Proper Tidy
Arsed
Isn't Grady heavy into the online/twitter left stuff, corbynite/momentum etc?
UCU - Pensions and Pay Disputes
- Thread starter SpackleFrog
- Start date
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Definitely yes to the twitter left stuff. Not sure about Momentum but would think she's a Labour member, definitely pro Labour at any rate, though could say the same for any union GS right now.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Grady is definitely Labour.
Re the background of the union traditionally there were two main factions UCU Left and the Independent Broad Left (IBL). The IBL is fucking appalling and rubbish happy to keep a servicing union philosophy, UCU Left is more the traditional left fraction of a union.
The big change that resulted from the 2018 strike was that lots of people not aligned to either fraction got involved, this was.where a lot of Grady's support was based.. This new group was really pissed off by Hunt's antics and wanted an change so there is agreement with UCU Left on some points but also I think some sort of naivety that now they have a "good" GS there is less need for tank and file involvement in the decision made by the union.
Re the background of the union traditionally there were two main factions UCU Left and the Independent Broad Left (IBL). The IBL is fucking appalling and rubbish happy to keep a servicing union philosophy, UCU Left is more the traditional left fraction of a union.
The big change that resulted from the 2018 strike was that lots of people not aligned to either fraction got involved, this was.where a lot of Grady's support was based.. This new group was really pissed off by Hunt's antics and wanted an change so there is agreement with UCU Left on some points but also I think some sort of naivety that now they have a "good" GS there is less need for tank and file involvement in the decision made by the union.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Yeah that's a fair summary. I'd add that a 'new' faction is emerging though especially as there is a #Grady4GS slate for the NEC elections.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Thanks for that. Very interesting and useful for following the debate among UCU activists. I'm assuming that the issues of pay, casualisation and workload resonate less with the 'pre 92' membership. If so it's a similar issue to, say, JLR where you've got a large group of workers on permanent contracts where the demands tend to be about defence of the contract from management attacks and newer (and often younger) workers on inferior or temporary contracts where the demands are around parity with the other contract. Employers often play these groups off against each other and, in my experience, the union often sides with the former group as its where they are best organised and where the stewards with the most sway come from. Fascinating that this is also an issue in the Universities.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Not sure that's true pre-92 branches like Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield are among the strongest in both taking action and for keeping the four fights alive. While some post-92 are very keen on diverging the disputes.
I think that is the case here but IMO it is less between branches than within branches. Also I think the role of the union is more ambiguous than sometimes, many of the lay negotiators are among those pushing strongest for action on casualisation, workloads etc. The grumbling is coming more from the IBL (currently somewhat diminished from when Hunt was charge.
What is really important is for any UCU members (Wilf, PursuedByBears, Jeff Robinson BoatieBird , aqua - apologies if I missed anyone off) to make sure they vote for good candidates in the current elections - especially Margot Hill for VP.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Yes, absolutely right - it's within branches, not between branches. Most of the pre-92 universities are where the best paid/most middle class section of the membership is but are also where casualisation, workload and the gender pay gap can be at their worst. You can build strong well organised branches here but you have to organise across the permanent/casualised divide and take all the different issues seriously.
Echo RS's suggestion that it's essential to get Margot Hill elected. Anyone who has sat through Douglas Chalmers chairing a conference will know how vital it is another IBL bureaucrat does not win VP. Things to look out for when voting for candidates I would say would be what do they have to say about democratising the union and what do they have to say about keeping the two disputes - USS and 'Four Fights' - together.
On the disputes by the way, if you conscientiously read all of your emails from the union you might notice some subtle differences in messaging from the General Secretary and from the elected negotiators on the Four Fights thing. Good to get reports from the negotiators out to members as much as possible - this FAQ from the negotiators yesterday is decent. https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/10714/...cu_fourfights_pre-strike-briefing_11feb20.pdf
Arbeter Fraynd
Active Member
This is a bit 2nd hand, I'm nothing to do with academia but my partner and plenty of mates are UCU members - seems to me that a lot of support for Grady is from people with sound left politics who are very turned off by the trot dominated 'UCU left' and the issues that tend to come up in SWP dominated groups
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
There's probably a bit of that. But I'd note the SWP 'domination' of UCU Left is blown out of all proportion by the IBL. There are probably more LP bods in UCU Left these days than swappies.
FTR I'm not a member of UCU Left, though my politics align with them on lots of suff.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
what’s Grady then? Labour left/Corbyn/momentum/ Novara type?
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Yep, well the first two not sure about the second two. But as I say that's true of a good bit the UCU Left these days
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
I don't think that's out of step with anything we've said upthread to be honest. People were very fed up with a GS who used to play the 'left' card for a while, built a clique faction around themselves and then began to really take the piss out of the membership. That doesn't mean they wanted a 'hard left' UCU Left candidate neccessarily (or what members think of as hard left, mainly thanks to the IBL as RL points out, there's a smattering of SWP, some decent Labour lefts, a few wet liberals and at least one Green Party member) but someone on/of the left who said they cared about the important issues.
Whether long term that means anything changes much remains to be seen.
I am a Trot though - not a swappie, a Proper Trot - so whether or not you agree with that may depend on what you mean by 'sound left politics'/what issues you associate with the SWP.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Would probably say more labour left/novara than corbyn/momentum.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Had a chat with some friends in my old department and they said picket planning has been positive, lots of volunteers. So that's a good sign.
Will feel weird teaching when they're on strike, will go and see them in the morning but all the same, odd.
