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 June 10th, 2024 for the UAW Local 4100 Stewards (5 positions), Joint Council (3 positions) and Executive Board (1 positions). 

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

The following steward districts are open (Columbia Only):

  • 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 Position is open (Mt Sinai Only):

  • Mt Sinai Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary

The following Joint Council Position are open (Columbia Only):

  • Columbia Joint Council 2 – Unit Recording Secretary
  • Columbia Joint Council 4 – Head Steward

The following Local 4100 Executive Board positions are open (Columbia or Mt. Sinai):

  • Trustee

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 June 24th, 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 June 24th, 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, July 8th at 9:00 am EST
  • Election End Date: Monday, July 15th 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 Recording Secretary: Maintains records for their Unit, in addition to the responsibilities of Head Steward.
  • 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.

HAVE AN ISSUE? GET IN CONTACT!

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Reminder of Special Membership Meeting THURSDAY @ 6:30 pm

This email is a reminder that we have a Special Membership meeting this Thursday – please follow the link above to RSVP to one of the physical or virtual attendance! As a reminder, as a membership meeting, this meeting covers both units (Columbia and Mt. Sinai). 

The agenda for this meeting is as follows:

  • Voting on a bylaws amendment proposed by a member (more information below);
  • Opening elections for open Trustee, Steward and Head Steward positions at both units;
  • Reviewing our Finance Report; and
  • Discussing ongoing bargaining with the union of staff organizers;
  • Upcoming events & socials

All members have the right to propose an amendment to the bylaws, that is then voted on by membership at a membership meeting. All bylaws votes require a ⅔ majority vote to pass. We recently had a member proposal, which reads as follows: “The Union can issue a statement boycotting or condemning a nation or group, other than in support of the collective bargaining process, only with the approval of the majority of its members, as distinct from a majority of those voting”. At our upcoming membership meeting we will briefly discuss and then vote on this proposal. 

UAW Region 9A has endorsed Eli Northrup, a public defender and former UAW member, in the race for State Assembly in district 69, which includes Columbia campus. Our Local Union is organizing a canvassing event on Sunday, June 9th, from 1-4pm, to help spread the word about his campaign. RSVP here to join us.

In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board and Organizing Committees


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Special Membership Meeting, DEI Survey, and Mobilize Voters Workshop!

Please join us for a special membership meeting with our colleagues at Mount Sinai. We will discuss:

  • Opening elections for open Steward and Head Steward positions at both units;
  • Reviewing our Finance Report; and
  • Voting on a bylaws amendment proposed by a member

As part of our union contract, we have formed a Working Group with the University to discuss issues related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The union side of the working group is requesting information from all members on priorities for this group!

Please fill out this very quick (1 question) survey by Friday, May 24th. You can also add information in the comment portion to elaborate on your answers and/or add additional topics. The responses from this survey will inform the working groups ongoing conversations with the Columbia administration. 

This year is an election year in the USA, and as researchers we have many topics we care about that relate to electoral politics. In collaboration with the Union of Concerned Scientists, we are co-hosting a 1-hour training focused on voter registration, mobilization, and countering disinformation, as well as offering resources for staying informed about elections. International workers are also welcome and encouraged to participate! Food will be provided.

After the training, join us on June 9th for a canvassing event in support of a local Assembly candidate, Eli Northrup, endorsed by UAW, and gain hands-on experience in local campaigns. 


In solidarity,

Local 4100 Executive Board and Organizing Committee


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Brief survey about your DEI priorities

As part of our union contract, we have formed a Diversity Working Group with the University to discuss issues for our Postdocs and Associate Research Scientists/Scholars related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Based on past surveys and conversations with co-workers, we have identified a series of issues that are currently present at Columbia and in academia more broadly. The Working Group would like to hear from all members about the most urgent issues to tackle.

For example, some postdocs may receive lower pay based on their ethnic or racial background, or immigration status, while accessibility remains a significant issue for some, and others are pushed out of academia by a lack of adequate mentorship. The postdoc years, bridging the gap between graduate school and a faculty position, also pose one of the greatest challenges for women and underrepresented minorities. 

