Dear UAW Members,
Nominations for all executive board and unit leadership positions in UAW 4121 will open 9 am PDT Friday, May 2, and will close at 11:59 pm PDT Monday, May 12. This is an opportunity to take a leadership position in your department and our union.
You do not have to be nominated by someone else – to run for the position, you simply have to accept your automatic nomination! Please fill out this Google form to accept nominations for one position only. Read below for more information about eligibility requirements for each position.
The timeline for the elections is as follows (all times in PDT):
- Nomination Period: 9 am Friday, May 2 – 11:59 pm Monday, May 12
- Candidate Statements Collection (for contested positions): 9 am Friday, May 2 – 11:59 pm Thursday, May 15
- Voting (for contested positions): 9 am Monday, May 26 – 11:59 pm Wednesday, May 28
- Runoff (if needed): 9 am Friday, May 30 – 11:59 pm Friday, May 30
All nomination and voting/runoff periods close at 11:59 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 (3 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: Postdoc Trustee, ASE Trustee, and RSE Trustee.
There are three (3) total open At-Large positions: Postdoc At-Large, ASE At-Large, and RSE At-Large
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/RSE 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 their unit’s contract. There are currently 14 total Head Steward positions that represent the ASEs, 5 that represent the Postdocs, and 7 that represent the RSEs.
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 ASEs, there are twelve (12) 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.
For RSEs, there are five (5) 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.
Accepting Nomination
To accept a nomination for one of the above positions, you must fill out this nomination acceptance form or email the Elections Committee (elections@uaw4121.org) no later than 11:59 pm on Monday, May 12. The written statement of acceptance should state how the nominee wishes their name to appear on the ballot, the position for which they are accepting nomination, and the department 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) by email to the Elections Committee that must be received by May 15th at 5:00 PM PDT. Please note that unlike the nomination and voting periods, this is a 5 pm deadline. 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 19th.
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 the nomination for a position, that position will be uncontested and automatically filled. For contested positions, a candidate must receive a majority of votes to win. The Elections Committee will contact candidates for any contested positions to collect candidate statements.
If no candidate receives a majority of the votes for a position, a runoff election will be held at 9 am Friday, May 30 – 11:59 pm Friday, May 30. Voting will take place online. 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 received this email in error, please email comms@uaw4121.org.
In solidarity,
UAW Local 4121 Elections Committee 2025-2026
Tracy Chin
Norma Garfias
Sam Jahn
Lena Johnson
Fiona McLary
Jake Moran
Emmi Russo