Dear President Lee Bollinger and the Trustees of Columbia University,

As our CPW-UAW Bargaining Committee and the University team endeavor to finish negotiations by the end of June, we urge your administration to execute a fair agreement that reflects the value Postdoc and Associate Researchers bring to Columbia.

Since voting by an overwhelming 68% to unionize in 2018, researchers across campus have taken numerous actions in support of a fair contract:

In spite of these and further actions, and almost 50 bargaining sessions, your administration has remained rigid on topics of the highest importance to researchers. This has persisted even as the COVID-19 crisis has emphasized how critical we are to Columbia’s mission and ability to restart the research program. Many of us are researching COVID-19, working as essential employees, and hundreds more of us have volunteered our research abilities to support the broader community. Our work provides one of the university’s most stable and predictable funding sources during this crisis with almost a billion dollars of grant revenue annually.

This is not the time for silence. Current circumstances threaten our ability to attract and retain a diverse community, the freedom of research, and the value of human dignity. Today, Columbia has the opportunity to help lead the change that all of us would like to see in New York City and world-wide. We need a fair contract that makes Columbia more equitable, inclusive, and competitive so we can participate in the ramp up and continue our research. We therefore urge you to reach such an agreement by the end of June, including: 

  • A process to address discrimination and harassment with a timeline we can enforce;
  • Compensation on par with other major NYC institutions that rewards long-term service and does not penalize winning a Fellowship;
  • Paid family leave and other benefits that are secured and promote equity and inclusion;
  • Standard provisions that allow us to represent ourselves effectively through our local union, including having a union shop.

Should you continue to dismiss these priorities, we will insist that our Bargaining Committee proceed toward a strike authorization vote. 

We, the undersigned representatives from departments across Columbia, commit to organizing our colleagues toward that end if it becomes necessary to reach a fair agreement.

