Upcoming Election for the Contested Position of UAW 4123 President: May 1st, 2025
Elections will be conducted electronically and members will receive ballots via email.
The candidates are:
Lark Winner, CSUSB
Brandon Trigo Foley, SFSU
Statement from Lark Winner:
Who I am:
Six years ago, as a single mother of three boys, I took a job as an SI Leader at my campus and was thrilled when I was able to join my union as a member during my onboarding. Soon after, I got involved with organizing members at CSU San Bernardino and at other nearby campuses. I was raised in a union household and knew that even though I was working multiple jobs and going to school, I needed to invest in building my union’s power.
What I’ve accomplished as President of UAW 4123:
Over the last four years I have worked tirelessly to build membership at all 23 campuses, develop and train member-activists and leaders on how to organize, enforce our contract, and bargain for higher pay and better working conditions.
Since 2020, through these efforts to build networks of trained leaders, UAW 4123 has signed up more than 10,000 new members and won contracts that lifted Academic Student Worker pay by more than 30% across all classifications, and expanded paid leave access and our union’s rights.
Why you should vote for me as President:
As Academic Student Workers at the CSU, our power lies in our solidarity across the 23 campuses, and in the knowledge that without our contributions to the university, the CSU would not be the gateway to higher education that it so proudly proclaims. I have spent the last four years building our power to force the CSU recognize our contributions, and, if re-elected President, I promise to continue building our democratic voice and power so that the CSU must treat our work with the dignity it deserves.
Statement from Brandon Trigo Foley:
Right now, the CSU is at its breaking point. Courses are being slashed, faculty are being laid off, and our jobs are on the line. With a potential 8% budget cut to the CSU system as a whole - coupled with severe reductions across multiple campuses - many of our members face an unprecedented crisis.
Serving as the current President of Associated Students at San Francisco State, I’ve represented over 20,000 students not just locally, but also at the statewide and federal levels. This past year, I’ve fought to fully fund Pell Grants, protect undocumented students, and secure over $50,000 for SFSU’s largest food pantry program. But these efforts mean little if the system continues to dismantle student employment opportunities.
Being in my second year as a UAW 4123 member, I know our union’s strength lies in solidarity. And we simply cannot accept the current path as our future. We need to stand up to the Chancellor’s Office and fight not only for better pay, but also for paid sick days and holidays, long-term appointments, and free parking for all student workers. We cannot back down now - we won’t stop until the CSU invests in the workers who make this system run!
2025 Triennial Election Update: Election on May 1st
The nomination period for the Triennial election closed on April 11th, 2025. There is one contested position, for UAW 4123 President, for which the election will take place on May 1st. Elections will be conducted electronically and members will receive ballots via email.
The candidates for the position of President are as follows:
Lark Winner, CSUSB
Brandon Trigo Foley, SFSU
Other positions were uncontested: no more than one member accepted nomination for the following positions. The candidates, being UAW Local 4123 members in good standing and having accepted nomination for uncontested positions, are automatically elected.
Position: Name, Campus
Financial Secretary Sergio Daniel Sifuentes, CSUF
Recording Secretary Katie Jenkins, CSUS
Sergeant at Arms Zoe Bozich, SDSU
Trustee Aubrey Beller, CSULB
Guide Jesse Jose Ventura, CSUSB
VP of District 1 Alex Martin, Sonoma State
VP of District 3 Matt Lowry, CSULA
VP of District 4 Ilse Lopez, CSUF
Head Steward Natalia Ramirez, CSULA
Head Steward Kathryn R. Anderson, CSU Chico
Head Steward Benjamin Calvert, SFSU
Head Steward Ian Cohen, CSUEB
Head Steward Reychel Joy Robles, SDSU
Head Steward Ethan Hanks, SDSU
If you would like to get involved with your union, or want to know more about ways you could get involved, please get in touch by emailing union@uaw4123.org.
In Solidarity,
UAW 4123 Elections Committee:
Asia Baclay, SFSU
Jesus Hoil, CSU Fullerton
Jenna Beales, SJSU
Gillian Duane, CSULB
Carlos Samaniego, CSUSB
Vote now on our Initial Bargaining Demands!
Academic Student Workers: Please vote now to ratify the Intital Bargaining Demands!
Next month, Academic Student Workers (TAs, GTAs, GAs, Tutors, Graders, SI Leaders) will begin bargaining a new union contract with the CSU. This means that everything in our current contract will be up for re-negotiation -- including salary, benefits, paid sick leave and training, rights of international student workers, and more.
Click here to vote to ratify the Initial Bargaining Demands!
These demands were drafted by fellow members and are based on surveys, membership discussion, recent grievances, wins by union siblings at other universities, and more. The Initial Bargaining Demands will outline the general goals and issues we’ll be fighting to improve, and will be the basis for drafting exact contract language.
As we approach our first bargaining session, it is critical that every single TA, GTA, GA, Tutor, Grader, and SI Leader reviews and votes on ratifying these demands. Your participation helps ensure that our collective bargaining agenda is representative of the needs of all Academic Student Workers and sends a strong message to the CSU administration that our voices must be heard. The sooner every member participates, the stronger our collective position will be going into bargaining. Please click here to vote today!
(vote closes on 4/25/25)
Town Halls: Initial Bargaining Demands
Starting on April 14th, union members will have a chance to vote on the Initial Bargaining Demands that will kick off bargaining of a successor union contract for all CSU Academic Student Workers.
In May, Academic Student Workers (TAs, GTAs, GAs, ISAs, SI Leaders) will begin bargaining a new union contract with the CSU. This means that everything in our current contract will be up for re-negotiation -- including salary, benefits, paid family leave, rights of international student workers, and more.
UAW 4123 leaders have drafted Initial Bargaining Demands that are now open to your input, comments, and questions. These demands are based on surveys, membership discussion, grievances over the past years, Student Worker working conditions at other universities, and more. These demands outline the general goals and issues CSU Academic Student Workers will be fighting to improve, and will be the basis for writing bargaining proposals.
Check your email to read the IBD draft!
You’re encouraged to provide feedback and ask questions about these draft IBDs!
Join us for a Town Hall with union leaders on April 5th @ 11AM or April 7th @ 6PM via zoom. You can also provide written feedback. All input will be considered in finalizing these demands, after which union members will have the opportunity to vote on the demands. This ratification vote will open on Monday April 14 and run through April 28. Only union members will be able to vote. If you’re not a union member yet, fill out a membership card before the vote opens.
2025 Triennial Elections
Dear fellow CSU Student Worker Union member,
Your union is holding its 2025 Triennial Election to fill Executive Board and Head Steward positions. Please continue reading for information about the election and instructions on how to accept the nomination if you are interested in running for one of these positions.
The election will take place on May 1st, 2025. Nominations open April 1st and close April 11th at 5pm PDT.
Nomination deadline: April 11th, 2025 at 5pm PDT.
EXECUTIVE BOARD NOMINATIONS:
Eligibility: All UAW 4123 members in continuous good standing for 1 year prior to accepting nominations are automatically nominated for the following statewide three-year Executive Board offices.
Nominated and elected by the statewide membership:
1 President
1 Recording Secretary
1 Financial Secretary
3 Trustees
1 Sergeant-at-Arms
1 Guide
Nominated and elected by each district membership:
1 Vice President District-1 (Humboldt, Sonoma, San Francisco, East Bay, San Jose and Monterey Bay)
1 Vice President District-2 (Chico, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Fresno, Bakersfield and Maritime Academy)
1 Vice President District-3 (Channel Islands, San Bernardino, Northridge, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and Cal Poly Pomona)
1 Vice President District-4 (San Diego, San Marcos, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills and Fullerton)
HEAD STEWARD (JOINT COUNCIL) NOMINATIONS
Eligibility: All UAW Local 4123 members in continuous good standing for 45 days prior to accepting nominations are automatically nominated by campus for the following three-year Head Steward offices. Head Steward offices are nominated and elected by campus membership:
Number of Head Steward Positions:
Humboldt: 1
Sonoma: 1
San Francisco: 1
East Bay: 1
San Jose: 1
Monterey Bay: 1
Chico: 1
Sacramento: 1
Stanislaus: 1
Fresno: 1
Bakersfield: 1
Maritime Academy: 1
Channel Islands: 1
San Bernardino: 1
Northridge: 1
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: 1
Los Angeles: 1
Cal Poly Pomona: 1
San Diego: 2
San Marcos: 1
Long Beach: 1
Dominguez Hills: 1
Fullerton: 1
NOMINATION PROCEDURE FOR EXECUTIVE BOARD AND HEAD STEWARD:
Members may accept nomination for no more than one Executive Board position or one Head Steward position. Each member who wishes to accept nomination must indicate this intention by emailing elections@uaw4123.org. Written acceptance (required) as well as candidate statements (optional) must be received no later than April 11th. In the written acceptance:
specify the position(s) you are accepting nomination for and
how you wish your name to appear on the ballot.
Members accepting nomination may also submit a candidate statement (up to 500 words).
If necessary, the election for all contested positions will take place on May 1st, 2025 via an online vote.
All members in good standing at the time of the election are eligible to vote. Write-in candidates are not permitted. If any position is uncontested, the candidate shall be considered elected and no election for that position will be held. All candidates for Executive Board and Joint Council must be elected by majority of valid ballots cast for the position. A run-off election, if necessary, will be held on May 15th, 2025 via an online vote.
QUESTIONS? Contact the Elections Committee at elections@uaw4123.org
UAW 4123 Elections Committee:
Asia Baclay, SFSU
Jesus Hoil, CSU Fullerton
Jenna Beales, SJSU
Gillian Duane, CSULB
Carlos Samaniego, CSUSB
Save SSU Rally
Last Tuesday, UAW 4123 members, along with our UC UAW siblings and CSU labor coalition allies in CFA and CSUEU, went to the State Assembly’s first education budget hearing to demand that the California legislature reject the governor’s proposed 8% budget cut to the CSU system and hold the CSU accountable for its misplaced priorities.
Union members followed the legislative visits in Sacramento last Friday with a rally at Sonoma State with our union coalition members and fellow students in Seawolf Plaza to demand that CSU Admin reverse their plans to broadly defund the campus.
United to Defend Higher Education at SFSU
Last weekend, 4123 members joined faculty, students, staff, and community members around the state to gather at San Francisco State for the United to Defend Higher Education conference.
Attendees voted on demands, attended workshops, and strategized how to stop the cuts to education, build mass support for redirecting CSU statewide funds to the classroom, defend academic freedom and civil liberties, and prioritize CA state funding for public education and social services instead of incarceration, deportation and occupation.
UAW 4123 president, Lark Winner, spoke alongside CFA president, Charles Toombs, and Congressmember, Latifah Simon, about how to push back against austerity measures and protect the future of public higher education for everyone.
If you missed it, don't worry! Check out the upcoming national day of action that conference attendees voted to participate in and help organize a Red for Ed Week on your campus!
UAW Region 6 Political Action & Leadership Conference
UAW 4123 members from across the state joined 500 fellow UAW union siblings in Los Angeles last month for the 2025 UAW Region 6 Political Action and Leadership Conference. Members led and participated in workshops to develop organizing and leadership skills to build a fighting working class ready to build the labor movement.
We are stronger together.
[photos courtesy of UAW Region 6]
