The Union Cities Project

UCU is currently starting a new strategy for union organisation, based on a consultation conducted by Professor Waddington of the University of Manchester — and Southampton will be is the pilot for this ambitious project!

The goal of Union Cities is to create a positive community of branches in Southampton, with shared goals, clear bargaining agendas, inter-branch solidarity, engagement with the wider community and local politicians, increased member involvement, and increases in membership and numbers of trained reps.

Background

The strategy originates from studies of the successful organisation strategies of American and Scandinavian unions.

One pioneer of this strategy describes a Union City as a community “where employers respect the contributions of workers and where elected leaders are held accountable to working families.  It’s where unions are organizing, mobilizing and reaching out to community allies — and building the power to change their lives”.

By focusing resources on our community, UCU will be able to set an example  — and mobilise a programme to set other cities in the UK along a similar path to building a better community for working people.

How can I get involved?

Call us at the Southampton UCU Office (ext 22364), or email us at ucu@soton.ac.uk and we will tell you more about the options available to you.  One of the goals of Union Cities is to produce a larger community of trained representatives, so please join us!