Will feel weird teaching when they're on strike, will go and see them in the morning but all the same, odd.
mango5
Endeavour era
Helpful posts in the last few pages as I really had little idea of where to direct my vote.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
Pure anecdote here, but when we were on the picket line in Durham, a couple of Swaps came calling. And one of my colleagues engaged in the most repelled body language I've ever seen, disgusted face, shoulder turned away, etc.. So, yeah, the SWP probably are working their unique brand of magic on UCU members.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
For all the criticism I have of the SWP at least SWP UCU members do something.
They turn up to meetings, they stand on the picket line, they organise, they act as caseworkers. I've absolutely no love for the swappies but some of the most hard working members of the union are SWP members and I'll take them over the scabs and service unionists anyday.
They turn up to meetings, they stand on the picket line, they organise, they act as caseworkers. I've absolutely no love for the swappies but some of the most hard working members of the union are SWP members and I'll take them over the scabs and service unionists anyday.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Brrr even with the cold, rain and wind we still had a reasonable showing at our institution.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
Can't be arsed embedding the tweets, but there's a bit of a twitter row going on between people who think UCU should be striking against Prevent, racism etc., and people gently pointing out that UCU is legally barred from doing anything remotely like that. Which has led to the latter being accused of all manner unsympathetic things.
I was going to post that was identity politics playing its usual role as wrecker and saboteur, but I see now that one of those posting the anti-UCU stuff (albeit in an obnoxious and ignorant manner) is at risk from the immigration authorities if she doesn't make certain meetings with her supervisor. Though her claim that this would require crossing the picket line maybe, well, unfounded.
I was going to post that was identity politics playing its usual role as wrecker and saboteur, but I see now that one of those posting the anti-UCU stuff (albeit in an obnoxious and ignorant manner) is at risk from the immigration authorities if she doesn't make certain meetings with her supervisor. Though her claim that this would require crossing the picket line maybe, well, unfounded.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
i met my supervisor the other day, specifically arranged so he wouldn't be on strike. i suspect this woman's supervisor might well refuse to see her at times when the strike is on.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
It's not worth getting involved in twitter spats but yeah, dubious.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
It may just be my perception but I think a lot of people who were active in the student movement around 2009-2015 are now active in UCU. I think often this disgust comes from memory/knowledge of the Delta case. Which is a fairly legitimate reason for disgust, but probably ignores the fact that many other UCU activists are members of organisations which have also had horrendous scandals etc.
I think something that people don't always appreciate is that the more you get involved in a union like UCU and the more you have to organise against various service unionists, social partnership fanatics or just plain old liberals, the more you find yourself working with the SWP - whether you like it or not and even if you still have plenty of disagreements with them.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
Yeah, well, my colleague was a Morning Star reader, so there you go.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
HA ok well not that then.
The CPB/Morning Star crowd operate in the Independent Broad Left (IBL) in UCU, along with a bunch of Blairites and general horrendous bureaucrats. I'm not entirely sure why, I know CPB members who have told me they disagree with what CPB members in the union do. But as such they are in direct opposition to the UCU Left which the SWP are often accused of dominating.
Edited to add: If memory serves a Morning Star writer described me personally as 'ultra left' and 'tactically insane' following the 2018 Congress.
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Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
a friend tells me that the birkbeck library will be closed from 6pm this evening due to strike action leaving them with too few staff to remain open
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Bumping to this just to alert any members that there have been developments
A revised Four Fights offer from employers, and other important developments in our disputes
Whatever members views its important that you let your branch know them before the delegates meeting next Tuesday.
I think there's very little appetite from anyone for balloting over summer, my reading of the situation is that the decision of the HEC will come down to - reject but not to ballot before September at the earliest vs put the deal to members via an e-ballot (which probably means the deal will be accepted).
A revised Four Fights offer from employers, and other important developments in our disputes
Sadly very little progress for 22 days of strike action.
Whatever members views its important that you let your branch know them before the delegates meeting next Tuesday.
I think there's very little appetite from anyone for balloting over summer, my reading of the situation is that the decision of the HEC will come down to - reject but not to ballot before September at the earliest vs put the deal to members via an e-ballot (which probably means the deal will be accepted).
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
I’d be interested in the views of UCU members on this. I largely agree with the sections here on the need for the prioritisation of organising and political education over ‘mobilisation’. But there is also some sharp criticism of the HEC here and a seeming attempt to absolve the GS from the tactics around the dispute.
Given the growing crisis in higher education I must admit I’m a bit baffled by the strategic approach of the union:
Given the growing crisis in higher education I must admit I’m a bit baffled by the strategic approach of the union:
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
I think part of the problem is that union actions are not based on a strategic approach so much as on the conflict between groups with different strategies.
That piece is written by the section of the union close to the GS. I don't agree with them (and some of the things they say are factually wrong) but I'm also not without criticism of some of the 'reject, reject!' crowd. OK we reject, then what? Contrarily to the suggestion in the article there would not have to be a ballot for action over the summer we could wait until a more suitable time but even so we have to face the fact that 22 days of strike action produced only limited gains. Let's assume the Covid-19 dies down by the end of the year so the union can ballot, let's even assume that all those branches that got over the turnout line first time manage to do so again (a very big assumption IMO), where then? How much action do we think we will need to produce concrete results.
Now if you are proposing rejection less as a tactic to get some concrete gains and more as a strategy to show that the union will not make substandard deals, then I can appreciate that position (even if I'm not sure I agree with it) but then let's be clear that is what we are advocating.
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