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GTVO
For the current industrial action ballot in the higher education pay and working conditions dispute, UCU's campaigns department has prepared a 'get the vote out' (GTVO) system that facilitates the collection of voter information in the numerous UCU offices and UCU branches, so that we can pinpoint our collective GTVO activities.
Department reps have been sent ballot lists and are asked to contact their members to ask if they have voted, and to indicate on the live googlesheet whether the member has voted or is ballot-excluded. If you haven't received your list please email ucu@ucl.ac.uk.
HQ will also be texting some members to ask if they have returned their ballot paper.
"I've voted" FORM
The UCU Rising 'I've voted' form can be accessed here. This tool allows members to self-report that they have voted, so there will be no need for UCU to remind them again (for instance via ThruText or phone-banking).
Some members do not wish to say whether they have voted but do not wish to be reminded/contacted; they can pick that option on the form. Once members submit this, HQ will endeavour to update their databases and mailing lists within 24 hours during the working week (Monday-Friday).
REPLACEMENT BALLOT REQUEST
The UCU Rising replacement ballot request form can be accessed here. The replacement ballot request option will only be available between Friday 29 September 2023 (09:00) and Sunday 29 October 2023 (23:59). Note that this form is the same as the 'I've voted' form for members--members simply pick a different option on the first page to request a replacement ballot, then they have to fill out their address details.
BALLOT EXCLUSIONS
The following are valid reasons for removing a member from the branch ballot count:
- Member has retired
- Member has become unemployed
- Member has left branch
- Member is on long term leave
- Member is employed by a third party
- Member is Head of Institution (This only relates to the Provost: If a member is CEO of institution [Vice Chancellor, Principal etc], but not Heads of Departments, Schools etc, you can remove them from the ballot count)
- Member holds an Emeritus or Honorary position
Note that a member needs to be absent during the whole six-month action period following ballot closure (i.e. they need to be absent for the entirety of the time period between 3 November 2023 and 3 May 2024) to be deemed ineligible to vote and therefore can be excluded. Being absent for part of the ballot or action period is irrelevant, if a member is only absent for part of either period then they are still eligible to vote and should therefore not be excluded.
Please note that student, self-employed, agency, fully retired, attached/unemployed members, members whose workplace is outside of the United Kingdom, as well as members whose membership has actually lapsed, are not included in industrial action ballots by default.
TIMETABLE
- Wednesday 20 Sept members start receiving ballot papers
- Friday 29 Sept (9am) replacement ballot request form opens
- Friday 27 Oct (noon) deadline for new UCU members to be included
- Sunday 29 Oct (midnight) replacement ballot request form closes
- Monday 30 Oct (midnight) deadline for branches to notify ballot exclusions
- Tuesday 31 Oct last 'safe' date to return the ballot by post
- Friday 3 Nov (5pm) ballot closes
CONTACTING MEMBERS
We have found that members respond best to personalized messages from local Reps (viz., messages beginning with ‘Dear [member name], I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch to ask…’.
To set up multiple letters you can save time by using mail merge. Here is a guide on how to use mail merge. We highly recommend contacting members as soon as possible, and then again a period after that for those who have not responded, and updating the sheet as you go along.
TEMPLATE (1) LETTER FROM REPS TO MEMBERS (to modify as reps see fit)
Dear …
[Introduce yourself if necessary...]
I hope you do not mind me contacting you, as your UCU [departmental rep/local contac].
I am writing to ask if you have voted in the UCU Pay and Conditions ballot.
If you have not yet voted, can I please encourage you to exercise this democratic right, whatever you decide to vote.
Because of retrogressive anti-trade union laws we need 50% of eligible members to cast a vote for the ballot to be valid. On one occasion in the past we missed this figure by 17 votes, thereby disenfranchising thousands of members at UCL.
Every vote counts. The last safe date to post your ballot papers is Tuesday 31st October but we would advise sending it earlier in case of postal disruptions (the ballot closes on Friday 3rd November at 5 pm).
If you haven’t received your ballot paper, we recommend that you check your address on myUCU and update it if necessary. You can then request a replacement ballot paper here.
If you are going to be absent during the whole six-month action period following ballot closure (i.e. for the entirety of the time period between 3 November 2023 and 3 May 2024) please let me know, as you will be deemed ineligible to vote and therefore can be excluded. This is important for the turnout percentages.
If you have any other questions about the dispute, please feel free to get in touch with me.
Yours,
[name]
UCU Rep for [Department]
TEMPLATE (2) LETTER FROM REPS TO MEMBERS (to modify as reps see fit)
Dear {{forename}}
Have you voted in the UCU reballot?
As I am sure you know, the ballot is over pay, casualisation, workload and pay gaps.*
- Although inflation has fallen slightly from this time last year, RPI is in excess of 11%. Negotiations are ongoing, but if we do not have a ballot mandate that allows the union to call action, the employers will tend to deprioritise staff pay and conditions.
- We have seen staff pay fall as a percentage of budgets to a record low of 51%. From January, pre-92 universities like UCL will get a windfall from reduced USS employer contributions (UCL expects to gain ~£50m/year).
- We need national agreements on casualisation, workload and pay gaps because whatever we win at UCL is eroded by the behaviour of employers elsewhere. Or the excuse is "other universities are not doing this, so why should we?"
So I'm writing to colleagues to remind them to vote.
This should only take 5 minutes of your time.
- If you have voted, just reply to me with VOTED in the subject line, and I can cross you off the list. (As usual I am not asking colleagues which way they have voted.)
- If you haven't yet voted - please vote today!
Your ballot paper should have gone to your home address. Please look out for a white A5 envelope with "UCU" and "CES" on it.
Replacement ballot requests
If you can't find it, please order a replacement ballot paper today.
Use this form - https://yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/ucuRISING-ballotupdate (please click through right to the end!)
The last date for ordering a replacement ballot paper is Friday 29 October.
Please vote as soon as you can.
The ballot is open until 3 November. Please do make sure you vote.
Best wishes
XXX
*For the first time in many years we are not balloting over USS because we have got a groundbreaking deal that returns benefits and compensates members for lost pension earnings.
