{"id":1394,"date":"2018-12-04T14:11:41","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T19:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/?page_id=1394"},"modified":"2020-10-01T12:27:09","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T16:27:09","slug":"meet-bc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/home-2\/contract-negotiations\/meet-bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Bargaining Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #e6f1f5; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-right-radius: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: right; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Melissa.png\" \/><strong>Melissa McKenzie<\/strong> is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in\u00a0the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology<\/div>\n<div id=\"links1-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links1-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links1', 1394, 'Read more about Melissa', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links1-toggle-1394\">Read more about Melissa<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links1-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links1-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I am a third year post-doctoral research scientist in Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia Medical center. I love being a post-doc, and I have enjoyed getting to know many members of this vibrant community over the last few years. I believe in this place and I think it can be more. As a single parent, I have faced many challenges that are best faced together and have worked to help expand and build the parenting community here at Columbia. I am exceptionally lucky in that my PI is generous, flexible and understanding. As I have met more and more of my colleagues, I have learned this is not always the case. This is part of why I feel strongly about unionization. I believe we have an opportunity to build on the efforts of our university senate and professional organizations, and now, with the union, to speak to the university with a stronger united voice. I am running for the bargaining committee because I am optimistic that we can work with the Columbia administration to negotiate a contract that will guarantee and protect fair and equitable working conditions for all of us, regardless of who our PIs are, our immigration status, or through what mechanism we are funded. I will work to increase our access to things that matter to all of us: consistent and reasonable pay increases, access to affordable housing, protections for parental leave and other basic benefits. I will advocate for more accountability and protections in the face of bad actors and workplace harassment. Most of all, I promise to listen to you and work cooperatively with the other members of the committee and the administration to negotiate a contract that reflects our highest hopes for what working at a world-class institution like Columbia should be.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half ezcol-last\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3d7e1; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-left-radius: 100px; border-bottom-left-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: left; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Medini.png\" \/><strong>Medini Annavajhala<\/strong> is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine &#8211; Infectious Diseases<\/div>\n<div id=\"links2-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links2-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links2', 1394, 'Read more about Medini', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links2-toggle-1394\">Read more about Medini<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links2-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links2-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">Over the past six years, I have gotten to know Columbia quite well \u2013 first as a graduate worker in Environmental Engineering and now as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Medicine Department. I chose to stay here for a postdoc because I love the work I do and the people I work with. Immediately, though, I began hearing from postdocs and Associate Research Scientists about how many felt resigned to not having a voice in any decisions regarding their pay and benefits, grievance procedures, and feeling valued as an academic employee. During\u00a0my 4 years as an organizer for the Graduate Workers of Columbia and now the Columbia\u00a0Postdoctoral Workers (CPW), though, the stories I have heard and the workers I have met\u00a0have given me hope. Standing together as a unit will show the administration of Columbia\u00a0what is important to us and what we need in order to be productive, healthy, and motivated\u00a0workers, much of which does resonate across titles and experience levels. A few issues that I\u00a0personally feel strongly about include: fair pay covering rising living costs (scaling NIH recommended\u00a0minimums based on cost-of-living indices for NYC), adequate health resources\u00a0(physical AND mental), and protections for workers filing sexual harassment or unfair labor\u00a0practice claims to ensure their protection from retaliation. I would be honored to represent\u00a0CPW by serving on the Bargaining Committee because I truly believe that negotiation with\u00a0university administration on an even, legally-backed standing is the best way to serve our\u00a0needs.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ezcol-divider\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3d7e1; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-right-radius: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: right; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Steven.png\" \/><strong>Steven Cook<\/strong> is an Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences<\/div>\n<div id=\"links3-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links3-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links3', 1394, 'Read more about Steven', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links3-toggle-1394\">Read more about Steven<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links3-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links3-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">My name is Steven Cook, and I am a second-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the\u00a0Department of Biological Sciences. I have been involved with union organizing and the\u00a0organizing committee for the Columbia Postdoctoral Workers (CPW-UAW) for almost my entire\u00a0time at Columbia. Having grown up in a union household, and previously a member of SEIU\u00a01199, I have a long-standing interest in unionization and workers\u2019 rights. I strongly believe that by showing collective power through CPW-UAW at Columbia, we can help to improve the\u00a0working conditions for all postdocs and Associate Research Scientists\/Scholars (ARSes) at\u00a0Columbia.