What union can I join that isn’t totally beholden to Stonewall or similar?

[Rainbowshine]

Just as the title says really, I want to join a union but all of the larger general ones that would be relevant for my work are enthralled with the Stonewall ethos or similar. I would like to join one that would not have a complete meltdown at the prospect of supporting me if I needed to challenge the overly zealous wokeness and pronoun-zombie mentality and actions that are emerging there. Any suggestions please?

Haha. I think this may have the same answer as what left-wing political party can I vote for or what left-leaning newspaper can I read.

Tumbleweed I suspect! (Happy to be proved wrong. Bitter as my union is the UCU and I'm pondering whether to leave)

@DisappearingGirl

Haha. I think this may have the same answer as what left-wing political party can I vote for or what left-leaning newspaper can I read.

Tumbleweed I suspect! (Happy to be proved wrong. Bitter as my union is the UCU and I'm pondering whether to leave)

Morning Star and the Communist Party are really the only ones.

Definitely join the Free Speech Union. It only costs £50 to join, they will represent you straight away (unlike other unions), and they don't care about your politics. All the other unions have been 100% captured, and will be more likely to attack you than defend you on women's rights. The FSU have been incredibly effective on lots of cases and have lots of caseworkers. Lisa Keough, the Scottish student who was thrown off her law course for saying only women have vaginas, could not have spoken more highly of their defence of her.
freespeechunion.org/

Definitely join the Free Speech Union. It only costs £50 to join, they will represent you straight away (unlike other unions), and they don't care about your politics.

Yes but they aren't actually a union. OP presumably wants protection for her employment rights.

Not all unions are captured, OP, but if you can't stomach the ones in your industry then try a politically neutral union like the United Independent Union or Community Union.

Bitter as my union is the UCU and I'm pondering whether to leave

My sympathy. Unions can be great but they seem like utterly useless women-hating dickheads.

Thanks for your thoughts, yes it would need to be TUC affiliated and a “proper” union for me to be allowed to bring a rep into any formal meeting I may find myself in. The recognised union that has negotiating rights are run by TRA’s who have decided that our workplace has to put Trans rights before anyone else’s. No other views are allowed to exist and non compliance is judged as transphobic and must be annihilated. It’s just awful.

Thanks for your thoughts, yes it would need to be TUC affiliated and a “proper” union for me to be allowed to bring a rep into any formal meeting I may find myself in.

Doesn't need to be TUC affiliated, the two I suggested upthread aren't. What sector are you? Most have more than one possible union.

Community Union has some useful looking stuff, but they have a post on their site with this gem:

"We’ve seen Stonewall, the UK’s flagship LGBT+ charity, face a concerted and well-funded attack on its very existence – a cause now seemingly backed by the UK Government and our “equalities” minister Liz Truss. Powerful figures across the world have sought to start, stir up and perpetuate culture wars, particularly aimed at trans people, that have caused real hurt to our community and given licence to bigots to spread hatred."

Community Union has some useful looking stuff, but they have a post on their site with this gem

Oh FFS. So their whole pitch is being apolitical but apparently they can't manage that.

Good question!

I'm actually eligible for free UCU membership (teaching part time alongside PhD research) but I find the way they've treated and spoken about women who stand up to trans ideology appalling. I'd rather pay for membership elsewhere. If there's anywhere uncaptured by the woke nonsense.

@donquixotedelamancha I’m in publishing so the “official” union is the NUJ.

Unite cover publishing (to a degree, they tend to avoid direct competition) and are a lot better than the NUJ on this, though not perfect.

FSU would be the only union who would defend you on freedom of speech/belief grounds. You can have any representative you like with you present in meetings, and from my experience trade union reps are worse than useless. Honestly, it would be an utter waste of time and your money would be far better spent on £50 to the FSU who would actually robustly defend you

Thing is, women could just be paying a due to a union that will not only fail to defend women's interests, but actively promote things which are against them.

@Rainbowshine

Thanks for your thoughts, yes it would need to be TUC affiliated and a “proper” union for me to be allowed to bring a rep into any formal meeting I may find myself in. The recognised union that has negotiating rights are run by TRA’s who have decided that our workplace has to put Trans rights before anyone else’s. No other views are allowed to exist and non compliance is judged as transphobic and must be annihilated. It’s just awful.

Have you checked your employer's HR Policies & Procedures? Even though the NUJ might be the only union recognised for collective bargaining the situation might be different for individual representation.

HR Procedures usually allow for an employee to be accompanied by a friend (not necessarily a work colleague) or represented by a union rep.

The "representation" part covers the fact that a union rep is acting as an "agent of the union" and is therefore covered by insurance should you wish to take legal action against the union, ie. for some reason arising from the conduct or competence of the rep.

Employers usually bar "representation" by a lawyer but may allow you to be accompanied by lawyer (as a "friend") or by a McKenzie Friend.

Several unions now have GC Women's Groups working behind the scenes. If you are on Twitter, you could ask @/Fiona44444 if she is aware of an NUJ GC Women's Group (there is is one for Unite).

If you are not on Twitter, I can ask her for you.

Are there any GC women working behind the scenes in UCU? I would love to hear about that and join them.

Thanks for the tip about GC groups within unions @Bosky, I’ll look into those. Our local branch is ramping up some deeply worrying activism and calling anyone who expresses concern about using pronouns in emails, talks about single sex spaces etc as a total Terf and transphobic and getting grievances submitted against them. It’s getting very personal and divisive.

The Free Speech Union recommend a particular union, which is not affiliated to any political party but totally independent. I can't remember which it is (should find out, I want to join!) but you may be able to find it on their website or contact FSU to find out.

@Rainbowshine

Thanks for the tip about GC groups within unions *@Bosky*, I’ll look into those. Our local branch is ramping up some deeply worrying activism and calling anyone who expresses concern about using pronouns in emails, talks about single sex spaces etc as a total Terf and transphobic and getting grievances submitted against them. It’s getting very personal and divisive.

So the Union is trying to get its members in trouble at work

Me too GCmiddle. Fingers crossed!

@GCmiddle and @FreiasBathtub

"Several unions now have GC Women's Groups working behind the scenes. If you are on Twitter, you could ask @/Fiona44444 if she is aware of an NUJ GC Women's Group (there is is one for Unite).

If you are not on Twitter, I can ask her for you."

If you are on Twitter, DM Fiona44444

If you are not on Twitter, DM me here on Mumsnet.

(I am not Fiona44444 BTW but I can help you to contact her).

I have been in touch with Fiona44444 on Twitter and there is a Union GC Women’s Group for ULU members

Anyone know if there is a GC group with Prospect union?

I'm with Prospect and keen to know if they will support me if required. I came very close to needing them recently after being accused of Transphobia at work but the case was closed at investigation stage.

I've just resigned from UCU (I wonder if they'll contact me to ask why - there wasn't a free text option to give a specific reason) and can't think of anywhere to go. So following for suggestions.