Signed,

Aaron Schein, Data Science Institute
Abdul Hannan, Opthalmology
Abhinav Sinha, Business
Adel Ardalan, Zuckerman Institute
Agnieszka Wendorff, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Ahmed Kord, Electrical Engineering
Ajay Pal, Surgery – Orthopaedic
Akina Umemoto, Psychiatry – Child and Adolescent
Akram Bakkour, Psychology
Alberto Bartolomé, Medicine – Endocrinology
Alejandro Nunez, Astronomy
Alex Bashore, Cardiology
Alice Mosberger, Neuroscience
Alicja Skowronski, Nutritional and Metabolic Biology
Alvaro Alonso, Biological Sciences
Álvaro Cuesta-Domínguez, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Alvaro Curiel, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Amy Norovich, Neuroscience
Andres Gil Molina, Electrical Engineering
Anne Loffler, Zuckerman Institute
Anne Marie Bartosch, Pathology and Cell Biology
Antonios Pouliopoulos, Biomedical Engineering
Antwi-Boasiako Oteng, Pathology and Cell Biology
Arturo Torres Herráez, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Atlas Khan, Medicine – Nephrology
Aveline Filliol, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Ayse Payir, Psychology
Bezalel Bacon, Center for Radiological Research
Biagio Palmisano, Genetics and Development
Bing Song, Mechanical Engineering
Brandon Ashinoff, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Bryan Cheng, Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teacher’s College
Brygida Bisikirska, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
C Spencer Jones, Earth Institute – Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Carter Daniels, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Catalin Mitelut, Statistics
Charlotte Heleniak, Psychology
Chen Kai, Anesthesiology
Chenqi Tao, Ophthalmology
Chiara Camillo, Surgery – Science
Chiara Moriconi, Pathology and Cell Biology
Chloé Pasin, Pathology and Cell Biology
Christopher Ricupero, Dental Medicine
Christopher, Parks, Medicine – Immunology
Christos Tzimas, Medicine – Cardiology
Clara Reglero, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Clarence, Manuel, Pathology and Cell Biology
Clarissa Branco Haas, Anesthesiology
Clarissa Corinaldesi, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Claudia Tapia-Alveal, Pathology and Cell Biology
Consuelo Torrini, Pathology and Cell Biology
Dan Miller, GSAPP – Architecture
Daniel Hooper, Biological Sciences
Danny Florez, Neurology
David Cabrera, Anesthesiology
Debanjana Chatterjee, Medicine – Nephrology
Delfina Larrea, Neurology – Neuromuscular Medicine
Dmytro Ustianenko, Systems Biology
Ebru Demir, Neuroscience
Eddy Hsi Chun, Wang, Dermatology
Edoardo Migliori, Medicine – Immunology
Emilia Laura Munteanu, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Erica Rodriguez, Psychiatry – Geriatric
Estibaliz Castillero, Surgery – Cardiothoracic Training
Etienne Meunier, Sociomedical Sciences
Eva Gil, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Evan Cesanek, Zuckerman Institute
Evandro Winkelmann, Systems Biology
Evette Cordoba, Nursing
Fabian Munoz Silva, Zuckerman Institute
Farhat Abu, Genetics and Development
Fei Fang, Surgery – Orthopaedic
Felix Fiederling , Zuckerman Institute
Florence Borot, Medicine – Hematology and Oncology
Francesco Brundu, Systems Biology
Francesco Cambuli, Medicine – Hematology and Oncology
Gustavo A Rodriguez, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain
Gwennaëlle Monnot, Dermatology
Haixing Li, Chemistry
Hang Zhou, Anesthesiology
Hannah Glover, Pediatrics
Hannah Payne, Zuckerman Institute
Hao Wu, Anesthesiology
Hazeem Okunola, Center for Radiological Research
Heekuk Park, Medicine – Infectious Diseases
Hila Milo Rasouly , Medicine – Nephrology
Hossein Kamaly, Middle East Institute
Huachao Huang, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Hylde Zirpoli, Institute of Human Nutrition
Indira Turney, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center
Ioan Filip, Systems Biology
Irina Stavrovskaya, Neurology
Javier Garcia Vilas , Medicine Immunology
Jen-Wei, Huang, Genetics and Development
Jennifer Bussell, Neuroscience
Jesus Perez Ortega, Biological Sciences
John Christin, Medicine – Hematology and Oncology
Jorge Montesinos, Neurology – Neuromuscular Medicine
José Ferrero, Institute for Genomic Medicine
Joy Romanski, Center for Climate Systems Research
Julia Hyland Bruno, Center For Science and Society
Kalpita Karan, Psychiatry
Korhan Buyukturkoglu, Neurology
Laureline Josset, Earth Institute
Laureline Logiaco, Zuckerman Institute
Lauren Shuffrey, Psychiatry – Developmental Neuroscience
Leah Nemzow, Center for Radiological Research
Li Li, Medicine – Pulmonary
Lin-Ing Wang, Zuckerman Institute
Linlin Sun, Anesthesiology
Lucia Morgado Palacin, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Maja Milanovic, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Mamun Rashid, Neurology
Marcella O’Reilly, Medicine – Cardiology
Marco Miotto, Physiology
Marcus van Lier-Walqui, Earth Institute – Center for Climate Systems Research
Margarita Angelova, Biochemistry and Molecular Physics
Maria Avrutsky, Pathology and Cell Biology
Maria de Lourdes Martinez Silva, Pathology and Cell Biology
Maria Jose Ortuno Romero, Genetics and Development
Maria Pedersen, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Marianna Lovaszi, Anesthesiology