<br \/>\nI have spoken to hundreds of postdocs and ARSes across Columbia\u2019s campuses, I have worked\u00a0to understand the issues that need to be addressed to create a transparent contract that\u00a0benefits all CPW-UAW members. There is a clear need to improve the economic (Wages,\u00a0healthcare, appointment length, visa support, etc.) and non-economic (Sexual harassment,\u00a0discrimination, career development, etc.) benefits offered by Columbia.<br \/>\nWe are not alone in our fight to improve workers\u2019 rights, both here at Columbia, and nationally.\u00a0I will work my hardest to represent the interests of all CPW-UAW members, and to directly\u00a0empower our postdoc\/ARS workforce.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half ezcol-last\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #e6f1f5; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-left-radius: 100px; border-bottom-left-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: left; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Tulsi.png\" \/><strong>Tulsi Patel<\/strong> is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology and Cellular Biology<\/div>\n<div id=\"links4-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links4-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links4', 1394, 'Read more about Tulsi', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links4-toggle-1394\">Read more about Tulsi<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links4-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links4-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I started at Columbia as a Ph.D. student in Genetics and Development and am now a 3rd year\u00a0Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pathology and Cell Biology. I have been an organizer for both\u00a0the graduate workers\u2019 unionization campaign and the postdoctoral campaign over the past 4\u00a0years. Additionally, I have moderated town halls and served as a witness for our union at the\u00a0NLRB when the administration tried to argue that \u2018postdocs are not employees\u2019 and fellows are\u00a0\u2018outside contractors\u2019. I am enthusiastic about unionization because collective bargaining seems\u00a0to be the only effective way to hold powerful employers accountable to their employees, and\u00a0because solidarity with the growing higher-ed unionization movement has the potential to give\u00a0scientists a voice in the national political conversation. I am running for the bargaining\u00a0committee because I am excited to contribute to the negotiation of a fair contract for all\u00a0postdocs and ARSs. The Columbia administration has consistently shortchanged postdocs in<br \/>\nseveral ways: by not guaranteeing pay increases that match our experience or even the\u00a0increasing cost of living in NYC, by providing us inconsistent and unaffordable housing, by taking\u00a0away benefits when we receive fellowships, by not guaranteeing consistent parental leave and\u00a0childcare benefits, by ineffectively resolving cases of sexual and other workplace harassment. I\u00a0will do my utmost to negotiate a contract that guarantees us these basic rights. I will also\u00a0continue to organize and moderate open town halls to better understand our bargaining\u00a0priorities and keep the bargaining process transparent.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ezcol-divider\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 15px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #e6f1f5; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-right-radius: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: right; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Andrew.png\" \/><strong>Andrew Zaharia<\/strong> is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Zuckerman Institute<\/div>\n<div id=\"links5-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links5-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links5', 1394, 'Read more about Andrew', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links5-toggle-1394\">Read more about Andrew<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links5-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links5-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I\u2019m a third-year postdoc in cognitive neuroscience in my first year at Columbia. I got involved\u00a0with the union because I believe that better working conditions for postdocs and ARSs would\u00a0be better for science and academia as a whole. All postdocs and ARSs deserve a living wage,\u00a0more affordable health care and child care, and retirement benefits. The less we have to worry\u00a0about having basic needs met, the better we can retain talent and focus on research.<br \/>\nI\u2019ve talked to postdocs and ARSs in every lab at Manhattanville to learn more about their\u00a0experiences and priorities. I worked hard to turn out the union vote, calling workers,\u00a0participating in town halls, and speaking publicly in support of the union. Most recently, I\u00a0organized and facilitated the union\u2019s first town hall on the Manhattanville campus.<br \/>\nAs a member of the bargaining committee, I would take consensus building and\u00a0communication with the rest of the union very seriously. As we develop and discuss our\u00a0bargaining goals, you can expect detailed presentations from me about the bargaining\u00a0committee\u2019s research and analyses. And since data visualization is one of my research\u00a0interests, you can expect from me sweet (and informative) plots.<br \/>\nThe union serves as a check on Columbia\u2019s power and gives us all a voice that Columbia can\u2019t\u00a0ignore. Let\u2019s keep the pressure on the administration and win a strong contract that not only\u00a0improves our lives, but also sets a new standard for other universities to follow.