Why join the UCU? Loads of reasons! If you've read our home page, you'll see what we do:
- advise individual members about their employment rights
- represent members in meetings with management, eg: grievance & disciplinary procedures; redundancy; phased returns from periods of sickness; retirement; capability procedures
- negotiate and consult with management on a variety of issues eg. pay; conditions; gender & disability equality duties; health, safety & welfare; sessional issues
- have two representatives on the College's Health, Safety & Welfare Committee
- join and support national UCU campaigns eg: de-casualisation; anti-bullying
- maintain contact and mutual support with other FE colleges in the South East
- liaise with and support Unison members at City College on issues of collective concern eg redundancy
Having said all this, in my experience as the UCU rep at City College, I'd say that there are two main reasons that people join:
- to protect themselves
- to protect others
For most people, it's a combination of the two. For us? We're here for you whatever your reasons for joining. You can: be a silent member - pay your (very cheap) subscriptions and do little else - maybe read the website occasionally; contact us when you need support; come to meetings and keep up-to-date with the latest issues; talk to your colleagues about the issues that concern you; hand out UCU leaflets on issues of general concern; join in strikes and other national days of action; participate in campaigns locally, nationally and/or globally; become active in supporting your colleagues in their individual issues and case work; join the UCU Branch Committee.
Our membership has nearly trebled in the last three years, and that makes a massive difference: we have a say in what happens here. All I can say to you is this: be a part of it.
Alison Kelly
UCU Branch Secretary, City College Brighton and Hove
