Climate Justice Working Group
Members from across disciplines are working collectively towards climate justice here the Pacific Northwest. Over the last several months, we have been developing environmental justice “pillars” and legislative priorities, specifically focused on the intersection of the labor movement and climate justice, that will help build directions for future advocacy. These priorities include continued support of Inslee’s Environmental Justice Taskforce, where our Local represents the broader Washington State labor community to develop a Just Transition plan for workers impacted by reduction of fossil fuels; and working in coalition with the Climate Alliance for Jobs in Clean Energy. The Climate Justice Working Group meets every other week. For more info and to get involved, email climatejustice@uaw4121.org.
Family Friendly Working Group
Our Family Friendly workgroup is working to support Postdoc parents and caregivers and is developing guidelines to administer the Childcare Fund from Article 5 of our contract. For more info and to get involved, email familyfriendly@uaw4121.org.
Healthcare Working Group
The Postdoc Healthcare Working Group is taking action to ensure all Postdocs receive health coverage! Please take a minute to help by signing our petition calling on the UW administration to stop excluding Postdocs who are funded through paid-direct mechanisms from getting the same health insurance that other Postdocs get. This policy disproportionately affects international scholars and it harms all of us when any of us are without healthcare. For more info and to get involved, email PDhealthcare@uaw4121.org.
Housing Justice Working Group
On October 15, Washington State’s emergency eviction moratorium will expire, and without bold action to continue it, Governor Jay Inslee will be unleashing a mass wave of catastrophic evictions in Washington. We know that many of our members were already rent-burdened even before the COVID pandemic began, so our Housing Justice Working Group is taking action by getting involved with the Cancel Rent & Mortgages Washington movement. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please email housing-justice@uaw4121.org.
International Solidarity Working Group
In recent months, our International Solidarity Working Group has been a force for taking action to protect and advance the rights of international students and scholars. Among other work, this summer alone, we have:
- Continued ongoing outreach and organizing with incoming international students to ensure their appointments are honored even if they can’t work physically in the US.
- Called on UW Admin to create an international scholar-led Task Force to democratically and accountably address the current lack of communication and organization across the UW on issues affecting international students and workers.
- Coordinated with academic workers across the country to organize multiple info sessions and nationwide protests to defeat the ICE directive requiring international students to attend classes in person or face deportation.
- Pressured elected officials at the city, state, and federal level to include non-citizens in critical COVID relief measures.
- Taken action to resist proposed changes to F1-OPT extensions and H1B visas.
The ISW meets weekly to continue this ongoing work — email intl-workgroup@uaw4121.org with a non-UW email address for more info and to get involved!
Organizing Committees – ASE and Postdoc
Both Academic Student Employee and Postdoc Organizing Committees meet weekly to build union membership and leadership networks, reach out to our colleagues about joining the union, coordinate new member orientations, and more. Postdocs are also developing our bargaining survey for upcoming Postdoc contract negotiations. For more information and to get involved with organizing in your department, email uaw4121@uaw4121.org.
Political Working Group
The Political Working Group is ramping up in preparation for November 3rd, and is in the process of determining our general election endorsements! In the meantime, we have worked to identify key races across Washington where we have the opportunity to elect pro-labor, pro-environment, pro-education candidates, and have several opportunities to volunteer — including phone banking with campaigns, contacting fellow union members, and getting out the vote! If you’re interested in getting involved with any of this work, email political@uaw4121.org.
Member Resources and Support
If you’re facing issues with your work or in your department, get in touch with the Contract Enforcement Working Group by emailing us or
filling out this form. The Contract Enforcement Working Group is made up of UAW 4121 members who have experience and training assisting fellow members with a wide range of concerns — including appointment security, harassment and discrimination, workload, leaves, and much more — both informally and through our grievance procedure
In Solidarity,
Douglas Avella-Castro
Leandro Casiraghi
Amanda Clouser
Monica Cortés Viharo
Meg Drouhard
Max Friedfeld
Vern Harner
Dan Hart
Amzi Jeffs
Sam Kastner
Kyle Kubler
Kristin McCowan
Emily Myers
Anzela Niraula
Jacob O’Connor
Elena Pandres
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
David Parsons
Shua Sanchez
Paige Sechrest
Solmaz Shakerifard
Sam Sumpter
Judy Twedt
Jon Witt
