strung out
💩 🤣 🍆 💦 🧐 👻 🐝 🐈⬛
UNISON have already been out on strike in my place. Twice in the last month.Time to see how UNISON and other HE unions respond, and then the employers...
UCU - Pensions and Pay Disputes
- Thread starter SpackleFrog
- Start date
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Oh aye, I was out for three days at the end of Sep. For once we got out early and took action at a time when we'd have a large impact, but think many of us would like to take action at the same time as UCU, take professional services and academic staff out at the same time, for maximum impact.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Same, I'm not too proud to admit that when I first heard about the aggregated ballot - especially after how the 2021/22 dispute had ended, you can see the last few pages on here for a reminder of how unenthusiastic UCU urbs were over the spring and that mood seemed to be not that far off how my local lot were feeling - I thought it was a massive mistake and they were dooming themselves to not be able to do anything at all until the 2023 pay offer. Very very glad to be wrong about that one!
Benjamin F
Lost my faith in Nihilism
I must admit I'm still pessimistic (but that is probably a sign of my age), but I welcome information that will sway me to a positive state of mind.
I guess my fear is that the figures don't indicate UCU density. If they only represent 40% of the staff, then even on these figures barely a half of them (88% of 59%) vote for strike strike action. That would mean if density is 40%, only 20% of staff going out on strike. Can anyone reassure me that UCU actually represent the overwhelming number of academic and academic-related staff?
In addition, painful experience has shown that many of those who are very vocal in promoting industrial action and vote for strike action 'in order to strengthen negotiations', but when it comes down to it, don't actually go on strike. Last round of strike action, here, admittedly a very small institution, only about 55% of the academic workforce are UCU members. Half may have voted for strike action, but less than half of those were loyal to strike throughout. So out of an academic and academic-related workforce of 45, barely double figures were out on strike by the end, to say nothing of the vital (and far more influential) clerical, technical, janitorial and catering staff who are either in other unions, un-unionised or have, through contracting out, technically separate employers.
So the success of this strike action will depend on not only mobilising those UCU members committed to the action, but also those not in the union and those in other unions in coordinated action.
I guess my fear is that the figures don't indicate UCU density. If they only represent 40% of the staff, then even on these figures barely a half of them (88% of 59%) vote for strike strike action. That would mean if density is 40%, only 20% of staff going out on strike. Can anyone reassure me that UCU actually represent the overwhelming number of academic and academic-related staff?
In addition, painful experience has shown that many of those who are very vocal in promoting industrial action and vote for strike action 'in order to strengthen negotiations', but when it comes down to it, don't actually go on strike. Last round of strike action, here, admittedly a very small institution, only about 55% of the academic workforce are UCU members. Half may have voted for strike action, but less than half of those were loyal to strike throughout. So out of an academic and academic-related workforce of 45, barely double figures were out on strike by the end, to say nothing of the vital (and far more influential) clerical, technical, janitorial and catering staff who are either in other unions, un-unionised or have, through contracting out, technically separate employers.
So the success of this strike action will depend on not only mobilising those UCU members committed to the action, but also those not in the union and those in other unions in coordinated action.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Can't speak to UCU, and obviously this is also a very localised and anecdotal example, but my experience in my UNISON branch is we've seen it go both ways.
We've had a noticeable uptick of new members over the past year since we started industrial action, including colleagues who some of us have been working on for years. It's certainly had a galvanising effect for a lot of members.
In the other direction, we've had some members take action in the strikes in March/April, but not in our latest action last month. Everyone'll have their own reasons, but obviously finances seems to be a pretty common factor.
Personally, it does feel like the battle is there to be won, just needs the right set of strategies, in order to overcome a variety of different obstacles and barriers. Which I'm not suggesting will be easy, or even likely perhaps, simply possible.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Similar to LC, as a member of UNISON I've got less experience of taking strike action and certainly less experience of trying to hold people together through a long bitter period of action, but where I am our union has grown since we got a mandate, and I'm pretty confident that the number we eventually managed to pull out on strike was greater than the total amount of people who voted for it. Although, again, I'm conscious that getting people out for a few days is a very different order to getting them to keep on coming out throughout a long dispute.
As for the academic/non-academic split, I'm not going to claim that everything's grand and we'll have a sector-wide unified strike tomorrow, or next month even. But, last year UNISON didn't finish balloting until months after the UCU did, and only a small number of branches managed to get over the line, whereas right now UCU is entering the fight in a situation where UNISON already has a mandate at more places now than they did in February (when the last lot of results came out). Hopefully the next step will be reballots at the places that don't have existing mandates, but that'll take a while. Anyway, what I'm longwindedly trying to say is: compared to where we should be or where we'd like to be, the national picture in terms of united action is still pretty poor, but compared to what it's been like over the past few years, and probably for a fair while before that, it's certainly moving in the right direction.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Think this is definitely a factor for us and where some work needs doing. Our branch has gone from having no strikes since... 2013, I think, to have seven days so far this year. Most of our members aren't used to this, and aren't coming from a place of trade unionism background or principles. So preparing, conditioning and convincing them for a long fight is a challenge.
I've been keeping a log of some successful campaigns, and so many of them are sustained strikes that are weeks or even months long. But I'm honestly not sure if that'll inspire or terrify different members!
Aye, again, think this is a lot of it for me. Because of so many factors, not least the sustained and intentional atrophying of collectivist ideals over essentially the span of my lifetime, we're not in the best place we'd like to be for this fight. But, we are where we are, it's better than where we were even a year ago, let alone 5 or 10 years ago, and hopefully moving in the right direction.
There will be setbacks, but as long as it's one step back and two forward rather than t'other way round, I'm hopeful we can keep this going and actually claw back some progress for workers.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
More news coming soon, but here's what the UCU have agreed on so far - looks like limited strike action in the week starting 21st November:
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Crossposting here as the specific UCU thread, Notes From Below's stuff on the UCU strike debate:
notesfrombelow.org
notesfrombelow.org
notesfrombelow.org
notesfrombelow.org
How to Stop a University
by Zara Dinnen, James Eastwood // The Case for Indefinite Strike Action
notesfrombelow.org
How to build an indefinite strike
by The University Worker // Strategies for building the action
notesfrombelow.org
What the hell is going on?
by Socialist Alternative members in UCU // Next steps in the UCU Higher Education dispute
notesfrombelow.org
Indefinite strike - now!
by The University Worker // We can't back down now. We won't back down now!
notesfrombelow.org
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
So my branch had an informal meeting a couple of weeks ago where the majority of academic staff expressed reservations about the tatics that UCU are undertaking, I have issues too, but I tend to believe that an indefinite action would have piled on more pressure. The gist of what the academics are saying is that as most teaching is done by Visiting tutors then the strike is ineffective, which is disingenuous as they as subject leaders hire the VT's.
So last night the branch leadership put out this mail...
'As you know; we strike tomorrow, with our fellow teachers and train workers! Please see yesterday's email for details on the national demonstration and meeting place. As you also know, we are currently in discussions with SLT around our local agreements, and there are 17 more days of national planned strike action.
On the back of tomorrow's strike, we are calling a branch meeting on Tuesday, February 7th at 8 pm to discuss further strike action and clarify our views on this as a collective; Zoom link to follow.
If you can't make the meeting, could you please email us with any responses/thoughts/questions about further strike action and/or local negotiations with SLT.'
The outcome of this meeting will be that the academics will want to cancel our strike action.
As for those of us in UCU who are not academics have made it clear that we think the 18 days action although flawed is the right thing to do. We also feel that the national dispute is easier to win at this moment. The focus on concessions from the SLT is wrong as they have shown themselves to be untrustworthy, ramming through redundancies after stating that there wouldn't be any this year and after years of promising to look at library staff pay (we earn around 10k less than other HE librarians) we have been told that the college can pay what it wants.
Question is if the branch decides to suspend action can we as members still strike?
So last night the branch leadership put out this mail...
'As you know; we strike tomorrow, with our fellow teachers and train workers! Please see yesterday's email for details on the national demonstration and meeting place. As you also know, we are currently in discussions with SLT around our local agreements, and there are 17 more days of national planned strike action.
On the back of tomorrow's strike, we are calling a branch meeting on Tuesday, February 7th at 8 pm to discuss further strike action and clarify our views on this as a collective; Zoom link to follow.
If you can't make the meeting, could you please email us with any responses/thoughts/questions about further strike action and/or local negotiations with SLT.'
The outcome of this meeting will be that the academics will want to cancel our strike action.
As for those of us in UCU who are not academics have made it clear that we think the 18 days action although flawed is the right thing to do. We also feel that the national dispute is easier to win at this moment. The focus on concessions from the SLT is wrong as they have shown themselves to be untrustworthy, ramming through redundancies after stating that there wouldn't be any this year and after years of promising to look at library staff pay (we earn around 10k less than other HE librarians) we have been told that the college can pay what it wants.
Question is if the branch decides to suspend action can we as members still strike?
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Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Yes. It's a national strike following a ballot. Your branch can't suspend action but the law does allow them to scab.
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
Okay, they'll not officiallysuspend but just quietly go into work, but there won't be a library service they can use.
aqua
made of cheese and gin
I assume members have seen the announcement last night? What union suspends action this early? I'm confused to say the least. It doesn't particularly affect me but my academic colleagues are furious that on a Friday night they learn they have teaching this week after all, Street working with the students to explain why they won't. It's a farce. My desire to remain a member was really pushed last year and this isn't helping.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Yeah, as you said on the Strike! thread, one thing I'm picking up on beyond all the 'tactics' of it is simply how much of a logistical fuck up this is, in terms of plans made (or not!) for next week, both professional and personal.
Slight aside, but one thing that always bugs me is when a union, national or branch, pulls something that we wouldn't accept from an employer, and this is exactly that - a massive change of plans, sent on a Friday afternoon/evening (such a classic employer move!
).Sometimes needs must, circumstances force an imperfect decision, but it's still bloody annoying.
it's too early!
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
As much as I am relieved financially and personally, we could have continued next week and consulted to pause the week after
lazythursday
Averagely-Known Member
It's really pissed me off. I was going to lose a hell of a lot of pay due to the pattern of strike days but in the end I'd really embraced three whole weeks off and made a fuck load of plans. Some of which I now can't reverse so I'm going to have to take next week as annual leave now.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
aqua makes a good point about leaving some members in the lurch.
Another criticism of this decision is what it does for members in those branches threatened or actually suffering from deductions to ASOS - a good bargaining position might have been "we will pause if ASOS deductions are not implemented" (or even rescinded, though that would probably be a pretty hard line).
Another criticism of this decision is what it does for members in those branches threatened or actually suffering from deductions to ASOS - a good bargaining position might have been "we will pause if ASOS deductions are not implemented" (or even rescinded, though that would probably be a pretty hard line).
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Solfed statement:
www.solfed.org.uk
Solidarity Federation | Section of the International Workers Association
www.solfed.org.uk
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Aye, at ours it's 50%, "reserving the right to increase to a 100% pay deduction"
What has happened with marking boycotts previously? I know one or two institutions threatened (and carried out?), but this feels like an escalation in terms of the number of places announcing it. Co-ordinated effort?
Or am I just forgetting similar responses to previous action?
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
UCEA have requested that their members deduct at least 50% so definitely concerted effort.What has happened with marking boycotts previously? I know one or two institutions threatened (and carried out?), but this feels like an escalation in terms of the number of places announcing it. Co-ordinated effort?
Or am I just forgetting similar responses to previous action?
Some of the threats from last year ending up being that threats. This year I suspect there members are going to see deductions but whether it will be the level the shots are currently threatening I'm more sceptical.
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
I'm sort of retired, but doing a bit of p/t teaching at the University of East London and they are definitely doing this. In fact they gave a deadline of 20th April whereby you had to let them know you are not marking/doing cover, in order to get even 50% i.e. the threat is nil pay if you don't email them. However the deductions won't kick in till a week after the submission date of anything you should have been marking, so for staff teaching on a standard semester, probably not till mid-May.
There's a load of shite from management about there being only a minority of UCU members taking action at UEL, though I'm not sure how they would know that as they are not allowed to know who is in UCU iirc (gdpr?). They also have some kind of extra payments to staff at UEL, presumably for those who have met 'targets' and similar shite. Anyone taking action will not be allowed to receive those either.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
My understanding is that they do get membership numbers when strike action is called, so at this point most unis probably have a good idea of the UCU membership at their branches, but aye, don't think they'd be able to identify individuals.
How they can translate that into how many are taking part in the MAB, though, I've no idea... I suppose they might have heard something, or think they're in the know somehow, but equally it could be utter shite, and just posturing in attempt to dampen spirits.
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
Yeah, they'll have an overall number of members as they can see voting figures in each strike ballot and, I would imagine, from other sources/purposes. However the number of UCU members in each branch can be a bit flaky as you have to input which institution you are at when joining online and also transfer it when you move to another institution. Neither UCU or the branch can alter these details iirc.
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
how's everyone getting on with the MAB?
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