Please fill out this very quick survey (1 question) by Friday, May 17th to help prioritize these issues. Feel free to use the comment portion of the survey to elaborate on your answer or to discuss a topic that is not listed but is a priority for you. Responses from this survey will help inform our discussion with the Columbia administration about members’ priorities. Through this Working Group and many of our other ongoing efforts, we look forward to making Columbia a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place to work.

We’re hiring! After winning historic contracts at Columbia and Mount Sinai this fall, we’re now seeking a full-time staff organizer to support our leaders and help protect our members rights! If you are interested or know someone who is, please apply or share the posting.

In solidarity,
CPW Organizing Committee


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[ACTION!] Have you been restricted from entering your worksite?

It has been a distressing few weeks for the Columbia community, especially at the Morningside campus. Since last week, Tuesday April 30th, our members have been unilaterally locked out of their lab and office spaces at Morningside campus – with hours notice and unclear communication. Some workers have regained access since Friday May 3rd, but many still lack access. These harsh impositions have forced postdocs to scramble to perform their work, especially as police and media outlets have descended on campus. To address this labor issue we need to act together. 

If you have work duties necessitating access to your lab or office space, and have had your access denied at any time, or are still denied access and cannot do your work, please fill out this Google Form. In addition, the excessive screening and presence of public safety officers and NYPD officers can be intimidating. If you experience any situation that results in a hostile work environment or intimidating atmosphere, please reach out to the central account

Now is a good time to connect with other postdocs or workers to talk about the importance of our labor rights. In line with this, the graduate student union (SWC) is organizing a rally every day from 1-2PM at West 116 and Amsterdam Ave. A group of postdocs have already committed to attending the rallies; RSVP here to join our group. 

We join this rally not just to stand in solidarity with the SWC graduate and undergraduate students who have been arrested or who have had their free speech infringed upon – by standing up at this rally we are standing up for our own right to speak freely and for our own rights as workers; an attack on the rights of any of us is an attack on the rights of all of us. 

These are unusual and unpredictable times, but as a collective we can protect one another from labor rights violations and stand up for the workplace and environment we deserve. 

In solidarity,
CPW Organizing Committee


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Election results for UAW 4100

>> 05/03/2024: UAW Local 4100 social for NYC postdoctoral workers! Join us for a social, bringing together postdoctoral workers from across New York City. Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/Gs9BN3EAPZARVmxC8


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 last Monday, April 22nd at 11:59 PM EST. As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winners of their districts by acclamation:

SPOC Stewards

  • District 1: Sindhu Vangeti
  • District 2: Clauvis Yengo
  • District 3: David O’Connor
  • District 4: Newaz Ahmed
  • District 5: Maria A. Carrera  
  • District 6: Haoyuan Li 
  • District 7-1: Tanya Nauvel 
  • District 7-2: Shane O’Connell

CPW Stewards

  • MS2: Alexa Nicolas 

The deadline to accept the open executive board nominations also closed last Monday, April 22nd at 11:59 PM EST. As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winners of their positions by acclamation:

  • President: Andrea Joseph
  • Recording Secretary: Natalia Ferressini
  • Trustee: Elza Rechtman
  • Guide: Andrew Little
  • Columbia Member at Large: Elsy El Khoury
  • Mount Sinai Member at Large: Paola Bianchimano

The deadline to accept Joint Council nominations also closed last Monday, April 22nd at 11:59 PM EST. As all positions were unopposed, we can announce the following winners of their positions by acclamation:

  • Mount Sinai – Joint Council 1 – Unit Chair: María Ruiz Ortega
  • Columbia Joint Council 1 – Unit Chair: Sherida de Leeuw
  • Columbia Joint Council 3 – Head Steward: Stefano Cataldi

In Solidarity,
The Elections Committee

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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


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​.

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.

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​.

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


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​.