7th September 2011, 07:03 PM
Jack Wrote:Yes. Exactly. So unless you manage to climb into the council elite and have a majority within it. You cannot effect any changes for the better except to adjust the details of the dictates from on high.
Wonder how easy it is for someone to join, climb the ladder, then get on the ruling council? Bet you have to be a member of the right gentlemans club. Or am I being too cynical?
I joined the IfA in 2008 as I went freelance, before that it was fairly irrelevent to my career as I worked for a large unit, plus I didn't really understand it, and didn't trust them. Especially if they would let me in! I was once almost persuaded to join by colleagues as a way of pushing for change from within, but to be honest, I couldn't be bothered. Once I was freelance it was more useful to be in the IfA when I was working in new areas or with new clients. It was the middle of the recession and for a while I was working as a digger for a big unit struggling to keep my family fed and occasionally, maybe, see them. Not exactly elite.
At the 2009 election there were a couple of Diggers' Forum members who were standing down from council and I decided to stand to try and keep their numbers up. I didn't get in, perhaps my election statement calling for increased minima and introduction of benchmarking wasn't what people really wanted? But I tried. To my surprise I was co-opted onto Council this year, for a year. As a fieldworker its not easy to get to the meetings, but you do get listened to. Its surprising who is on council, there are a surprising number of actual archaeologists on there, not just bosses. But they do need persuading that upping minima is the right thing for the IfA to do. I'm standing again this year, as are two other DF committee members: Sadie Watson and Geoff Morley. Both have many years of experience on council arguing for better wages and a more representative IfA, but until the members vote for more members like them, it can't happen. That's what a democratic institute means.
The DF is trying to get more fieldworkers onto council to represent the site workers, that is what the DF is all about. Getting an industry that represents everyone. Creating a profession that is fair for everyone from the start to finish of your career. If we can get all three of us on council then we will not only be able to present our arguments showing why it is essential that minima are put up, but argue our case at council and persuade those who are undecided that it is the right thing to do. If we don't present the arguments for increasing minima and getting benchmarking back on track, then who will? There would be those with the opposite vested interests (low wages) arguing against wage increases, but no-one actively opposing that view.
I want an IfA that represents all archaeologists at all points in their career. And that is working to try and create a financially sustainable career at that. Standing for council again is one way I'm trying to get that to happen, along with the DF newsletter and research like the DF survey on away work and travel. Maybe if I get on council I'll be playing into their hands: being inside the tent pissing out, rather than outside the tent pissing in. Except most of us don't seem to be doing anything as positive as pissing on the IfA's tent, we're just wandering around outside the tent pissing on ourselves.
Chiz