Which union?

[DelphiniumBlue]

Hi,
I'm currently an HLTA in a primary school, partly in a support role, and partly with sole responsibility for planning and delivering a foundation subject , across KS2.
I have previously been in in Unison as a TA and NUT as a teacher, but am just not sure which would be most appropriate for my current position.
Has anyone got any thoughts? Which unions do you belong to, and why?

I'm currently a member of the NEU because it was £2 a month while I was a TA (introductory offer as they're 'new', or rather newly named federation of NUT and ATL). I've stuck with them next year because I'm training so it will be free. Never needed them and actually the school where I TA'd most of the TAs were with GMB.

Thanks Rillette. I did wonder if NEU would he a good fit. I'll check them out.

The NEU is a good idea due to the involvement of the ATL.
When I was a Cover Supervisor (and had similar duties to a HLTA) the ATL were the only union that accepted Cover Supervisors as the role was controversial at the time. Neither UNISON or the NUT would have us. When I became a TA I stuck with the ATL for over ten years (they were very good). Now that I'm a teacher I'll be going the NEU route due to the strength in numbers argument.

Thanks Elizabeth.
I've just rung NEU and wasn't completely inspired with confidence, but am considering them.
Have any other HLTAs got any experiences re Union membership to share?

Bump

Teacher here, but TA and HLTA colleagues are pretty much all in the GMB.

NEU membership was disorganised as fuck when I was sorting out union membership recently (I'm a returning teacher) - but I ploughed through it all regardless and they seem to have finally sorted it out in the end.

Think they just have a crap membership department setup and the phone staff weren't much better.

Agreeing with you Delphiniumblue and 500 regarding the shambolic nature of the NEU. I rang them a couple of weeks ago to sort out my membership, and was told to call back after the first of September because that's when they were officially rebooting as the NEU (or something similar, forgive my vagueness, mind you, the woman on the end of line was pretty vague too). Consequently I should imagine it will be pretty chaotic come the beginning of September. I'll still be giving them the benefit of the doubt though.

I'm in GMB.

Ask who the union reps are in your school? Who could you see yourself talking to?
My last school, everyone was Nasuwt except me and as there were issues I changed ( free first year too).