Anyone else not striking?

[goingpearshaped]

I am not in UCU so not striking. Anyone else? I can sense the divide already between those striking and those not in our dept, I really hate this. Agh, what a mess all round.

I'm a descendent of the Scargill family but I will not be striking because of the treatment of female academics like Kathleen Stock, Jo Phoenix, by our Unions. They hate women. They do not in anyway shape or form stand for us.

@MidEugh are you still in the union?

This thread is taking on a slightly surreal quality but yes, I also left UCU because they treat women like dirt. The woman who runs it is a pathetic handmaiden who made a big deal out of her father’s involvement in the miner’s strike when she ran for election.

I thought we were against hereditary privilege and dynasties, eh?

No hard feelings but being morally policed in this context (‘decency’ - lol) is mildly amusing.

Out of line how?

I don’t support the UCU in relation to everything. However I am striking because I believe in the TU movement and it’s a point of principle.

Additionally my workplace is horrendous with a toxic culture of management bullying, poor use of fixed term contracts and unqualified staff drafted into academic roles. There is a lot to be angry about.

Also to those parents thanking those not striking….a couple of days disruption is nothing compared to staff struggling with workloads, overuse of casual staff, unqualified staff being used in academic workloads. If you think that doesn’t disrupt your child’s education then think again.

We all have our principles. There’s much that is wrong in British HE. But the current UCU leadership is inherently incapable of improving the situation because they support bullying, political discrimination and systematically disadvantaging women in the workplace due to their fixation on gender identity.

Students have had their education disrupted since 2018. I have supported the strikes in the past but can no longer justify it on various fronts. Tell me, do you think this will be the last strike? We’re now in a state of permanent mobilisation because it suits the leadership.

You can ‘believe in the TU movement’ and still reject UCU and their vacuous slogans. ‘One of us, all of us’ - except if you have certain beliefs, then you’re on your own. One of my principles is that women are allowed to fight for their interests and sex-based rights, without any need for justification. So if you tell me off for not prioritising your father’s legacy of trade unionism in a completely different, male-dominated industry, in a very different time, then yes, maybe you’re a bit out of line?

My point is that, in certain respects, UCU have betrayed what trade unions used to stand for, as have the TUC. They all campaign for the removal of our rights. Why should I support this with membership dues, time, lost wages?

Thanks for our posts @ExUCU I'm really on the verge of resigning from the UCU, and your logic is really cogent.

my workplace is horrendous with a toxic culture of management bullying, poor use of fixed term contracts and unqualified staff drafted into academic roles. There is a lot to be angry about.

This is where my Union rep has been very helpful - we also have such a culture and they've supported various other members before in this (and some of them, like me, were bullied and/or harassed due to their sex).
I will be striking on one of the days (I am not working on one of the others anyway, and I haven't decided on the third).

I feel the same as @ExUCU. I left for similar reasons, and as a last resort. Quite a lot of people have left from my local branch which feels more like a dysfunctional student union political society than a serious trade union branch. At the national level I'd had enough of pointless, ineffective industrial action, and when UCU sided with masked thugs against Kathleen Stock, I decided I couldn't be party to it any longer.

If I was still in UCU I'd strike, though, because I think union membership comes with obligations and responsibilities as well as benefits.

I am feeling really stressed about the strikes. I don't know what to do. Head of School has asked us to email all students with a message from him which says we will inform them in advance of action and reschedule classes. Well that's not what union says.. so I just ignore it. What a horrible position staff are in really.

I feel on principle I should support the strike. I feel practically it is pointless and won't achieve anything. I feel like I will be on a shit list with students and with management. And I cannot take the financial hit as a single parent part timer. I'm off sick with a virus too just now and new policy says we must reschedule lost teaching but at this point in semester I don't know how I can do that when I am chronically ill anyway with reasonable adjustments in place to pace myself.

Management saying we also have to reschedule classes after strikes and ucu say no. I don't even have any colleagues to talk to it about... because they're all temp staff....which is the point.

Things are shit. I just need somewhere to explore thoughts...I know I'm naïve. I've never been on strike in my life and I'm nearly 50.

I don’t think your employer can force you to reschedule teaching that was supposed to be delivered on strike days as you’re not being paid for it. UCU are correct on this.

If you are ill, get a sick note from your GP. It sounds as if you are having a bad time of it, hope things improve.

Personally, I’d tell students if you are striking as some of them may spend money to come to campus otherwise but I don’t think you’re obliged to do this. Good luck - strikes are stressful for everyone.

@Mummyteedum you have to do what’s best for you and if that’s not striking then don’t strike. But the UCU is correct that you are not supposed to reschedule any missed teaching.

Yes at my institution staff are also asked to inform students if they are striking as a courtesy to save them money and a wasted journey. I think that’s fair and it’s not as if they are asking you to tell management in advance. You don’t have to declare strike action until after the event.

Thanks for advice and input.

Yes @ghislaine I would tell students myself for the reasons you say. It is the fact the head of school has sent us an email to send on with really dubious wording I object to. I cannot send it in all good conscience. Its talking about classes being rescheduled and disruption minimised. I can't send that out and then take strike action. So I have to not send it I guess, if I strike.

It’s not as if your Head of School can’t email the students him or herself! Agree with you, this is heavy-handed, and the School can take of its own communications via various channels.

Anyone crossed any pickets yet? I have managed to reschedule my teaching today so I shouldn’t have to and I’m staying away from campus and did the same last week. The strike fund doesn’t cover the salary o would lose and I have commitments (that are far more important to me than my job) that mean I can’t afford a drop in salary at the moment, not even for a month. The whole thing is an utter farce as well and I wonder how long UCU members will agree to strike year upon year and never getting anything to show for it. I think it’s over 40 days of lost pay so far since 2019 and still nada (and not likely to see anything either). Yet every time you get the “I am striking because I can’t afford not to” posts (including by one person who last month was trying to encourage applicants for a self-funded phd with her). Smdh.

On my way in now. Passed pickets at other buildings, hoping there isn't one at mine so I don't have to physically cross it (hypocritical I know). I've heard no support for this strike along colleagues.

I'm on leave so have not had to examine my conscience (too much) about not striking.

I am on the verge of leaving the UCU because of their attitude to the political beliefs I hold, but there are still good feminists in the UCU (eg Holly Smith & Alice Sullivan). I hang in there to support them.

I’ve only had to go in one day of the three. There was quite a large picket at the main entrance but bizarrely the picket was off to one side of it and the entrance was completely clear. Go figure!!

I was on strike last Thurs, don't work Friday, and am quietly WFH with no communication with colleagues today.

I have been off sick so it's a moot point but I had decided if I were well that I would not cross pickets and I would have striked last week.

The VC's bullying and appalling email last week tipped me over. I don't think the Union will succeed but I couldn't condone what the VC has done.

I've crossed pickets on 2 out of 4 days as on both occasions have had morning lectures to deliver to big classes.

I mean 2 out of 3. Clearly I'm imagining additional strike days!

I was teaching last Thursday and I saw people with placards buying coffee in the line in front of me but I didn't see any picket line and my teaching took me across the campus twice. There seems to be very limited support for the strike action at my institution. I left UCU in September