Kathleen Stock’s union betrays her.

[MangoSeason]

Pathetic. Weak. Craven.

twitter.com/Docstockk/status/1447863827018702855?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

More and more outrageous demands, people too scared to speak out or say anything that not ‘approved think’.

Looks when we have ‘celebs’ demanding that we don’t call aliens.... aliens (and I mean the ET type) because it’s offensive (or exclusory or something like that), then you can see how crazy it can get.

Jo Phoenix:

thecritic.co.uk/is-transphobia-an-academic-critique/

There are only two comments I can make. First, the union might want to consider what it means by “appeal to employment rights and academic freedom”. Professor Stock, or any gender critical academic, does not need to “appeal” to these things. As employees we have employment rights. The University does not need to appeal to academic freedom; it has a legal responsibility to protect it. Employment rights and academic freedom already have a legal limit and it is my opinion that the constant cry of transphobia (without argument or evidence) sits outside those limits.

Can a Union be described as a Union if it regards employment rights not as something that can be defined in legislation, but vague suggestions that can be disregarded at the whim of the employer?

Today's Times piece on this

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/universities-union-backs-trans-rights-over-threatened-professor-kathleen-stock-sgzz09j2f?shareToken=e577cf2368237c67636620da5a8c5b99

(Its followed by the Scottish government's 'anyone with a cervix' nonsense.)

GB News item.

@Ereshkigalangcleg

Exactly. If they root out all the GC women, what then? They're not just going to live in perfect harmony with everyone. It will get nastier and nastier because that's how power works. It needs to be nipped in the bud, but universities are being weak on this.

It needs to be established exactly how many attending students this involves. Not friends of, not online pile on associates or members of political lobby groups, but students, attending. And what percentage they represent of the student body.

And then the volume of the voice and the weight being accorded them needs to be proportionally considered.

It also needs to be seriously considered by all bodies supposed to be providing impartial services equally to all, that this is becoming a situation in which certain groups are being awarded far more recognition, support, power and control, and strong hierarchies are being formed. Standard values that should apply equally to all are being twisted to apply to some and not to others based on selected characteristics. That is not equality or inclusion, that is actively encouraging discrimination according to increasingly 'controversial' politics which try to justify this as a good thing.

To add: it also needs to be proportionally considered as to the time and capacity this percentage of the student body are taking up of University management, the volume of requirement for attention, interaction, time, response, and the impact upon staff. Is this an appropriate use of resources?

Ditched UCU last night: hello Affinity: filled in their form last night, had a call this morning and now have representation. Really nice guy, confirmed that they offer in-person representation if needed and 24/7 helpline for employment issues and others (i.e. horrible neighbours!). £7.65 per month. Cover for new issues starts immediately. Been meaning to ditch UCU after being horrified by their stance; after their complete capitulation to the bullies in Prof Stock's case, enough is enough.
workaffinity.co.uk

What message is this sending to employers? Are these people going to protest against every client they don’t 100% approve of?

@chilling19

Ditched UCU last night: hello Affinity: filled in their form last night, had a call this morning and now have representation. Really nice guy, confirmed that they offer in-person representation if needed and 24/7 helpline for employment issues and others (i.e. horrible neighbours!). £7.65 per month. Cover for new issues starts immediately. Been meaning to ditch UCU after being horrified by their stance; after their complete capitulation to the bullies in Prof Stock's case, enough is enough. workaffinity.co.uk

Interesting! I’ve been union-less for about 7 months now having left UCU but would like to be in a union. Saw Affinity at the time, vaguely, but didn’t know whether or not to go for it as someone who works in a university. Will have another look.

Thanks for the link to Affinity. They look good; I like the fact that they offer representation from full-time experienced officials rather than, basically, volunteers fitting union work in around their jobs. I'd actually left UCU and joined GMB a while back, but I am considering Affinity now.

They seem OK - they have people from all sorts of jobs on their books and it is run as a collective. I did feel adrift after ditching UCU last night - I have been in a union (and been a rep in the past) since I was 16. I think this model is less collective bargaining and more personal representation. They say they are not political and this feels like a relief to be honest.

Also thanks to @Christinaxyz for the heads up to Affinity.

Sadly, Kathleen seems to have taken leave due to illness (email bounceback). :(

@YetAnotherSpartacus

Sadly, Kathleen seems to have taken leave due to illness (email bounceback). :(

I'm not surprised, it must be having a huge impact on her.

I am not surprised either. I would have had a nervous breakdown if I’d had to face even half of what she has. There’s a very real human cost here. To her opponents, Kathleen is a heard-hearted monster who doesn’t give a shit about anyone. That’s clearly wildly incorrect as many of her friends have said. I can’t imagine any person, no matter how thick-skinned, being able to tolerate what she has gone through at the hands of her colleagues and at the hands of students. It’s absolutely disgusting.

She's not in the UCU

If, during UC, Sussex had just said that they "identify" their answers as being correct, they would have won.

@girafferafferaffe

There is something so fucked up about this witch hunting. I wish there could be something done about it. I'm sure there are lots of people like me who are terrified to speak out at work even though concerning things are happening. It must be awful for her

I agree with what you and many other posters say. However it’s too late. The no platformed, cancellers, call them what you will, have realised what power they have. Institutions and unions crumble tamely under any pressure and it’s curtains for anyone who steps out of line. I think it’s terrifying and I hope there will be a proper backlash but I doubt it somehow.

Good article here on Spiked

www.spiked-online.com/2021/10/12/kathleen-stock-is-the-real-victim-of-hate-here/

It is terrifying. I've name changed because I'm an academic, I study gender (where the field has typically conflated sex and gender) and I feel like I'm in the handmaid's tale. There are hushed whisperings amongst the GC of us about whether we will still be able to research women's experiences for much longer because our work hinges on the power of women in society and therefore biological sex. But no one will say anything out loud and you have to be very very careful who you raise this with. We all have pronouned signatures for fear of being outed and put on trial.

@DisgustedofManchester

She's not in the UCU

OK, if we're going to be pedantic: "the union that represents academics has betrayed tens of thousands of its members".

There are hushed whisperings amongst the GC of us about whether we will still be able to research women's experiences for much longer because our work hinges on the power of women in society and therefore biological sex

We can't.

Yes, I've seen that 'She's not in the union' line all over social media.

@lionheart

Yes, I've seen that 'She's not in the union' line all over social media.

So the argument now is its OK for unions to side with bullies who threaten women in the workplace, threats serious enough that the police have to give the women advice on security, as long as the women in question isnt a union member 🤔

@lionheart

Yes, I've seen that 'She's not in the union' line all over social media.

I'd imagine she left for a reason ...

Anyway, it's not just her they're accusing of hiding transphobia behind appeals to academic freedom / employment rights, is it? Apparently lots of us are at it ...