Tag: Four Fights

After the Marking Boycott

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In late June this year we were able to email our members with the news we had a local resolution to the boycott and that a joint statement had been issued by UCU-UAL and Senior Management that committed to (partially) addressing the issues we raised. (See the statement below).
The boycott was one of the most difficult actions we have undertaken, but enough of us took part to bring senior mangers to talk directly with us about the issues which they acknowledged were live and painful. When we dare to take a stand, we can be heard and can win. The wins weren’t huge – they don’t make everything rosy, but they are significant and show what can happen when we act collectively. Had more of us done so, we could have got a resolution sooner! What we achieved was:

— We got the £500 ‘Covid Bonus’ extended (pro-rata) to cover ALs with 90 core hrs, rather than eligibility being limited to ALs with 240hours.

—We got a commitment to an immediate review the Maternity and Parental leave policy. We had put in a claim two years earlier highlighting how it was one of the worst in the sector. The policy has since been reviewed with vast improvements. (There are always more!)

—We got a commitment to begin meeting to discuss Workload, starting with CL, PD and Coordinator roles.

—We will be part of an HPL working group to try and address the many issues with how HPLs are employed at UAL


UAL/UCU Joint statement 13 June 2022

(You can also read this on Canvas here)

UAL Senior Management Team and UCU-UAL are committed to ensuring that the concerns of all Academic Staff are heard and addressed. 

While recognising that pay is and will continue to be negotiated nationally for University staff, both parties agree to work together on a range of local issues in the coming months, on a constructive basis, with a view to reaching mutually agreed outcomes and thus avoiding unnecessary industrial action over locally resolvable issues. 

We undertake to continue constructive dialogue on projects focussed on Workload, Equality and HPLs. 

Workload 

The newly launched Student Experience Framework outlines 3 core themes which recognise the interdependence of student and staff experience. The second of these: Academic Capacity and Time provides a context in which Workload can be effectively reviewed by Management and UCU, together. 

We agree to work on time-specific, agreed actions to eliminate excessive workloads. 

We cannot improve our student experience without addressing pressure on Course Teams and the considerable impact of hybrid delivery. 

We undertake to review CL and PD roles, set against national and local grade profiles. CL job descriptions were developed in 2012, since when duties have changed beyond recognition. The launch of Course Support Services provides an opportunity to review academic structures across the board to ensure consistency. 

Equality 

In relation to gender pay UAL already has one of the smallest gaps in the sector and we are working to close this gap as a matter of urgency. We recognise the ethnicity pay gap remains an issue at UAL and we are putting in place plans to address this through the anti-racism action plan. 

In our annual EDI report 2022/2023 we have committed to publish all protected characteristic pay gap information where we have sufficient data. With these data we will work with the trade unions to agree concrete steps to eradicate remaining gaps 

We recognise maternity and paternity provision is important to our staff and the trade unions, as it is to UAL, and Executive Board has committed to reviewing this as a priority as part of the People Strategy work. We will begin consultation on this as a priority to ensure that we have a policy which is amongst the best in the sector. 

We undertake to commence work on a revised Maternity and Parental Leave Policy in Summer 2022, with a view to offering updated maternity and paternity pay entitlements. 

One-off payment 

We recognise that the recent £500 one-off ‘pandemic bonus’ for salaried staff unintentionally excluded a large body of our regular Hourly Paid Lecturers. As a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of continuing commitment, we undertake to extend this payment to Associate Lecturers who work more than 90 core hours per year. 

Casualisation 

UAL have committed to a programme of work which seeks to look at the way we employ Associate Lecturers and the concerns that have been raised around precarious contracts. 

UCU and UAL will work together to review the AL contracting framework and with that undertake to review how the Security of Employment Agreement 2016 is applied. 

We will support professional development for Associate Lecturers, such as FHEA, SHEA and PGCert in line with salaried academic staff. 

HE Sector 

UAL are committed not only to improving conditions of its own staff, but also supporting best practice throughout the Sector. 

We are committed to high quality teaching and research and the provision of the necessary staffing and support to achieve this. 

University of the Arts London aspires to attract staff who will support the mission of UK education. We believe that this will be best realised if we lead by example; if we are able to offer good reward packages and our workplaces are ones in which staff are both supported and valued.

Marking & Assessment Boycott: A Positive Way Forward?

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Flyer

We entered into this place called ‘Four Fights’ over two years ago, because things were #broken. We’ve given a lot since but where are we now? 

UCU members at UAL recently voted (again) for strike action and Action Short of Strike (ASOS), as a last resort after years of pay cuts and the failure of Senior Management to take meaningful action on casualisation, pay discrimination, or workloads.

At UAL we voted 69.3 % in favour of strike action and 86.3% in favour of Action Short of a Strike (ASOS). 

The ASOS included a possible Marking Boycott, which is what was decided at national level as the most effective form of action to try and progress our demands with UCEA, the university employers association. 

There are fewer branches alongside us than in 2020 and some pulled out last week, for several reasons, but essentially either because the boycott came too late for their marking (we don’t get to decide that locally)  or because, with their management, they negotiated a local ‘deal’. That sounds good for them but it threatens the solidarity of a national movement.

Boycotts are hard. And the initial UAL senior management response has been to threaten 100% pay deductions for those participating.

