The UAW Local 4121 Triennial Election period is beginning, and this is an excellent opportunity to take a leadership position in your department and in our union.
Nominations for Executive Board, Head Steward, Constitutional Convention Delegate, Defense Committee, and Steward positions are open Friday, April 22nd and will close on Monday, May 2nd at 5:00 PM PDT.
All members who are in good standing are automatically nominated for open positions. This means that you do not have to be nominated by someone else–to run for the position, you simply have to accept your automatic nomination! To accept nomination, please reply to us through email at elections@uaw4121.org or through mail at Elections Committee c/o UAW Local 4121, 2633 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98102.
The timeline for the elections is as follows:
- Nomination Period: Friday 4/22/22 – Monday 5/2/22 (May 2nd at 5:00 PM PDT is also the deadline to submit optional candidate statements and photos)
- Candidate Statements Posted: Wednesday 5/4/22
- Voting: Monday 5/16/22 – Wednesday 5/18/22 (for contested positions)
- Runoff (If needed): Monday 5/23/22 – Tuesday 5/24/22
(all nomination and voting/runoff periods close at 5:00 PM PDT)
Questions? Email us at elections@uaw4121.org.
Executive Board Positions and Eligibility Description
The open Executive Board positions are: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Guide, Trustee (3 positions), and At-Large Member (2 positions). The Executive Board meets at least once a month to coordinate Local strategies and campaigns and to carry out Local functions between membership meetings. Executive Board members are also responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of Local organizing. More detailed descriptions of these positions can be found in the UAW Constitution.
Eligibility: All candidates for the Executive Board of the Local Union must be members and have been in continuous good standing for one (1) year prior to accepting nomination. No member may run for or hold more than one elected office simultaneously, with the exception of Constitutional Convention Delegates and chairs of standing committees other than the Election Committee.
- There is one (1) open position for each of these roles: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Guide.
- There are three (3) total open Trustee positions, with the stipulation that at least one must be filled by a Postdoc and at least one must be filled by an ASE.
- There are two (2) total open At-Large positions, with the stipulation that at least one must be filled by a Postdoc and at least one must be filled by an ASE.
If you have questions about the positions or your eligibility, please feel free to contact us at elections@uaw4121.org. All Executive Board positions are for 3-year terms.
Head Steward Positions and Eligibility Description
Head Stewards represent the entire ASE/Postdoc units and meet quarterly (at minimum) as members of the Joint Council, alongside the Executive Board. Head Stewards also make up the bargaining team that bargains with the UW over our contract. There are currently 13 total Head Steward positions that represent the ASEs, along with 5 others for the Postdocs.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the position of Head Steward, you must have been a union member in continuous good standing for at least ninety (90) days. You may not hold the position of Head Steward simultaneously with any other elected office, with the exception of Constitutional Convention Delegates and chairs of standing committees other than the Elections Committee.
- For ASE’s, there are eleven (11) head steward positions available, one (1) Unit Chair position available, and one (1) Recording Secretary position available.
- For Postdocs, there are three (3) head steward positions available, one (1) Unit Chair position available, and one (1) Recording Secretary position available.
If you have questions about the position or your eligibility, please feel free to contact us at elections@uaw4121.org. All head steward positions will be for 3-year terms.
Constitutional Convention Delegate Positions and Eligibility Description
The UAW Constitutional Convention is held every four years, with the next Convention scheduled to take place July 25th through July 28th in Detroit, Michigan. Delegates will decide on constitutional changes at the Convention, as well as vote on resolutions that set the union’s position on important workplace and societal issues.
Eligibility: You are eligible to serve as a Constitutional Convention Delegate if you have been in continuous good standing in the International Union since July 1st, 2021 AND a member of the Local Union since April 1st, 2022.
- There are five (5) Constitutional Convention Delegate positions, as well as three (3) alternate positions available. When accepting your nomination, please indicate whether you are accepting a Delegate or an alternate position. Only the 5 Delegates will be sent to the Convention.
If you have questions about the position or your eligibility, please feel free to contact us at elections@uaw4121.org. All Delegate positions are for 4-year terms.
Defense Committee Positions and Eligibility Description
The primary goals of the Defense Committee are participating in and recruiting for solidarity actions with other unions, conducting direct action campaigns in order to strengthen our position as a local, and building links between UAW 4121 and on- and off-campus organizations dedicated to advancing equity and fairness.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the position on the Defense Committee, you must have been a union member in continuous good standing for at least ninety (90) days. You may not hold a position on the Defense Committee simultaneously with any other elected office, with the exception of Constitutional Convention Delegate, Steward, and chairs of standing committees other than the Elections Committee.
- There are twenty (20) open Defense Committee positions available.
If you have questions about the position or your eligibility, please feel free to contact us at elections@uaw4121.org. All committee positions will be for 3-year terms.
Steward Positions and Eligibility Description
Stewards are responsible for serving as organizers and points of contact for their department. They help encourage people to join the union, spread information about upcoming events, direct department members to union resources, and help organize the ASEs/Postdocs in the department for collective actions that protect and expand our workplace rights. With the guidance of the contract enforcement committee, they can also represent and support colleagues through the grievance procedure if issues arise. Stewards receive training and support for both of these roles, so there’s no prior experience needed.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the position of Steward, you must have been a union member in good standing for at least ninety (90) days. You may not hold the position of Steward simultaneously with any other elected office, with the exception of Constitutional Convention Delegates and chairs of standing committees other than the Elections Committee.
- There are many open steward positions. For a full list, please see HERE.
If you have questions about the position or your eligibility, please feel free to contact us at elections@uaw4121.org. All Steward positions will last until September 2022, including any vacant Steward positions that are filled in this Spring Election. We will hold elections for all Steward positions during the Fall 2022 quarter. Stewards elected in the Fall will serve for 2 years.
Accepting Nomination
To accept nomination for one of the above 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 May 2nd at 5:00 PM PDT (for email correspondences, the nomination must be sent by 5:00 PM PDT). The written statement of acceptance should state how the nominee wishes their name to appear on the ballot and the region in which they are accepting the nomination, if applicable.
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 May 2nd at 5:00 PM PDT (for email correspondences, the statement must be sent by 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 May 4th.
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 only one candidate accepts nomination for a position, that position will be uncontested and will be automatically filled. For contested positions, a candidate must receive a majority of votes to win, pursuant to the UAW 4121 Bylaws and the UAW International Constitution.
If no candidate receives a majority of the votes for a position, a runoff election will be held from May 23rd to 24th. Voting will take place online for the entirety of the runoff election period, and in-person voting will be available for at least one of the days at a location to be announced later.
Online Voting
Online voting by secret ballot will take place from May 16th to 18th. Instructions for online voting will be emailed to all members before the voting period and will be posted on www.uaw4121.org/elections.
Members can also vote in person from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on May 17th and 18th. A voting table will be staffed outside of the Husky Union Building (HUB) Main Entrance.
If you have graduated or left the University of Washington and are receiving this email in error, please email us at elections@uaw4121.org.
In solidarity,
UAW Local 4121 Election Committee 2021-2022
Amanda Manaster
Cecily Rosenbaum
Erin Broatch
Kirill Tchernyshyov
Patrick Erickson