Dear UAW Member,
Vacancy Elections
Nominations for vacant positions on the Defense Committee for UAW 4121 are open November 15th and will close on November 24th at 5:00 p.m. PDT. This is an opportunity to assist the defense of our and other unions. There are currently 16 vacant At Large member positions on this committee.
Members elected to the Defense Committee can serve until the next Triennial Election, which in this case, means Spring 2022.
All members who have been in continuous good standing for 90 days are automatically nominated for open positions on this committee. This means that you do not have to be nominated by someone else–to run for a position, you simply have to accept your automatic nomination!
Note that no person may hold a position on the Defense Committee while holding another elected position in the union, unless that other position is Steward or a Chair of standing committee. So, for example, a steward could accept nomination to the committee, but a board member could not. Please reply to us at elections@uaw4121.org to accept nomination for one position only.
The timeline for the elections is as follows:
- Nomination Period: Friday, 11/15 to Sunday, 11/24 (November 24th at 5:00 p.m. PDT is the deadline to submit optional candidate statements and photos)
- Candidate Statements Posted: Wednesday, 11/27
- Voting: Monday, 12/09 to Wednesday, 12/11 (if necessary)
- Runoff: First Week of January (due to break, and only if necessary)
(all nomination and voting/runoff periods close at 5:00 PM PDT)
Questions? Email us at elections@uaw4121.org.
Defense Committee*
*From the UAW 4121 Website
The Defense Committee is a group of Union members who work to “provide for the general defense“: to support a committed Union membership in fighting for the fair and equitable treatment of both students, and members of our wider community. We do this by:
- Organizing events and direct actions to build community amongst Union members and strengthen our position as a Union.
- Collaborating with other Unions and local groups, assisting with their struggles and building a strong relationship between our organizations and members.
- Helping members learn about unionism, your rights, and ways you can get involved.
Accepting Nomination
To accept nomination for one of the 16 vacant At Large positions, you must send your acceptance in an email to the Election Committee at elections@uaw4121.org, or by mail to Elections Committee c/o UAW Local 4121, 2633 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98102.
Acceptance must be received by mail or email no later than November 24th at 5:00pm PDT. The written statement of acceptance should state how the nominee wishes their name to appear on the ballot.
Candidate Statements and Campaign Rules
Members accepting nomination may also submit a candidate statement (up to 500 words) to the Election Committee that must be received by the nomination deadline of November 24th at 5:00 pm PDT. Candidates may also submit a photo, which must have a square aspect ratio and be at least 200×200 pixels in resolution. In the case of contested positions, statements will be posted on the Local Union website no later than November 27th.
Candidates and those campaigning for them are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the rules governing elections and campaigns as laid out in the UAW 4121 Bylaws and the Constitution of the UAW International.
Election Procedure
If the total number of accepted nominations meets or is less than the number of available positions, the election will be uncontested and these positions will be automatically filled. If the number of accepted nominations exceeds the number of available positions, a vote will be held. The 16 candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to the committee.
If there are any ties between candidates in numbers of votes that would affect who gets elected, a runoff election will be held the first week of January 2020. Voting will take place online.
Online Voting
Online voting by secret ballot will take place from December 9th to the 11th. Instructions for online voting will be emailed to all members before the voting and will be posted on www.uaw4121.org/elections.
If you have graduated or left the University of Washington and are receiving this email in error, please email us at elections@uaw4121.org.
Cheers,
UAW Local 4121 Election Committee 2019-2020
David Carlson
Victor Hu
Sarah Romano