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half ezcol-last\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3d7e1; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-left-radius: 100px; border-bottom-left-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: left; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/NAcho.png\" \/><strong>Ignacio Hernandez-Morato<\/strong>\u00a0is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery<\/div>\n<div id=\"links6-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links6-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links6', 1394, 'Read more about Ignacio', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links6-toggle-1394\">Read more about Ignacio<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links6-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links6-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I am an international researcher in Neuroscience focused in the processes involved regarding peripheral nerve regeneration. I defended my thesis in 2012 before I moved to the US. I have been working for more than two years as Associate Research Scientist at Otolaryngology-Head and Neck department in Columbia University Medical Center campus. Since I was predoc I have been participating in several initiatives for improving the academia and the life of the researchers. Here, at Columbia\u2019s I have been collaborating in the formation of the CPW-UAW from the beginning.<br \/>\nI believe we are actually living a very interesting time point of our recent history and I enjoy helping to build a new form of relationship among people in academia. The union must be a vehicle that will switch an evolution for the change of our R&amp;D system in academia. My primary task will be to reflect the concerns that we, the postdoctoral researchers, have as a key player in the expanding of knowledge that Columbia University must carry on.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ezcol-divider\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 15px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3d7e1; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-right-radius: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: right; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Jo.png\" \/><strong>Jozsef Meszaros<\/strong> is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry<\/div>\n<div id=\"links7-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links7-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links7', 1394, 'Read more about Jozsef', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links7-toggle-1394\">Read more about Jozsef<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links7-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links7-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I\u2019m a second-year postdoc working at Columbia University Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry. I have both a law degree from UPenn and a PhD from Columbia in neuroscience. I believe research can be an extremely rewarding endeavor if the conditions are right. Harassment, economic deprivation, and precarious work-life balance arrangements can sour your relationship to Columbia, the academy, and your field. As a member of the bargaining committee, I would focus on continuing to understand the specific needs of all union members, with an emphasis on preventing and eliminating harassment and creating financial and structural support for parents. To attain these objectives, I plan to encourage postdoc attendance at bargaining sessions, with a goal of having at least five new postdocs at each bargaining session. These bargaining sessions can be a transformative experience as postdoctoral union members get a glimpse at the real inner workings of the University. Additionally, I will put my hard-earned law degree to good use by ensuring that the claims of Columbia\u2019s highly-paid lawyers are thoroughly challenged. I believe that my previous experiences with working in law and advocacy, as well as my familiarity with Columbia University and its employees and systems will help me be an effective change-agent for all postdoctoral union members.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ezcol ezcol-one-half ezcol-last\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #e6f1f5; color: black; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; height: 220px; border-top-left-radius: 100px; border-bottom-left-radius: 100px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; float: left; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/PJ.png\" \/><strong>Pierre-Jacques Brun <\/strong>is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of\u00a0Medicine &#8211; Preventive Medicine<\/div>\n<div id=\"links8-link-1394\" class=\"sh-link links8-link sh-hide\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"showhide_toggle('links8', 1394, 'Read more about Pierre-Jacques', 'Show less'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"links8-toggle-1394\">Read more about Pierre-Jacques<\/span><\/a><\/div><div id=\"links8-content-1394\" class=\"sh-content links8-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div align=\"justify\">I am a fourth-year Associate Research Scientist in the department of Medicine and I have been working at Columbia University for 8 years. Having observed so many problematic situations, I am very sensitive to the power imbalance between a yearly appointed, and on soft money, career starting postdoctoral worker and highly regarded tenured Columbia Professors. Sometimes, this power imbalance is abused and the Columbia University administration has no intent on dealing with it fairly. This is why I am determined to help the postdoc and research scientist union bargain for a contract that offers better protections, a fairer grievance process in cases of sexual harassment and bullying, and better compensation for our hard work. A collectively bargained contract is the only way we can guarantee better protections for ALL postdocs and research scientists. The next few months will be critical and it would be my honor to bring my experience, here at Columbia, and my determination to the bargaining table.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ezcol-divider\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 15px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/cropped-LOGO-POSTDOC_090617_blue-01-230x230.png\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Melissa McKenzie is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in\u00a0the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology Read more about Melissa I am a third year post-doctoral research scientist in Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia Medical center. I love being a post-doc,","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":1294,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1394"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2661,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1394\/revisions\/2661"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapostdocunion.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}