Unionisation - UPDATE

[GnomeKing]

the idea seems to be more about harmonising organisations (that already exist) for effective ends - not creating new ones per se (?):face-approve:

[BAJR]

Seems like you got it Gnome!

can't be simpler?

[Unitof1]

That a lot of archaeology set ups, CBA, quite a few units, charity trust, claim education as the main trust of their purpose wouldn’t a teachers union be more appropriate to the core of archaeology?

[GnomeKing]

definately want support of academics in terms of promoting ever better field research, and in terms of graduate recruitment and course content...

[Gilraen]

Thanks guys -may have a shufty at each website. Still, UNITE seems to be doing it for the BA cabin crew at the moment!!!

[troll]

Rightyho....

Showing willing, I have just joined a union. Huzzah. I deliberately chose the one that I see as being the largest and deliberately did not choose the one accepted by my employer. :face-approve:

[GnomeKing]

Good Troll! - out of interest which did you join? - not that it matters as archaeologists will always be a minortiy in any union, and will therefore have to unite themselves across differnt groups, with the mulitple backings of those groups as powerfull means of effective agencey and protection...

Given the recent News/ Media disscusions of the BA dispute, Browns comments that it is "dispicable" ect ect, i can forsee that some might reconsider wether unionisation is good idea after all...however we should all rember that unions (all unions) exist to facilitate the democratic views of the Grassroots...views on the current BA dispute should not discredit the Aspiration of Unity...

[BAJR]

REading this today... it makes me more certain that unionisation is needed... without it you are alone and easy to bully.

BA's chief executive, Willie Walsh, was last night at TUC headquarters in London for a further meeting, but refused to comment as he left Congress House.
BA said today it would now be able to fly 65% of passengers during the first strike this weekend, up from 60%, after receiving more support from staff.
Earlier this week Walsh held further talks with the general secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, but refused to drop charges against 38 Unite members.
The issue has become a sticking point in realising hopes of a last-ditch peace deal. A source close to the dispute said Walsh expressed frustration at Unite's apparent inability to rein in Bassa. Unite said the dispute over staffing levels on flights now appeared to be a more fundamental battle. "We have good reason to believe it is Willie Walsh's intention to use a dispute to break Unite's influence among cabin crew, and leave them without effective union protection," the union said.
A BA spokesman said the airline would not halt disciplinary action: "The issues facing us are how are we going to move our customers to where they want to get to over the weekend. That is what we are focusing on. If the opportunity for talks comes along we will certainly take it."

[GnomeKing]

some more news items:

this is how cross-union action can be effective -----"The three-day BA strike is set to escalate into a global dispute after powerful unions around the world vowed to back the walkout by 12,000 cabin crew." http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories...-22119863/

and this reminds us that there is more at issue than the specific pay and conditions of BA cabin crews ----"Yet, here's the rub. Yes, BA will lose ?100m in the strike, but the prize for it is much bigger. That prize is the decimation of Unite as a serious force in BA.....For this plan to work, the strike must go ahead and the strike must be defeated. That is why BA has spent inordinate amounts on ways to break it and why it has spent months intimidating cabin crew out of striking." http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/...regor-gall

[Geli]

I think the point is well made that for once we should be aiming for cooperation and so affecting real change in field archaeology. I think we should be all aiming to join a union from the list of links presented in the earlier post (if you aren't already a union member) and equally encouraging friends and colleagues to do so, after all membership of a union cost about ?2.50 a week the same as a pint.

Another point to be made is that you can be a member of more than one union if you so choose. So for instance if you go and work for a LA and are already a member of Prospect or Unite there's nothing to prevent you joining Unison.

Lets do this people!