Important Strike and ASOS information

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  1. Removal of access to teaching materials for students that would be taught on strike days.
    The ASOS notification on this is clear. We can and should remove access to all teaching materials that are associated with lectures, seminars, labs and any other taught sessions that are lost on strike days. The materials should then not be made available afterwards. That teaching is lost, which means the associated materials are lost. If materials are already on the VLE take them off. If you have Panopto videos you could put them into your personal Panopto folder and remove access. It is essential that the strike has effects, and this is a key method of doing this.
  1. You don’t have to notify anyone, including students, that you are going to strike.
    We aim to cause disruption. This may seem harsh on current students, but our dispute is much bigger than now, and we are acting to secure the idea of what a university is into the future. The egregious attacks on our pensions, pay and conditions justify the action that we have voted to undertake.
  1. Many students support our actions.
    Students have been involved in the strike action by creating and handing in a petition with 1250+ signatures in support of the strikes in December. Details of students’ support for UCU action are on this website: https://studentsupportstrikes.wordpress.com  
    Students will be on the picket lines and are also involved in creating the teach outs that are to be found below.
  1. A suggested email signature is below. It comes in two versions depending on if you wish to confirm you are striking or not.
    The UCU is currently undertaking industrial action which involves striking from the 14th to 22nd February inclusive. This is in support of our USS and Four Fights disputes. You can find more information about these here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/11896/Why-were-taking-action
    As a UCU member I reserve the right to not confirm if I am or am not striking until after the current action. You may experience a delay to me responding to your message. If you are a student and need urgent support, please contact your department administrators and/or see this page for contact details: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/health/help/

    The UCU is currently undertaking industrial action which involves striking from the 14th to 22nd February inclusive. This is in support of our USS and Four Fights disputes. You can find more information about these here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/11896/Why-were-taking-action
    As a UCU member I am taking part in the strike action and will be undertaking action short of a strike on my return, so there will a delay to responding to your email. If you are a student and need urgent support, please contact your department administrators and/or see this page for contact details: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/health/help/

  1. Teach Outs
    We have, as a branch, organised a series of teach outs. The Exec are very thankful to colleagues who have put together the programme outlined below.

    The first are organised by the Politics Department and will be held in the Crescent Community Venue – http://thecrescentyork.com/
    Wednesday 16th February, 1-4pm. Migration and Racism.
    This event is in two parts, each with a panel:
    Panel 1 – Rachel Maskell MP, Simon Parker, Sara De Jong, Fazia Ehzani
    Panel 2 – Zarah Sharif, Mel Williams, Emilia Chalmers, Susy Williams

    Monday 21st February 1-4pm – Classism and cost of living crisis
    More details on a future email.

    Monday 28th February 1-4pm – NHS solidarity and disability
    More details on a future email.

    The second ones are organised by the Archaeology Department.
    Tuesday 15th February: “Activism and Research”
    Thursday 17th February: “Nationalism and Building Identities”
    Both are from 10.30-12.30 at St Olave’s Meeting Rooms, see the map below. @ArchSocYork

    The Management School have also organised a teach out:
    Teachout – Wednesday the 16th of Feb at 12 noon on the ‘Tumsucutube’ live stream on YouTube!

  1. Picket lines
    Further to information sent out in the previous email, please come along to the three picket lines. Please feel free to bring children and dogs!  Each day we are running a competition for placards. We will be judging based on artistic merit, humour, and ‘unexpected’ criteria. Winners will be advertised each day.
    Friday 18th – ‘bring your dog day’ (or borrow one from a friend). We hope to have many four-legged comrades on the picket lines on Friday (and other days too!).
  1. Communications during the strike
    Information will be communicated via emails and on Twitter. Please get in touch with any questions and if you are on the pickets, do share pictures and stories on Twitter, tagging them with #OneOfUsAllOfUs and @UcuYork. Do also share on other social media; it is important that the strike action is visible.

    We hope to see many of you on the pickets next week.
    UCU UOY Executive