, questions or would like to talk please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

In solidarity, 

Columbia Postdoctoral Workers  Executive Board (Interim) & Organizing Committee


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[reminder] Deadline to Accept Nomination for Steward and EBoard Election: Monday, 04/22 at 11:59pm EST

This is a reminder that the deadline to accept nomination for a position as steward or Executive Board member is next Monday, 04/22 at 11:59PM EST. 

If you are accepting nomination for the vacant steward or Executive Board positions, please submit your acceptance to the CPW-UAW Elections Committee by emailing cpwuawelections@gmail.com by April 22nd at 11:59pm EST (before midnight). 

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. 

In solidarity, 
UAW Local 4100 Elections Committee


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Notice Of Nomination Of Local 4100 Elected Positions

As mentioned in our previous 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 April 8th, 2024 for the UAW Local 4100 Stewards (13 positions), Joint Council (6 positions) and Executive Board (6 positions). 

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

The following steward districts are open:

  • Mount Sinai steward districts [8 positions]
    • See the Mount Sinai steward district map here
  • Columbia steward districts [5 positions – CUMC-5 (X2), MS-1, MS-2, MS-3]
    • See the Columbia steward district map here

The following Joint Council positions are open:

  • Mount Sinai – Joint Council 1 – Unit Chair
  • Mount Sinai – Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary
  • Columbia Joint Council 1 – Unit Chair
  • Columbia Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary
  • Columbia Joint Council 3 – Head Steward
  • Columbia Joint Council 4 – Head Steward

The following Local 4100 Executive Board positions are open:

  • President
  • Recording Secretary
  • Trustee
  • Guide
  • Columbia Member at Large
  • Mount Sinai Member at Large

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 waived 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 12 open steward positions, 6 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 April 22nd, 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 April 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 April 22nd, 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 May 6th-13th. 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: Monday, May 6th at 9:00 am EST
  • Election End Date: Monday, May 13th at 11:50 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 Chair: Has general administrative responsibility for their Unit, in addition to the responsibilities of Head Steward.
  • 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.
  • Recording Secretary: Keeps proceedings records, signs authorized treasury orders, brings to attention actionable items, keeps records of correspondence including contracts, classifications and rates and negotiation information.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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Membership Meeting TONIGHT and VOTE on Bylaws!

 Vote NOW to ratify our Local bylaws!  

Voting is now open to ratify our Local bylaws! Make your voice heard by voting here. Voting will close during tonight’s membership meeting, around 7pm, so that members can discuss our Local’s next steps.

 Register now to join our Membership Meeting TODAY at 6:30 pm by Zoom! 

As a reminder, the Bylaws Committee presented a proposal for Local bylaws at the membership meeting on March 21. These updated bylaws will provide the governance structure to allow democratic decision making in our Local Union. The summary slides are available here and the full text is available here. Today, there will be time for final discussion and questions regarding the proposed changes. RSVP here to attend in-person or on Zoom.

In solidarity,
Local 4100 Bylaws Committee

In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board & Bylaws Committee


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Vote on Amalgamated Bylaws: Membership Meeting Thursday April 4th @ 6:30pm!

📣 RSVP for the SPECIAL Membership Meeting to VOTE ON LOCAL BYLAWS: Thursday, April 4th, 6:30 pm 📣

At yesterday’s membership meeting, the Bylaws Committee presented a final proposal for Local bylaws incorporating feedback after a period of open consultation. A final draft of the proposed bylaws is available here, and summary slides are available here

There will be a special membership meeting in two weeks, on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 pm, to vote to approve the bylaws – come and make your voice heard!.

Since we recently voted to join forces with Mt. Sinai postdoctoral workers and amalgamate under the same local, we will need new structures for our joint governance. These updated bylaws will provide the governance structure to allow democratic decision making in our Local Union and ensure the rights of union members in that structure.