However with some will from our Senior Management there is a clear way forward.

  • The fact that at UAL we are now ‘in’ this boycott is in itself a powerful message. You may feel you didn’t ‘vote’ for it, but it’s giving us power to call on our Management to raise their game. 
  • Strikes are ‘easy’ by comparison  but they’re also very easy for institutions to ‘ride out’. So so far UCEA (the employers’ group) has simply ridden out our actions. So it’s time to use another tack.

We’re working on a solution which could be quick, if we are strong at the start…

  • We ‘the boycotting’ branches have worked together to make resolution possible. We’ve produced a statement for our VCs to agree to send to UCEA. UCU-UAL have joined with colleagues from Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Herriot Watt, Nottingham to produce a template ‘joint statement’ that we can present to our SMT as a negotiating position, this week.

Update:The above ‘joint statement’ was written, agreed by members at joint UCU-UAL meeting on 26.5.22 and sent to the VC and HR senior management on 27.5.22. You can read it here: https://www.ucu-ual.com/draft-joint-statement-to-ucea-from-ucu-ual-and-ual-smt-regarding-four-fights-dispute/

With some serious commitment from our Senior Management we can work out a way forward that would end this action.

  • The boycott could end very soon – if our VC and SMT really engage. For that to happen, we need to have a strong position.
  • We’ll put the statement to our membership as soon as we’ve finalised the local element – and we’ll keep everyone in the loop on where negotiations are.

The prospect of punitive deductions is terrifying. We all feel that. But we’re not doing this alone, we have ‘twin’ branches funding us:

  • We’ve been organising at grass-roots level, so that those branches who voted for action but find they can’t take it will support us.
  • We have donations to our UCU-UAL Hardship Fund already promised from Lancaster and other ‘twins’ stepping forward, (LSBU, and other TUs) to pledge funds so that as a branch we can compensate members, if it does come to deductions. If you can’t take action but you want to support colleagues, or if you use social media a lot, here’s the link to our Hardship Fund crowdfund – share it widely!
  • We are right now also fighting to get back some of the deductions taken from last strike, which UAL took at a higher rate than any other HE institution. So, we stand to gain a refund!

Bottom line! Help end this quickly: Stay off the Assessment Feedback Tool!

  • Stay strong, don’t put anything on AF.
  • You can work out how you want to do this: take your time in Marking, work to contract, talk to students. Talk to your UCU buddies at college. Talk to your reps. Have meetings!
  • Remember there’s no need to ‘declare’ actions, they could change any time — and you are not legally obliged to do so.
  • ASOS is simply working within your contracted hours: no going over 37 hours a week (pro-rata!), not midnight marking, no admin on weekends, no 12-hr days. Reclaim your life!

SUPPORT AND SURGERIES FOR EVERYONE:

  • We’re here every day: 1-2pm on Zoom, for any questions, advice – to talk about any aspect of this Action. Check your email for details and links.

Local demands here https://www.ucu-ual.com/campaigns-issues/

If we hold our nerve we can get somewhere — we can make progress!

UCU-UAL Coordinating Committee (CoCom)

Four Fights National Dispute (and local demands)

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graphic 'we are at breaking point'
Along with many other universities across the country we are currently in dispute with the university employers association (UCEA). This dispute is called the Four Fights. The Four Fights are against pay devaluation, casualisation, workload, and gender and race pay inequalities. Find out more on the main UCU website and keeping an eye on your emails! This dispute has brought about ballot votes by UCU members at UAL for participation in national UCU strikes in February 2020, December 2021, February and March 2022. In the most recent national ballot for further industrial action, members of UCU-UAL voted in the majority for strike action and for Action Short of a Strike (ASOS), which includes a Marking Boycott.

LCC picket 2020
UCU-LCC Four Fights picket February 2020

The joint branches of UCU at UAL (UCU-UAL) also have a series of Local Demands which connect to the national Four Fights dispute. While sector wide issue are vital address collectively as UCU nationally (with the university employers associations UCEA and UUK), we also need to negotiate locally with UAL senior management. (This is always part of the ongoing behind the scenes work that your reps do). Our starting point demands are:

On Casualisation:
—Fulfil conditions of Security of Employment Agreement – and introduce fractionalisation in year 4
—Support professional development for Associate Lecturers (such as FHEA) 

On Race and Disability:
—Start by publishing pay gap figures in 2022

On Parenting policies and pay:
—Negotiate Maternity And Parental Leave Policies which are best not worst in sector.
(And which apply to all staff)

On Workload:
—Set up a Working Group to negotiate Academic Workload Planner which actually and accurately reflects admin and teaching load in a ‘hybrid’ age
(With clear terms of reference and powers to implement outcome)
—Adjust the ‘multiplier’ for prep, marking and admin from 2.25 to 3 (for ALs and salaried staff). This is explained in note below.
—Course Leader (CL) role review and Grade Review. CL is not Grade 6 role!
—Profs and Readers negotiate agreed Workload 

Note: Adjusting the multiplier. The 1hour = 2.25hours work is a pay calculation. The point is that not that we will be expected to do ‘more’ by changing the multiplier to 3, but to better recognise the time that is taken and as such the pay calculation (base rate x 3).