Marie Francois, Pediatrics
Marie Labouesse, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Maristella Lucchini, Psychiatry – Developmental Neuroscience
Marta Galan-Diez, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Martin Carballo Pacheco, Systems Biology
Martin Escamilla del Arenal, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Martin Lackinger, Zuckerman Institute
Matilde Conte, Pediatrics
Matthew Ulgherait, Genetics and Development
Miao Li, Anesthesiology
Michael Waite, Mechanical Engineering
Miguel Arce, Neurology
Miri Blau, Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
Morgan Firestein, Psychiatry – Developmental Neuroscience
Mulugeta Abebe, Neuroscience
Na Luo, Genetics and Development
Nandhini Sivakumar, Neurology
Narendra Jha, Neurology
Nicholas Tay, Chemistry
Nichole Danzl, Medicine – Immunology
Nicola de Prisco, Genetics and Development
Nicole Perry-Hauser, Psychiatry
Ning Shang, Biomedical Informatics
Nirvedh Meshram, Biomedical Engineering
Nourdine Chakouri , Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Nuno Dinis Alves, Neuroscience
Oakley Olson, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative
Ohad Westreich, Electrical Engineering
Olga Dona, Radiation Oncology – Clinical
Osmel Companioni Napoles, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Panos Oikonomou, Systems Biology
Paraskevi Vgenopoulou, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Partha Patra, Earth and Environmental Engineering
Patrick Ampomah, Medicine – Molecular Medicine
Piray Atsak, Psychiatry – Neuroscience
Qi Wang, Center for Radiological Research
Qian Wang, Ophthalmology
Qing Yu, Surgery
Qing Zhou, Pathology and Cell Biology
Rachel Duffié, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Rainer Engelken, Zuckerman Institute
Raquel Cuella Martin, Genetics and Development
Rebecca Delker, Biochemistry and Molecular Physics
Rebecca Delventhal, Genetics and Development
Richard Friedman, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Rick Russotto, Earth Institute – Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Riddhi Shah, Medicine – Pulmonary
Rinki Saha, Psychiatry – Developmental Neuroscience
Robert Soden, Computer Science
Roberto Gulli, Neuroscience
Robin Richardson, Public Health – Epidemiology
Romina Lenci, Pathology and Cell Biology
Ronak Patel, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain
Rosemary Cater, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Rossella Labella, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Roumen Voutev, Biochemistry and Molecular Physics
Ruijun Chen, Biomedical Informatics
Rupali Gund, Dermatology
Sachel Mok, Microbiology and Immunology
Sajjad Moazeni, Electrical Engineering
Samuel Burke, Law School
Samuel Norman-Haignere, Neuroscience
Sandeep Wontakal, Pathology and Cell Biology
Sandra Franco Iborra, Pathology and Cell Biology
Sanket Rane, Pathology and Cell Biology
Sarah Mehta, Law School
Sassan Ostvar, Medicine – General Medicine
Satish Dhingra, Microbiology and Immunology
Sebastian Theilenberg, Biomedical Engineering
Sebnem Tuncdemir, Psychiatry – Integrative Neuroscience
Sejoon Choi, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Shikha Singh, Biological Sciences
Signe Mathiasen, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Silvia Affo, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Sindhuja Devanapally, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Sneha Rao, Zuckerman Institute
Solaiman Tarafder, Dental Medicine
Sonakshi Bhattacharjee, Medicine
Song Liu, Mechanical Engineering
Sophie Colombo, Institute for Genomic Medicine
Sri Karthika Shanmugam, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Srinidhi Jayaraman, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Stefano Cataldi, Psychiatry – Molecular Therapeutics
Subrata Chowdhury, Genetics and Development
Sumaira Zamurrad, Neuroscience
Sumin Jang, Pathology and Cell Biology
Sunmoo Yoon, Medicine – General Medicine
Surojit Sural, Biological Sciences
Takahiko Akematsu, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Tal Hirschhorn, Biological Sciences
Tamar Goldzak, Chemistry
Tania Wong, Pediatrics – Infectious Diseases
Tessa Montague, Zuckerman Institute
Theresa Swayne, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Thi Thanh The Vo, Neurology
Toghrul Jafarov, Medicine – Hematology and Oncology
Trang Nguyen, Pathology and Cell Biology
Umed Boltaev, Chemistry
Upasana Roy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Utsav Dave, Electrical Engineering
Victoria Louise Hewitt, Zuckerman Institute
Wanglong Qiu, Pathology and Cell Biology
Wen Dun, Medicine – Cardiology
Wenrui Huang, Pathology and Cell Biology
Wenxuan Liang, Zuckerman Institute
Xiaolan Wang, Neuroscience
Xiaotao Guo, Radiology
Yair Antman, Integrated Science and Engineering Center
Yan Mo, Institute for Cancer Genetics
Yinglu Li, Genetics and Development
Yoon-A Kang, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative
Yoshinobu Saito, Medicine – Digestive and Liver Diseases
Youngkyu Kim, Biological Sciences
Yuan-Cho Lee, Center for Radiological Research
Zachary McDargh, Chemical Engineering
Zachary Parolin, School of Social Work
Zeinab Fazlali, Biomedical Engineering
Zhen Gong, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics