Make your voice heard – vote!

On 2/22/2022, we demanded voluntary recognition of our union with supermajority support.

Stanford denied this request, which was supported by > 65% of housestaff (nearly 1000 residents and fellows), so we have filed for an election with the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). 

We will hold a mail-in ballot election to vote on the recognition of our union with CIR (Committee of Interns and Residents). Ballots are confidential and your vote cannot be revealed to the employer. The vote is won by a simple majority (50% + 1). 

The question on the ballot will be: “Do you wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by Committee of Interns and Residents, SEIU?” (Yes/No)

Please read below to make sure you fill out the ballot correctly so that your vote is counted! Ballots with extraneous markings or illegible or printed signatures are thrown out!

Ballots were mailed out on 3/31. Ballots must be RECEIVED (not postmarked) by the NLRB by 5 PM on 4/28. Votes will be counted on 5/2. (The names of people who sent in ballots are read out at the beginning for record-keeping purposes, but each individual’s vote remains confidential).

  • Some individuals are receiving ballots with the incorrect name (often same last name). If this happened to you, you must contact the NLRB Board Agent to request a new ballot. Do not exchange ballots with the other person – each ballot has a corresponding number for identification when it’s returned, and ballots should not be handled by anyone except for the voter.
  • If you did not receive a ballot by 4/7, contact the NLRB Board Agent immediately to request a new ballot.

Nicholas L. Tsiliacos
NLRB Board agent
510-671-3046

  • If you would like to confirm receipt of your ballot by the NLRB after you have mailed it in, contact NLRB Board Agent Nicholas Tsiliacos. 
  • Overnighting your ballot is OK, but there is a chance that it may fall through the cracks because the external envelope will be different from the yellow envelope that they’re expecting.
  • You can hand-deliver your ballot to the Oakland NLRB office at 1301 Clay Street, Suite 300-N, Oakland, CA 94612-5224 during business hours (M-F, 9 AM – 5 PM), if your schedule allows. There’s parking across the street. Since it’s a federal building, you will need to show ID and pass through a metal detector to reach the offices on the third floor. You can hand your ballot directly to someone in the office, but if they are out to lunch, it’s safe to slip it under the door. Here’s a list of new restaurants in the East Bay to hit up afterwards.

Instructions on how to return the CIR election ballot

Alt-text: 

  1. Check your mail – Ballots mailed March 31. Look for an envelope from NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) starting April 1.
  2. Mark ballot with X for YES – Vote YES for representation with Committee of Interns and Residents, SEIU. Do NOT fill/shade the box.
  3. SEAL your ballot inside the BLUE envelope – Do NOT write or make any markings on the blue envelope.
  4. PLACE blue envelope inside YELLOW prepaid return envelope
  5. SIGN and SEAL YELLOW envelope – Sign the outside of the envelope where indicated. SIGNATURES MUST BE CLEAR and in the SPACE PROVIDED to be counted. Unsigned envelopes will be thrown out.
    • The yellow envelope will have text stating: “Sign your name. DO NOT PRINT.”
  6. MAIL back immediately! Must be received by NLRB BEFORE April 28 to be counted.

Didn’t receive a ballot by April 7, or received an incorrect ballot? Contact NLRB Board Agent Nicholas Tsiliacos immediately at (510) 671-3046 or Nicholas.Tsiliacos@nlrb.gov to request a new ballot. Fill it out and mail back ASAP.

NLRB notice of election (PDF)

Find a mailbox near you!

What happens after the election?

  • After winning an election, our union is legally recognized and we begin negotiations with the employer.
    • We’ll send out ‘bargaining surveys’ to union members prior to negotiations
  • This can be a long process (e.g. potentially 1-1.5 years, based on other housestaff unions). It depends on how difficult the employer is to negotiate with, and how hard we are willing to fight for a good contract. If the employer is bargaining in good faith, it does not need to be a long, drawn-out process.
  • No one pays dues until we vote to ratify a contract
  • Our regular contract remains in place while we are in negotiations.