Do you think there is much chance you think there is to reform the UCU?
Sometimes campaigning for change can be done as effectively from outside an organisation - as losing members may give the organisation a reason to reconsider its activities.
Several unions, e.g. NUT and the NUS are as much about political campaigning as defending the rights of teachers and students.
Abortion Rights (National Abortion Campaign) Abortion Rights is the UK's grassroots organisation leading the campaign to defend and extend women's rights to abortion.
Cuba Solidarity Campaign The Cuba Solidarity Campaign works in the UK to raise awareness of the illegal US economic blockade of Cuba and defends the Cuban's people's right to self-determination. It is a non-party political, not-for-profit organisation.
Hands Off Venezuela The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign was established to generate awareness about Venezuela within the labour and trade union movement and among young people. Its main task is to promote the social gains of the Bolivarian Revolution and mobilise public opinion against imperialist aggression towards Venezuela. Give full support to the Venezuelan Revolution, which has repeatedly proved its democratic credentials, in its struggle to liberate the oppressed of Venezuela.
Public Services Not Private Profit Public Services Not Private Profit is a joint union campaign launched in March 2006 to defend public services against privatisation.
Schools Out Goals are to provide a formal and informal support network for all people who want to raise the issue of homophobia and heterosexism in education and to research, debate and stimulate curriculum development on LGBT issues.
Stonewall Stonewall has subsequently put the case for equality on the mainstream political agenda by winning support within all the main political parties.
Stop the War Coalition Stop the War aims to build the largest and most widely based opposition possible to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
None of these are really related that I think a trade union should deal with, e.g. pay, hours, working conditions. These are also generally left-wing issues.
Ben, I couldn't agree more - the union should be concentrating on issues closer to home and more obviously relevant to ordinary members. I genuinely think the boycott can be defeated: if it went to a ballot it would lose hands down. SO too I suspect would many of the other issues you mention! A mass resignation by Jewish members on the boycott issue is unlikely (in my view) to achieve a huge amount, but staying in the union to fight it might, and might also help to democratize the union more generally.
4 comments:
Do you get any benefits from being in the UCU? Are there alternative unions that are less political?
Yes, but if Jewish members don't stay within UCU to fight antisemitism, who will?
Do you think there is much chance you think there is to reform the UCU?
Sometimes campaigning for change can be done as effectively from outside an organisation - as losing members may give the organisation a reason to reconsider its activities.
Several unions, e.g. NUT and the NUS are as much about political campaigning as defending the rights of teachers and students.
UCU Supports...
Abortion Rights (National Abortion Campaign)
Abortion Rights is the UK's grassroots organisation leading the campaign to defend and extend women's rights to abortion.
Cuba Solidarity Campaign
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign works in the UK to raise awareness of the illegal US economic blockade of Cuba and defends the Cuban's people's right to self-determination. It is a non-party political, not-for-profit organisation.
Hands Off Venezuela
The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign was established to generate awareness about Venezuela within the labour and trade union movement and among young people. Its main task is to promote the social gains of the Bolivarian Revolution and mobilise public opinion against imperialist aggression towards Venezuela.
Give full support to the Venezuelan Revolution, which has repeatedly proved its democratic credentials, in its struggle to liberate the oppressed of Venezuela.
Public Services Not Private Profit
Public Services Not Private Profit is a joint union campaign launched in March 2006 to defend public services against privatisation.
Schools Out
Goals are to provide a formal and informal support network for all people who want to raise the issue of homophobia and heterosexism in education and to research, debate and stimulate curriculum development on LGBT issues.
Stonewall
Stonewall has subsequently put the case for equality on the mainstream political agenda by winning support within all the main political parties.
Stop the War Coalition
Stop the War aims to build the largest and most widely based opposition possible to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
None of these are really related that I think a trade union should deal with, e.g. pay, hours, working conditions. These are also generally left-wing issues.
Ben,
I couldn't agree more - the union should be concentrating on issues closer to home and more obviously relevant to ordinary members. I genuinely think the boycott can be defeated: if it went to a ballot it would lose hands down. SO too I suspect would many of the other issues you mention! A mass resignation by Jewish members on the boycott issue is unlikely (in my view) to achieve a huge amount, but staying in the union to fight it might, and might also help to democratize the union more generally.
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