When do you think the strikes will be?

[JasminaPashmina]

Just that - when do you think the strikes will happen?

Before Christmas by chance?

Oh, I know this academic that you mention... all I can say is I'm not surprised

No, I am not surprised either. I hope she is told to get lost but knowing what the central union leadership is like, I am worried. I hope Jeanette is supported.

I presume that Jeanette Findlay was contributing time and emotional labour in good faith, when she could have been doing other things than support another academic. Some thanks she got them, for her efforts .

Exactly Arella. It’s not like she would get extra pay for case work. And the academic in question admitted that it was making her feel better about the work problem. But the fact that Jeanette has a different view on an issue that had nothing to do with her ability to provide support means that this academic thinks she must now be removed from her role and will no longer associate with her. When did people become so unpleasant and intolerant?

pota - I did some digging, which was massively difficult. I believe it is a case of something slightly over 50% turnout and something over 50% voted for strike, but overall

Thanks for the links about Jo Grady's bullying behaviour.

@Pota2 Yep, I keep my GC perspectives on the DL too. I follow Rosa Freedman, Jessica Eaton, Karen Ingala-Smith, Kathleen Stock, Michelle Moor etc. and sometimes like their tweets but that's as brave as I can be. I'm ashamed of myself to be honest, I'd like to speak out, I'd like to be bolder and louder but I'm worried about the impact on my job. I'm senior, it shouldn't bother/affect me but it really does. It's so sad that we don't have a union we can rely on to protect us on this issue,

@JasminaPashmina

Snap - I was singled out for 'transphobic' use of Twitter a couple of years ago, and I wish I were braver ... Similarly I'm senior & supposedly secure, but it made me realise just how vulnerable women - especially feminist women - still are. 30 years after I thought we were OK, and we'd established (if not won) the arguments.

The really sad thing is that I'm someone who might 'naturally' have been compassionate & understanding of students & colleagues with body dysphoria - the TRAs have hardened me. I am less tolerant now.

To get us back on topic! - I'm reading this thread and wondering whether I can stay in the UCU - BUT I really find it difficult to contemplate NOT being in a union.

Is there an alternative union we could join?

There is a new union rep for my faculty and that person has they/them pronouns in their uni biography and is a total bearded woke-bro. I now just can’t envisage how I would be protected by my local branch OR the central union leadership. I know some of you have a supportive branch but I really don’t.

I had a wonderfully supportive case worker when I faced disciplinary action over my political beliefs as a feminist. I just can't imagine not being a union member, although I find the UCU Exec at the moment rather too Spart-like Momentum bro-style.

But we're fortunate that the UCU is not insisting on an "All Out' policy & outing people as scabs - I'm coming round to thinking that I probably won't strike - it's made easier for me in that I do my last bit of undergrad teaching for the term on Friday.

Or maybe I can self-ID as striking while delivering my lecture....

I've no time for scabs but this is brilliant.

Anyone striking tomorrow? I am!

Anyone striking tomorrow? I am!

Yep, I will be on the picket line tomorrow morning.

Anyone striking tomorrow? I am!

I'm striking on teaching days only so Tuesday and Thursday this week, then Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Yes, I am striking tomorrow

Next week

Good luck everyone. Let’s hope there’s a decent enough turnout to make some sort of improved offer, and that the HEC put that offer to members...

Since this thread has turned into a general chat about the strikes (and a brilliant one I must say), can I ask your thoughts about 'teach-outs'?

We have lots going on across my university and I was asked to contribute. I refused because I see this as work. I'll be drawing on my academic knowledge/research/experience to develop something to say, I'll be putting materials together (like physical materials like a PPT, handouts or even cakes), and delivering this stuff to students.

That don't half sound like teaching to me...

I can't help but feel as though teach-outs are being used to placate students and negate disruption. As in, sorry we've cancelled your lectures but we're not completely AWOL/invisible for a couple of weeks because look, we're doing something even more interesting, engaging and exciting.

I can't put my finger on it, it just doesn't sit right with me. What are your thoughts?

Yeah not too sure about them either. My uni has put together what looks like a conference programme of teach outs in a booked venue. I think it feels like actual work except I’m not paid for it. Maybe a bit like if striking bus drivers give passengers a lift to work in their own cars. Sort of defeats the object. Was also quite surprised about the speed with which it was put together, with time slots and a printed programme. I also declined to do it.

Took a break from the picket and am now in a cafe. Don’t think I will go back to the picket today.

@Pota2 Ours is the same. Because each Department is offering around 5 or 6 teach-out sessions, the timetable of teach-outs is pretty packed over the next 8 days and actually looks more interesting/engaging than business as usual from a student perspective. Certainly there are more contact hours on offer for these teach-outs than during normal service (for our third year social science students anyway).

On Wednesday next week its entirely possible for students to have 10am-4pm of back-to-back teach-outs which all look brilliant. That just doesn't feel like much disruption to me.

Yeah, also offers staff the opportunity to work on research during the strike. Some of the stuff on the programme definitely look suspiciously like a dry run of an upcoming conference paper.
Another take from a colleague is that she is funded by Leverhulme and therefore Leverhulme is her employer and she is not in dispute with them. Fair enough if she’s not striking- I am not striking for all of it but don’t act all smug as if you’re not breaking the strike. She also said that it has no impact on the university whether or not she is sitting at home writing. I think you will find that it will.

Ha, yes I didn't think of that. Come to think of it one of my colleagues who is doing a teach-out is actually doing a practise run of an activity we developed for schools. Cheeky bastard.

I've actually seen a Leverhulme fellow saying this exact thing too. They are now being very vocal on Twitter about solidarity yadda yadda. Are they at City by any chance?

She might be.... lol. She’s not my workplace colleague but a discipline-colleague (I’m not at City). Complete hypocrite.

Completely hypocritical and not just about this issue. I used to work with her. She's an awful bully and doesn't at all practice the academic kindness that she preaches.

I'm striking today. But I'm not sure about the other days