Our Union Local now consists of two Units, one at Columbia (CPW) and one at Mt. Sinai (SPOC). Some highlights of the proposed bylaws:

  • The membership remains highest authority of the Local Union
  • The Joint Council will now be the next-highest authority:
    • Proportional representation by unit membership
    • Includes the eBoard + Head Stewards representing each Unit (1 Head Steward per 200 members)
  • The Executive Board is the next-highest authority: we introduce 1 additional Member-At-Large per Unit.
  • All major decisions affecting the Local Union must be made by membership, not only the Joint Council or Executive Board
  • Local Membership meetings will be held at least once every 4 months, with more regular Unit Meetings for Columbia Postdoctoral Workers in between (our monthly meetings).

You can read the complete proposed bylaws hereThe new bylaws will be voted in the special meeting on April 4th.  

If you have any questions or want to discuss the proposed bylaws feel free to contact us.

📣 RSVP for the SPECIAL Membership Meeting to VOTE ON LOCAL BYLAWS: Thursday, April 4th, 6:30 pm 📣

In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board & Bylaws Committee


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[TONIGHT] Membership Meeting Thursday (03/21) @ 6:30pm!

We have our membership meeting tonight Thursday March 21st, at 6:30pm both in person and on zoom. We will present and discuss bylaw changes proposed by the Bylaws Committee for our newly Amalgamated Local Union. 

Since we recently voted to join forces with Mt. Sinai postdoctoral workers and amalgamate under the same local, we will need new structures for our joint governance. The Bylaws will provide the democratic governance structure for our amalgamated union and establish the rights of union members in that structure.

A final draft of the proposed bylaw amendments is available here. The Bylaws committee met yesterday to discuss and incorporate suggestions submitted during the 6-day open consultation and feedback period. Join tonight for a final discussion!

Some topics that we will touch on:

  • How many representatives will Columbia and Mt. Sinai postdocs/ARSs have in the governing body of our local (Joint Council)?
  • How often will we have joint Membership meetings across both Columbia and Mt. Sinai?
  • How will Columbia postdocs/ARSs remain in control of bargaining their own contracts and deciding on issues specific to our workplace?
  • How will we ensure democracy, transparency and accountability in a Local with multiple groups of workers from different Universities?

Updates:

  • As previously mentioned, our staff member is part of a union representing other UAW international and local staff. Bargaining is ongoing (see our bargaining tracker and their demands HERE), for a contract that will cover our Local’s staff, meaning our Local is on the ‘management’ side of this process.
  • We will give a brief update of the bargaining, and report progress on hiring a legal counsel to advise us.

We will answer questions and have an open discussion about the proposed changes. The new bylaws will be voted in a special meeting on April 4th.   

You can RSVP for tonight’s meeting here.

📣RSVP for tonight’s Membership Meeting March 21st, Thursday 6:30 pm 📣

And bring any suggestions and questions!

And bring any suggestions and questions
In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board & Bylaws Committee


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[RSVP] Thursday March 21st 6:30pm: Membership Meeting to Discuss Initial Draft of Bylaws

This is a reminder that we will be holding a membership meeting next Thursday, 03/21 at 6:30pm with hybrid and in person options. It will be our first membership meeting as an amalgamated local! Joining postdoctoral researchers at both Columbia and Mt. Sinai. 

📣 RSVP for the Membership Meeting of March 21st, Thursday 6:30 pm 📣

As the primary agenda item, the Bylaws Committee will present recommendations for new bylaws for our Local Union as they relate to new structures for our joint governance between Columbia and Mt. Sinai postdoctoral workers. We will also answer questions and open discussion with members. The Bylaws will provide the democratic governance structure for our amalgamated union and establish the rights of union members in that structure. 

📣 RSVP for the Membership Meeting of March 21st, Thursday 6:30 pm 📣

In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board & Bylaws Committee


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Financial Hardship? Get repaid by the Hardship Fund! A victory of our union power.

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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Updates from your union: We are officially amalgamated with Mt. Sinai postdocs!

At yesterday’s membership meeting we announced that the UAW International Executive Board approved our Amalgamation with SPOC (the union of postdocs at Mt. Sinai). Our Local 4100 is now officially a multi-unit local, meaning our membership and power is growing!

💫🧾Establishing the governance of our Union: Our Local Bylaws

As part of the process of amalgamation we need to update our local bylaws to define the operation of our local as an amalgamated union, and create new structures in which members of both units will democratically decide our actions and priorities as a union. 

