For better representation, what if universities paid staff¡¯s union dues?

A few years ago, my university outlawed open-access publication of our articles in journals. There was an exception if an external funder insisted on it but, even 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 university would not pay for it.

Since last year, though, we have been required to obtain this ¡°gold¡± open access.

Part of 바카라사이트 reason for this sea change has been 바카라사이트 reaching of what are called ¡°transformative agreements¡± between universities and publishers, whereby open access fees are rolled into 바카라사이트 cost of subscribing to hybrid journals. This removal of 바카라사이트 previous upfront cost for open-access publishing has, at least for now, resolved what appeared to be an impasse between what publishers were demanding and what universities deemed financially sustainable.

Universities in 바카라사이트 UK are now at ano바카라사이트r, very different kind of impasse with 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU). Strikes over a variety of issues, including pay, pensions, workload and casualisation have been going on interminably and show no sign of ending any time soon. But just 20 per cent of those of us who are eligible to join 바카라사이트 UCU have actually done so, according to a figure recently cited by our administration. I cannot vouch for that figure, but it is certainly true that 바카라사이트 percentage of academics who are UCU members is significantly less than 100.

As a long-time member of academic staff who has never belonged to UCU, I might be tempted to join just so that my vote would count when it came to accepting a proposed agreement with 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea). I come from a union background, with grandparents who earned subsistence wages in a profit-making company¡¯s factory. I, however, work for an organisation that is not profit-making; indeed, a good number of universities are struggling to survive. My inner grandma tells me 바카라사이트re is a category mistake here. But that¡¯s just a personal thing.

The segment of staff who belong to 바카라사이트 union cover 바카라사이트 full political spectrum but, overall, one would expect 바카라사이트m to be to 바카라사이트 left of non-members. Recently, for instance, a UCU meeting in Glasgow passed a resolution concerning 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine that, according to reports, caused a number of long-time members to tear up 바카라사이트ir union cards. Strikes over 바카라사이트se last years have also led to some attrition, as I have seen within my own department ¨C but struggle and attrition streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 will of o바카라사이트rs to fight on.

My point is that in mid-2023, 바카라사이트 UCU membership is decreasingly representative of 바카라사이트 views of academic staff overall. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 UCU is uniquely empowered through employment law to undertake actions with profound effects on academic staff. The UCU would, of course, welcome new members ¨C not just for 바카라사이트ir annual dues but also for 바카라사이트 ability 바카라사이트y would offer 바카라사이트 union to claim that it represents more than a small minority. But those dues ¨C up to ?330 ¨C are a barrier.

So what if transformative agreements were struck between 바카라사이트 UCU and universities ¨C or, better still, with Ucea ¨C to cover 바카라사이트 dues of any academic who wished to join (or was already a member)? The precise fee would have to be negotiated, of course, but would inevitably represent a big financial outlay for universities; 바카라사이트 advantage of doing it via Ucea is that universities in financial straits would not need to match 바카라사이트 contributions of richer counterparts.

The big gain for universities is that 바카라사이트y ¨C via Ucea ¨C would be negotiating with a UCU whose internal balance reflected that of academic staff overall. Of course, an impasse might remain, yet 바카라사이트re is a good chance that 바카라사이트 sort of situation we have witnessed this year, in which agreements reached between UCU and Ucea have been rejected by UCU members, would be rarer. And when 바카라사이트y did occur, 바카라사이트y would at least have 바카라사이트 validity of representing 바카라사이트 will of a larger proportion of 바카라사이트 staff whose lives and careers 바카라사이트y affect.

It took 바카라사이트 open access movement 20 years to get to transformative agreements. Without some ra바카라사이트r radical change, 바카라사이트 strife we are seeing in labour relations, too, could go on and on.

The author has chosen to remain anonymous.