736 State University of New York Researchers Vote to Join CWA

District 1 Organizing Coordinator tim Dubnau reports:
In an NLRB supervised election, 736 Research Assistants employed by the SUNY Research Foundation at Stony Brook, NY voted decisively to join CWA Local 1104. The vote was 214 to 135 with 35 challenged ballots.

Despite being affiliated with the State University of New York, the private Research Foundation launched an anti union campaign that included captive audience meetings, one on ones, distortions on dues, and warnings on strikes. The employer also delayed the vote at the Labor Board, and appealed the decision by the Regional Board affirming earlier decisions that the RAs are employees.

The workers held firm thanks to a public 50+ Organizing Committee, and great work by the Local and the Organizers.

Local 1104 75-25 Organizing Director Jim McAsey was joined by the following mostly rank and file project organizers, Li Ming, Kevin Young, Xu Xiao, Kira Schuman. Project Organizer Ari Gold was borrowed from District 7. Local 1104 Chief Steward and Political Organizer Anthony Eramo helped put political pressure on the Research Foundation.

A great GOTV operation was critical, and many unions and allies helped during election day, including: 3 people from the Long Island Progressive Coalition, 6 volunteers from the Working Families Party, Local 1037 Organizing Director Anne Luck , Local 1180 Organizer Erin Mahoney, TNG Local 3 Organizer Alanna Stone, Pete Sikora from D1, and over a dozen 1104 Stewards from Verizon.  In addition to these 25 volunteers, the Org Cmte came out in force too to Get Out the Vote.

Congratulations to all on this impressive win.