Local 4100 Postdocs Vote Overwhelmingly to Authorize Strike at Columbia

Last week, Columbia Postdoctoral Workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize the union’s bargaining committee to call a strike.

“We want to avoid having to strike. We want to do the research that brought us to Columbia and that contributes to the University’s mission,” Anna Yoney, CPW-UAW unit chair and an associate research scientist, said in a Monday press release. “But our work deserves to be respected, and our working conditions need to be sustainable. This vote sends a clear message: we are united and we are prepared to strike if necessary to win a fair contract.”

The union began bargaining with Columbia in March for a contract that provides job security for postdocs and protections for international workers amid uncertainty from the federal government.

“Our members have spent months making our priorities clear,” Sarah Vincent, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Mailman School of Public Health, said in the press release. “We have organized, rallied, spoken publicly about our experiences, and come to the bargaining table ready to reach an agreement. This vote demonstrates that we are united in demanding the job security, compensation, and workplace protections we need to continue doing our work.”

Three UAW-endorsed congressional candidates—Brad Lander, Claire Valdez (Local 2110 member), and Darializa Avila Chevalier (Local 2325 member)—supported the union at a rally in June. “Anytime a union is taking on Columbia, know that I will be there with you in that fight,” Valdez, former unit chair of Local 2110’s Columbia chapter, said.

“We are still ready to reach an agreement,” Andrew Little, president of UAW Local 4100, said in the press release. “Columbia can choose a different path. We hope the University will take this vote as a clear mandate from its researchers to come back to the table, bargain seriously, and reach a contract that recognizes the essential work we perform every day.”

In the news:

• Columbia Spectator: Columbia postdoctoral workers vote to authorize strike (August 24)
• The Chief: Colombia postdocs authorize strike: Around 1,000 workers could walk out at any time (August 24)