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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