Category Archives: Open meetings and events

Organising a teach-out

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On 11-13 October, Leeds UCU went on strike in a local dispute. It had been a while since we’d had a three-day strike and we wanted to do more with the event than picket, so we organised a TEACH-OUT (a form of protest like a teach-in, except that it happens off campus, because we’re on strike). Good reasons to do teach-outs include: They show students that their teachers aren’t just putting their feet up. We care about students’ education and are willing to educate unpaid — just not to do the kind of educating we’re normally paid for. We only go on strike when bad things are happening, but promoting the teach-out allows us to focus conversations on a positive activity. Attending allows students (and anyone else!) to show support for the strike. The teach-outs also give members a communal, productive activity to do on strike days that builds ideas, capacity, and community — and reminds us what higher education is really all about. Not all members are willing or able to be involved in picketing, but are happy to participate in teach-outs, broadening the possibilities for activism on a strike day. And luckily, organising teach-outs is very easy! Almost … continue reading

Open meeting: casualisation and gender pay gap

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Wednesday 8 November, 1pm – 2pm Baines wing 1.13 As part of our work putting together a claim on the gender pay gap at the University of Leeds and tackling the casualisation of jobs at the University of Leeds we’d like to invite you and any other staff to a meeting on Wednesday to discuss these issues. Please pass this on to any colleagues who may have an interest in these issues (and who doesn’t have an interest in equal pay and permanent jobs?!). This meeting is open to non-members as well as members. Concerned about the gender pay gap? Fixed term? Hourly paid? Agency? Variable or Zero hours? All of the above? We want to hear about the experiences of staff at Leeds on these kinds of contracts. Permanent, salaried member of staff? This meeting is also for you to learn more about issues facing your colleagues & to share ideas. UCU is committed to equal pay and to fighting the abuses faced by staff on casualised contracts within further and higher education. We hope that all members will support these campaigns and stand with colleagues on casual contracts to put an end to such abuse. Casualisation + Gender … continue reading

Friday’s Striking Insights! UCU Teach Out programme

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1300-1400 Global or Local – which way forward for food production? Malcolm Povey (M.J.W.Povey@food.leeds.ac.uk) Quaker Meeting House   Ruins of Blarism: A critical geography of contemporary Leeds (plus short walking tour) Asa Roast and Tim Joubert (asa.roast@gmail.com; t.joubert1@leeds.ac.uk) The Packhorse (meeting room)   The queer majority: An introduction to lgBT politics Sally-Anne Beverley (s.e.beverley@leeds.ac.uk) The Packhorse (band room)   1400-1500 Feminist Economics Stefan Kesting (S.Kesting@leeds.ac.uk) Quaker Meeting House   Poetry Pamphlet & Zine Cultures The history of pamphlet-making from little magazines to present-day zineing, followed by some actual pamphlet-making. Calum Gardner (C.Gardner1@leeds.ac.uk) The Packhorse (band room)   Are stupid people the problem? The dangers of political rationalism Simon Hewitt (S.Hewitt@leeds.ac.uk) The Packhorse (meeting room)   1500-1600 Gay Yorkshire on film: love, immigration and masculinity (God’s Own Country, Francis Gill dir. 2017) Richard Cleminson (r.m.cleminson@leeds.ac.uk) Quaker Meeting House   The future of work in Brexit Britain Four scholars talk about the deterioration of graduate jobs, precarious work in academia, challenges organising, Precarity and the end (?) of Free movement Charles Umney, Annalisa Murgia, Mariya Invancheva, and Gabriella Alberti (M.Ivancheva@leeds.ac.uk; A.Murgia@leeds.ac.uk; C.R.Umney@leeds.ac.uk; G.Alberti@leeds.ac.uk) The Packhorse (band room) … continue reading

UCU General Secretary Election Hustings

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Who leads our union makes a difference. The union elects a general secretary every five years. We have invited both general secretary candidates, Sally Hunt and Jo McNeill, to a meeting for members at University of Leeds to make their case as to why they are the right candidate to lead the union. The meeting is: Wednesday 15 February, 5.30pm Baines wing room 1.13 Jo McNeill will be attending. Sally Hunt can’t attend but we will have invited her to send us a video clip. Please come along to discuss what sort of leadership our union needs. Elections for the UCU national executive committee are also open 1 Feb – 1 March. Please vote! … continue reading

General Meeting

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All members general meeting, 29 September, 1pm – 2pm, Michael Sadler Building, lower ground floor, seminar room LG15. Agenda Minutes and matters arising from previous meetings EU and Brexit Free movement motion –University of Leeds UCU local association This UCU local association notes that existing UCU policy on migration and labour markets recognises the social, cultural and economic value of migration and opposes all forms of racism and the Points-Based Immigration Scheme. This policy was strongly condemmend by the UCU Congress 2009’s resolution as “discriminatory and an attack on the civil liberties of international staff and students”; “likely to lead to draconian absence and sickness policies being introduced”; “likely to severely damage the international status, and quality of education and research in institutions due to the loss of overseas staff and students”; “counter to our core values of academic freedom and equality”; imposing extra duties including the monitoring and surveillance of international staff and students (Link to UCU guidance). This policy, however, does not explicitly refer to a commitment to defend the free movement of labour, including for all workers in higher education. This UCU local association further notes that the existing free movement of labour within the European Economic … continue reading