  • Bylaws committee meetings will be at least weekly, and are open to all union members!Become a member here online!
  • Proposed changes will be posted for a for members to submit feedback
  • The bylaws will be presented at a membership meeting
  • In the subsequent membership meeting members will vote to accept or reject the updated bylaws. 
  • When approved we will establish the structure and rules governing our union Local!
  • Our bylaws committee members are: 

The first Bylaws meeting will be next Friday 03/01 at 5pm if you want to propose any changes join by RSVPing here or email us at postdocunion@uaw4100.org

🙋A member proposed a change to our bylaws:

As per Art. 21 of our bylaws which allows for members to propose amendments to our bylaws, a member proposed adding  the following to our bylaws: “Statements made by the union as a whole must be approved by a majority of the union membership as distinct from a majority of those voting”.

  • Now the bylaws committee will determine whether it is in accordance with the UAW Constitution and work with the member for any needed changes. If the proposal is edited, it will be re-proposed at a membership meeting. 
  • At our March meeting the bylaws committee will report on the proposal. If the proposal is in accordance with the UAW Constitution, members will vote whether to accept or not that amendment.
  • As per our bylaws in order for this change to be accepted it needs to be approved by a ⅔ majority of the members.

🗳️🎉The Elections Committee is seeking new members!

We have open positions for our Elections Committee! An excellent way to build your union without a huge time commitment. 

  • At the March membership meeting members can accept nomination to serve in our elections committee and we all will vote on our new elections committee! 

Email John Christin (Postdoc in Medicine serving on our elections committee) at cpwuawelections@gmail.com  to learn more!

💪🔥Our working Groups are getting busy!

We also heard reports from some of the working groups and committees that work on specific topics, from fighting for new rights to enforcing our contract! 

If you’d like to join a Working Group (or just see how it works) sign up here! Members can also propose 


⚠️You need to accept or decline membership in your union to be employed as a postdoc or Associate researcher at Columbia University⚠️

Under our contract all Postdoc and Associate researchers must decide between signing up as a Union member and contributing membership dues or declining membership and paying “fair share” fees (Article 25). 

According to our records you have not fulfilled this requirement and are in violation of your contract. You can make your choice now in this link.

The benefits that postdocs and ARSs at Columbia receive from our collective bargaining agreement (our contract) are the result of our collective power and the effort of all of us building your union strong to defend the rights postdocs and ARSs!

Solidarity,

Your friendly local Executive Board and Organizing Committee


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Membership Meeting Next Thursday (02/22)!

RSVP HERE for our monthly membership meeting – Thursday, 02/22 at 6:30 pm. 

As usual, we will be hybrid and on the two main campuses: 

  • CUMC Room
  • MS Room

⚠️ Membership Meeting Agenda – Key Topics ⚠️

  • Bylaws Committee: We’ll introduce our new committee members responsible for drafting the new bylaws that we will have following the amalgamation with SPOC-Mt. Sinai. If you are interested in working on the bylaws, you can attend the bylaws committee meetings.
  • Elections Committee: At the next month’s meeting we will take nominations and vote for new members of our elections committee. This committee oversees all elections that our Union runs and is a key part of how we function! At this month’s meeting we will discuss what are the roles and answer any questions in case you are interested to run. 

📣 Updates 📣

  • Fellows Working Group: We will have a new report from the working group responsible for ensuring that fellows are treated equally by CU. Here’s a summary of the new rights we have won in our recent contract.
  • Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (ARDIEA) Working Group: We will also have a report from this working group developing ways to make academia a more diverse, equitable and supportive environment for all postdocs and ARSs. 
  • Contract Enforcement: We will go over how our new Hardship Fund is being organized and enforced, as well as updates on the salary raises we have received since the new contract!
  • Legal Counsel: As we discussed during our January meeting, we will be hiring a legal counsel to advise us during our bargaining with UAW Staff United (USU). We will have a new report on the counsel chosen and the financial details of it.

And bring any suggestions and questions!

Sincerely,

Your friendly local Executive Board and Organizing Committee


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