On Strike?
Wondering about joining a union. I simply hadn’t got round to thinking about it until now, but everyone’s been talking about it today, mainly because Unison, which a lot of our staff belong to, is striking next month. The strike seriously affects our school, which is due to close for a couple of days, as it can’t operate without the TAs. I think that being a member of a union is a good idea, simply because if anything happened you would have the union’s backing in terms of insurance/legal help etc. More important than ever when working in a special school like ours where you are more involved with personal care of children and you are regularly working with children on your own, one-to-one - you are potentially in a fairly vulnerable position should anything happen to a child in your care.
I’m not sure, however, that I particularly agree with striking. Especially when it affects the children. Even if I agree with the issue at stake (pay, in this case). Then again, is there anything else one can do that has an effect? Does striking itself have the intended effect? So - even if I did join the union should I/would I strike?
Anyone got any comments?
June 26th, 2008 at 19:16
Tricky one. I think (and entirely my own opinion) that IF you join a union, and that union votes to strike, you have a responsibility to strike with them - or to resign your membership. The purpose of unionisation is about solidarity and strength in numbers, and if you’re not prepared to commit to the collective decisions of the group, you probably shouldn’t be there.
However, I also think that a bit of individual representation can, as you say, be mighty useful. My mum (a teacher) joined a non-striking union, but there are a whole bunch of teaching unions to choose from - most of us get Unison or nothing.
Don’t think that helps at all - sorry!
June 26th, 2008 at 19:57
I was a rep for NUT when I was at uni, got sent on the training courses (very nice residential place, fully catered, can’t remember whether bar was just subsidised). And then I was a rep for Unison when I was a social worker, and the union sold us out completely, we got no support when our unit was listed for being passed to a private company. I left and went into computing instead.
I don’t think unions are anywhere near as supportive as ppl think - not sure about the insurance/ legal cover issues, is it possible to cover yourself independently? And I’m never convinced by striking when you are in this line of work.
June 26th, 2008 at 20:00
Hmm. It’s a tricky one isn’t it.
I joined a union when I got my first job. I was uncomfortable with the idea as I am opposed to striking (I worked as an engineer on power stations, so striking could have meant leaving people with no power, which seemed wrong) but stuck it out. There was a ballot where we voted to reject a pay off, but the union decided to accept it anyway. Had they decided to strike, I would not have taken part. I then discovered that even if I left the union I was entitled to the same legal protection as any union member, so quit the union. At that point they got very interested in trying to persuade me to stay in the union, and made it quite hard to leave until I got very stroppy with them and asked payroll to stop sending them my dues.
I wouldn’t join a union again, but my main reason is still because I’m opposed to striking as it ultimately hurts the people we’re supposed to serve far more than it hurts the company. Personally I think striking is a bully boy tactic and that unions should do more to resolve issues through arbitration. Doesn’t always work though.
June 26th, 2008 at 20:02
hmm that’s interesting. I have NO experience of it so just going on hearsay really, hence the request for comments.
June 26th, 2008 at 20:11
I’d say join the Union for all the reasons you mentioned. Striking.. well you have to do what feels right for you at the time. I don’t know as it will achieve the higher pay but I think that often its like a foot stamping tantrum, its a “What about ME” to remind those in charge that actually you do exist and they do have to take you into consideration. If it starts a communication about the pay which TPTB have previously refused to do then great, if its happening because its seen as an easy route rather than a hard going, long lasting dialogue then thats not so great. Does that make sense? I’m very tired, I know what I mean but I’m not sure you will LOL!
June 26th, 2008 at 20:21
My only experience of Unions was the Royal Mail Naked Josie Experience - which led me to think (along with the RM strikes) that Union leaders keep themselves in jobs by stirring up trouble - which is no help at all really, is it!?!?!?!!
June 26th, 2008 at 20:22
If you join the union you have to join the strike imo. If they get the pay rise you’ll take it I guess, so you should put in the effort to get it.
June 26th, 2008 at 20:43
gawd help me, but i am still the union rep, and think it is largely toothless. these days, unless you are willing to strike, in the public sector you will get precisely nowhere. but i would recommend everyone join one for that time you are between a rock and a hard place for a bit of support.
June 26th, 2008 at 21:06
I’ve been a member of a couple of unions - one when i worked for a housing Association. might have been Unision? and the NASUWT.
Well, strikes certainly can work as part of a campaign/dispute (seems to have worked for the tanker drivers) but of course won’t always. If there is a strike, then I think union members should join it, even if they don’t agree. surely that’s the whole point of having ballots and the principle of collective action. Sometimes it will impact on people, such as the children, and i guess that is part of the decision making process re strikes. But I do think sometimes you have to put yourself first.
Jax is certainly right in that being part of union doesn’t necessarily mean it will help a lot with bigger things (ask H about her opinion of the BMA ….) but in the context of a school, where some sort of incident/allegation regarding a child is a real possibility then the backup, legal expertise etc. they provide is pretty much essential IMO. An IME the teaching unions etc. anyway are generally good in the aspect (I know Unison isn’t a teaching union).
I’m not aware that you could purchase such cover for yourself, don’t expect it would be cheap though.
June 27th, 2008 at 13:59
As far as I am aware, you can get personal indemnity insurance to protect yourself in case of legal action but this is most easily supplied through some sort of representative body and can be expensive. Not sure how I feel about unions. I have never belonged to one although I am a member of my association which is just an advisory body. I think I agree with Sally M’s comment above really.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:56
Re joining a union. For a teacher in school it is imperative, imho. For all the reasons Chris said. In fact even as just a very part time private tutor I feel slightly uncomfortable not being in one. I would join whichever has most members in your school.
At the end of the day though, yes, it’s your choice. You have to do what your morals tell you and different people will come up with different answers. As in all things in life. Personally, I don’t think it’s right to be in a union that you know you would not support in democratically decided decisions. Unfortunately I also feel, putting myself and my family first, that the protection of a union is vital. Ergo, I would feel morally obliged to strike having joined the union.
There is another get-out option if you really can’t strike. I believe it’s acceptable to go to work and donate your day’s pay to some teacher’s benevolent fund or something instead. My mum did this when the NUT went on strike earlier this year. (She had a meeting that had taken months to set up and arrange with lots of different outside people for that day. Her school wasn’t closed because most were other unions.) Although I think she could have got out of it anyway, being close to retirement. I believe you are excused if loosing a day’s pay is more than just that, eg if it will effect your pension/maternity benefit etc.
Do you ever go on the TES forums? Search the pay and conditions forum. There was lots of heated discussion about this when the NUT went on strike.
June 28th, 2008 at 17:34
I once needed legal representation and it was supplied free through what was then NUPE, and is now UNISON. I cannot tell you the relief it was to have that worry taken care of, as the legal bill was scary. It also meant that they got me an appropriate solicitor, which might have been hard for me to identify. At the end of the day, they also won me compensation, though that wasn’t the issue that was initially at stake, it progressed to that after the initial case had been fought. Throughout the entire process I got support, was offered counselling, etc. I would not work in the public sector without membership. Too many people see suing the public sector as fair game. WRT striking, I sort of feel if you take the benefits, then you need to follow through on the basis of solidarity. So while senior managers pay is never likely to be the subject of a strike ballot, I do feel the responsibility to support those working on subsistence level wages. But then I was born and bred a socialist
June 30th, 2008 at 16:50
Well I have decided to join the union and join in with the strike too. Seems daft not to, really - as I agree with it, was going to join a union anyway just hadn’t got round to it - and school will be closed anyway so I can’t exactly work as normal!