The Staff Council, in which all three seats earmarked for associated members of the personnel[1][i](MPA) are currently vacant, decided to hold a special by-election for our MPA colleagues so that they could have their own representatives and voice their ideas, expectations, and goals. This is a key step in ensuring the Staff Association’s (SA) representativity and its ability to promote, serve and defend the economic, social, professional, and moral interests of its members and all CERN staff[2].

Calendar:

• Tuesday 26 March

Opening of applications

• Friday 3 May, 17.00

Closing date for applications

• Monday 13 May, 12.00, noon

Starting date for voting — On the Staff Association website
Only Associated Members of Personnel who are members of the Staff Association may vote for their representatives.

• Monday 3 June, 12.00, noon

Closing date for voting

• Tuesday 11 and Tuesday 25 June

Publication of the results in Echo

 

All associated members of personnel who are also members of the Staff Association are eligible to stand for election and submit their applications.

 

What is the role of the staff delegate?

Staff delegates play an essential role in the Organization. They serve as the primary point of contact and link between the colleagues who elected them and the Staff Association: they voice the views and aspirations of their colleagues in the Association’s organs; they convey the Association’s views to their colleagues; and they provide support to their colleagues when issues related to their presence at CERN arise. They participate in the meetings of the Staff Council, which is primarily responsible for determining the Staff Association’s policy.

In addition, the staff delegate is required to actively participate in at least one of the internal commissions of the Staff Association on specific topics like pension, social protection, conditions of employment, health, and safety, legal issues, drafting articles, or dealing with questions of information and training. They must share ideas and proposals, and the Association mandates them to participate in the work of official bodies of the Organisation or various working groups.

However, the most critical responsibility of the staff delegate is to serve and defend the personnel and be an active citizen of the Organization by contributing to the revision and writing of its laws (Operational & Administrative Circulars) and processes. The staff delegate must take this responsibility seriously and ensure that the personnel's interests are well represented at all times.

Program of work of the Staff Association for the mandate 2024-2025

The new Staff Council has given its endorsement to the Program of Work put forth by the new Executive Committee for its 2024-2025 mandate. As part of this program, the Staff Association has identified several specific concerns regarding the associated member of personnel and has outlined the following expectations to address them:

• Conduct a review of the impact on the final income of the MPA, considering the taxation effect following the implementation of the COLA ("Cost of Living Allowance");
• Redefine the data collection methodology for assessing subsistence and COLA levels during the next five-year review;
• Clarify the definitions of employment and collaboration contracts while considering the national laws applied in the home institute;
• Address the User's situation by studying all aspects, including social coverage;
• Strengthen and reinforce the role of the CERN medical service to benefit the entire CERN community, including all MPAs;
• Improve the childcare services at Jardin des Particules to better cater to the specific needs of the MPA community.

Becoming a delegate is also a personal and professional development

It's great to hear that becoming a delegate can be an enriching experience that has numerous benefits.

It allows you to explore different aspects of the Organization that you may not have encountered before, acquire new skills through new roles and activities that can be useful in all areas of your work at CERN, and meet new colleagues.

If you're interested in finding out who your representatives are, you can consult the list on our website.

Moreover, joining the Staff Association and becoming a staff representative can be an excellent way to get involved and represent your MPA colleagues.

 

[1] Associated members of the personnel are not employed by CERN but by a “home institution” on behalf of which they work at CERN. This category of personnel includes, for instance, users, project associates, cooperation associates, experiment associates, scientific associates, students (doctoral, technical, or administrative).

[2] In the case of associated members of the personnel, the Association can only do this as far as their relationship with CERN is concerned. The Association is not in a position to do this in respect of their home institution (local or national staff representative bodies do).