Is there a UCU department rep for where you work? If not, there’s another chance to elect colleagues to fill any gaps.

The elections in the summer came at really busy times and there were people who missed out on standing for election because of all the other stuff that was going on, so the branch committee has decided to hold by-elections where there are vacancies.

These are not all-out elections, if you elected a department rep in the summer they’re elected for 2 years. It’s just for where there a vacancies. You can see who the current reps are at leedsucu.org.uk/departmental-representatives (opens in new tab).

A network of department reps across the university is crucial for maintaining and increasing the strength of the union and ensuring the branch committee learns about problems in different areas.

The role of a UCU department rep

UCU department reps are a point of contact for union members in that school, department, service or area, and they alert the branch committee to issues concerning members in their area.

Department reps are not always caseworkers and are not expected to represent members in their area with individual problems (although many department reps are caseworkers, usually supporting members in other departments). Some department reps have informal discussions with local management but they are not involved in consultation or negotiation with local management – all consultation and negotiation with UCU is done centrally by the negotiating team.

Department reps will try to welcome new staff and make sure they know about the union.

Specialist department reps

As well as the department rep role, the committee often asks for nominations for specialist department rep roles, such as:

UCU department anti-casualisation rep

Focussing on issues affecting members who are casualised: members on fixed-term or fixed-funded contracts and members who are hourly paid.

UCU department postgraduate rep

Focussing on issues affecting postgraduate students who teach or do other paid academic or academic-related (professional and managerial) work for the university.

UCU department equality rep

Focussing on issues of inequality and discrimination affecting members in the department.

UCU department workloads rep

Focussing on the health, safety and wellbeing aspect workload issues in the department.

UCU department health and safety rep

Focussing on health, safety and wellbeing issues in the department

Who would be a good UCU department rep?

Try to think who would be the best person or people to be a UCU rep for your department. Challenge any stereotype you have of what union reps are like, be conscious that white and male union members are more likely to put themselves forward, and bear in mind that while someone who is more vocal at raising problems might be a good rep it might just be that they are already in a relatively more privileged situation so feel more able to complain. A good union rep will often be someone that colleagues have confidence in, whose judgement they trust, and who is a good listener.

You can find out more about the roles of UCU reps at ucu.org.uk/rep

Standing for election as UCU department rep

The deadline for nominations for these by-elections is 12pm midday Thursday 10 November.

To nominate someone, simply email ucu@leeds.ac.uk, ideally include the word “nomination” in the email subject, saying, for example:

Dear UCU branch honorary secretary

I wish to nominate Maria Garcia for UCU department workloads rep for the School of Design

Yours faithfully

James Smith

Each candidate needs two nominations by the deadline and to have confirmed by the deadline that they are willing to stand to be eligible for election. Nominations normally have to be from UCU members in the same department, but exceptions can be made for very small departments.

If you have any questions about the department definitions or exceptions for nominations for small departments, contact the branch honorary secretary, Tim Goodall.

Workload and training

University of Leeds has a historically not-great record in ensuring staff have sufficient time off for trade union work, insisting it is part of ‘citizenship’ for most union reps whose workloads are calculated that way. Discussions are ongoing to try to improve the situation so that more reps have workloaded time off (or equivalent) in addition to citizenship. If you have any questions about this please contact the branch honorary secretary or branch president.

UCU provides training for UCU reps ucu.org.uk/training, and support and mentoring from more experienced union reps.

List of department representatives

This page was last updated on 20 October 2022