2nd March 2011, 02:36 PM
Over ten years ago I joined a union in the hope that some change may be on the cards. I was taken in by the overtures of the union who agreed that archaeologists were marginalised, un-represented and suffered from working conditions not seen since the 19th century. The same union pledged to become a voice for archaeologists and urged that we join them en masse. Quite a few of us did just that. Today, nothing tangible has changed. From being marginalised and unheard by employers in the nineties, we now seem to be marginalised and unheard by the union itself. Actually, "unheard" is not accurate-ignored is closer to the truth. In recent times an eminent representative of the heritage industry stood up at conference and asked the Union to campaign on our behalf. The lady was informed that it would simply cost too much money. This, despite the fact that the vast majority of income that the union commands is spent on Union employees` salaries. It would seem that in this case at least-unfulfilled promises over at least a decade are compounded by a perception that Union subscription is just another job creation scheme for Union staff.
The big view for me then is that we have been taken for a ride by the Union as an entity. That said-on a local scale, Union Reps have been doing some admirable work on the ground. Unfortunately, Union Reps can only achieve goals when they have the support of the Union grown-ups and that has not always been forthcoming in effective ways. I continue to pay my Union subs because I have faith in my local Reps but......I am getting increasingly sick of reading yet another Union newsletter stuffed full of the work the Union is doing for other professions with not a single syllable printed about archaeology. Before you say that I should get more involved and that Unions are all about workers getting together etc.......I didn`t join a Union to fight a Union. :face-rain:
The big view for me then is that we have been taken for a ride by the Union as an entity. That said-on a local scale, Union Reps have been doing some admirable work on the ground. Unfortunately, Union Reps can only achieve goals when they have the support of the Union grown-ups and that has not always been forthcoming in effective ways. I continue to pay my Union subs because I have faith in my local Reps but......I am getting increasingly sick of reading yet another Union newsletter stuffed full of the work the Union is doing for other professions with not a single syllable printed about archaeology. Before you say that I should get more involved and that Unions are all about workers getting together etc.......I didn`t join a Union to fight a Union. :face-rain: