I do a bit of analysis of what makes industrial action a useful tool and when it isn’t. I believe some people label the position “we should consider the material and power dynamics of a situation” “industrially pessimistic”. I prefer to be clear eyed. - ThreadSky

bparsia.bsky.social • 3 days ago

I do a bit of analysis of what makes industrial action a useful tool and when it isn’t.

I believe some people label the position “we should consider the material and power dynamics of a situation” “industrially pessimistic”.

I prefer to be clear eyed.

Reposted from UCU Commons

New elections mailout! As we enter the last week of the ballot, @bparsia.bsky.social reflects on the current crisis and on UCU's deep internal divisions over strategy.

If you haven't yet voted, it's nearly your last chance! Last safe posting day is 25th February.

open.substack.com/pub/ucucommo...

Comments

solgamsu.bsky.social•3 days ago

Why in the current context are you "clear-eyed"? UCU Commons has opposed the current national ballot, our UNISON colleagues are about to hold a national ballot - why do you think UCU should do differently?

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

We lost the negotiating groups.

We are very unlikely to make threshold.

We have affronted a number of our members (not all) fighting redundancies.

There’s no plan for how to link a fight over pay to combating redundancies.

Pay vs jobs when there’s a shrinking budget is a standard tension.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

If you’d like to articulate a causal story for a strategy which involves national balloting on pay at this time in order to help redundancies, I’d be genuinely glad to read it and respond. You could even sway my vote if you are convincing. I try to be evidence based.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

I think it’s clear a lot of members share my views just as many members share yours. So articulate the case. Or let’s discuss it in real time.

I’ve read your reflections on the MAB and didn’t find your cause arguments convincing. But maybe I missed something.

solgamsu.bsky.social•3 days ago

Thanks for reading.

I'll see if I have time, for personal reasons I have had to take a step back, but I have written some other more general things about organising which will be coming out soon.

Happy to discuss in real time - if you want to debate I'm happy to.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

We could debate if you want but I’m more interested in finding genuine commonality of understanding.

I’ve put forth a strategy document last year that articulated a way to mesh local and national disputes partially inspired by eg Durham. But we never found time on the agenda to discuss it.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m happy to take a risky action…sometimes it works out. But the idea that IA inherently works simply defies history, indeed, our own recent history.

Recognising power issues isn’t trying to “appease the bosses”…it’s trying to make wins possible and sustainable.

We’re always in a long haul.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

Union work is a marathon that never ends. We need to develop ourselves both to meet current crises and build for the long term good. That means building positive industrial relations with our employers and raising our positive profile with the community.

solgamsu.bsky.social•3 days ago

I don't think building positive IR with employers is possibly in most cases at the moment.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

Probably not. But perhaps we can make things less bad.

The negotiating groups would be a place to start.

Coordinated lobbying of government also seems theoretically possible though we’d want to alter a lot of their approach.

solgamsu.bsky.social•3 days ago

I don't think most branches facing redundancies "can make things less bad" - that is simply not possible.

This on top of the structural and appalling track record of most uni senior managements make this a very odd argument, especially now.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

Do you think we’re better off without the negotiating groups on casualisation, workload, and pay equity that have been on the table in roughly similar form since 2019?

You can choose the worst version of my considerations if you’d like but then I will disengage.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

Building up our community relations seems quite feasible.

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

For IA to punch it needs to be strong, for realistic goals, and *seen* as just, indeed a last resort, by nigh everyone: our members, our bargaining group, students, their families, the community, the country.

Our power is partly direct (loss of labour) and partly indirect (persuasion).

bparsia.bsky.social•3 days ago

We must cultivate both.

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