It’s been such a privilege to serve members as President.
We face huge challenges, but we can be the strong and confident union all our members need.
The presidential address I gave at #UCUCongress2022 today ⬇�?
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Vicky Blake UCU PastPrez @[email protected]
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Vicky Blake UCU PastPrez @[email protected]’s Tweets
Sound up, tissue at the ready because you will cry. This is so beautiful!
#Solidarity #StudentStaffSolidarity #ucuRISING #UCUstrike #WeReWorthMore
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Absolutely beautiful show of solidarity from our students #ucuRISING @ucu
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Getting our rally on! Loads of cheers for the dockers, the rail workers and the Jacobs strikers, the balloting nurses & midwives… the whole movement and so many community groups also here with UCU & Unison and CWU strikers!
#UCUstrike #UnionStrong #EnoughIsEnough
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We are marching! #Liverpool #UCUstrike
[Video of the length of the march coming down road, awash with placards, beanies, flags, drums and people chanting. Other unions and campaign groups including GMB, CWU, Unison strikers have joined]
#ucuRISING #EnoughIsEnough
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Singing the #UCUstrike in #Liverpool!
[Video pans round crowd forming up, band are singing strike song to tune of walking in a winter wonderland)
#ucuRISING #EnoughlsEnough #UnionStrong #FairPayInHE #WeReWorthMore #USS
#LSTM
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Making some beautiful noise at !
#ucuRISING #UCUstrike #UnionStrong #EnoughIsEnough
[Video scans round a bright picket line with lots of strikers in beanies, with signs and flags, and a drum band]
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Already to go @ leedsucu running picket
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Lots of honks for support at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and this fine chilly morning!
Great to be out with Unison at Hope!
#ucuRISING
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Remember there’s also a Digital Picket as well as the actual pickets. No tweeting about work, no retweeting tweets about HE (apart from strike content). Everyone can join.
GIF
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And today we walk OUT!
150 universities, huge mandate, because #EnoughIsEnough!
We demand decency at work, and in retirement!
Heads up high everyone
#FairPayInHE #SecureWork #Equality #DefendUSS #WeReWorthMore #ucuRISING #UnionStrong
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We are delighted to see have made a statement in support of industrial action by us and Student support means a great deal to members. Staff and students stand together as we fight for an equitable education system
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Eve of #UCUstrike note to say:
It's ok to be nervous
Ok to be upset it's come to this (again)
BUT!
Take pride in our collective action
We really ARE stronger together
We have a MASSIVE mandate
We have no other choice
Together, we wield power
#AllOut #UnionStrong #ucuRISING
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Inflation is rising and so are we!
#ucuRISING #AnotherPlace #WeAreTheUniversity @UCU #EnoughIsEnough
#DefendEducation #DefendTheArts #UnionStrong #FairPayInHE
@nw_ucu @LJMUCU @BeOurHope @ULivUCU2 @LIPAUCU
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Made a #ucuRISING stop on the way to Liverpool for the pickets & joint branch rally tomorrow… struck by the way the future of #HigherEducation and the future of the Arts* are intertwined.
(*Not only only the arts!)
#ucuRISING #DefendEducation #FairPayInHE
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Inflation is rising and so are we!
#ucuRISING #AnotherPlace #WeAreTheUniversity #EnoughIsEnough
#DefendEducation #DefendTheArts #UnionStrong #FairPayInHE
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We’re not going away: tomorrow sees the 5th strike action of 2022 for the inspirational members - a sector that made £41bn last year can afford to pay its staff fairly. See you on the picket. There’s nothing world class about poverty.
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Proud to be part of this branch. Good luck to our sister branches and unions. We're in the right.
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Any artists out there? Fancy getting some arty solidarity going across the #UCU strikes? 
Take your sketch books and capture the rage, the love, the music, the cake! Share using #StrikeSketchers #ucuRISING @AUB_UCU @GoldsmithsUCU @SouthamptonUCU @ucu @ElwynE
Take your sketch books and capture the rage, the love, the music, the cake! Share using #StrikeSketchers #ucuRISING @AUB_UCU @GoldsmithsUCU @SouthamptonUCU @ucu @ElwynE2
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🚨 Less than 2 days to go 🚨Preparations in full swing! Join us on the picket lines this Thursday & Friday - placards at the ready! #ucuRISING
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I've seen at least two emails sent by University administrations that say only members are allowed to strike. This is not true. Whilst having the protection of the Union is helpful, any staff member can take part in industrial action regardless of their Union membership.
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Here’s our rep Louisa Watts with an important message for University of Gloucestershire students about our strike action on 24th, 25th and 30th November...
Staff working conditions = Student learning conditions 
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So my SU sent an email to PGRs asking about ‘the impact of the strike’ & asserting they were taking a ‘neutral stance’. Now there’s a reply-all angry email chain of PGRs basically going ‘well we support the strike and we’re disappointed you aren’t’ 😂 #UCUstrike
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Our message to students about the forthcoming strikes
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New low for QMUL: apparently I, as a student, am only allowed to get management's side of why the people who teach me are taking industrial action. my.qmul.ac.uk/news-and-event
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Our caring compassionate prime minister along with the dwp minister are ignoring a terminally ill man whose asking on behalf of thousands of terminally ill people to meet me face to face,if you think they should meet me please re tweet this to them
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🚨BREAKING: CWU members across the UK will hold a vote of no confidence in Royal Mail Group CEO, Simon Thompson at gate meetings across the UK tomorrow.
#StageByYourPost
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Looking forward to joining everyone in Liverpool on Thursday! #ucuRISING #StandByYourPost #UnionStrong
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Thursday! We will be marching alongside @CWUnews @LIPAUCU @BeOurHope @LJMUCU. Meet 11am at the Catholic Cathedral steps and let's make some noise! #ucuRISINGShow this thread
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Couldn’t have put it better ourselves 👇🧵
The one-off COL payment to grades 6 and under has given us whiplash.
There’s a Uni email account for payment Qs if you want to ask why they decided last-minute to save £ by dropping the voucher amount: [email protected]
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Seeing as we're still here, here's a morning thought related to the strike action I'll be taking from Thursday of this week with @UoLUnison
Last week my employer - instead of negotiating with my Union or offering a pay rise - offered a one of cash payment to some staff.
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After two weeks of occupation, Student Rebellion has left the Esther Simpson lecture theatre. This is not a decision taken lightly: the University still has not met with us about our demands to cut all ties to the fossil fuel industry. (1/9)
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TOMORROW 22nd, 4-5pm: UCU, Unison and Unite Q+A session with Leeds University Union, LUU Room 6
THIS WEDNESDAY 23rd, 5-6pm: Banner Making Social with LUULGBTSoc, LUU Room 2: fb.me/e/21v3jCgE5
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🚨 3 days to go 🚨 We're not asking for the earth: fair pay, decent pensions and better working conditions. Bring on Thursday & Friday #ucuRISING
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A principle is only really a principle when it hurts/costs something to hold it … everyone getting a yellow card including the referees is surely the best response to a disgraceful decision. Solidarity to the LGBTQ+ community
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What a farce. If FIFA is really insisting those armbands get a yellow card, the referees should all agree among themselves to wear them too.
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Seeing as we're still here, here's a morning thought related to the strike action I'll be taking from Thursday of this week with
Last week my employer - instead of negotiating with my Union or offering a pay rise - offered a one of cash payment to some staff.
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Always happy to support fellow UCU members. Here are the student slides ucu.org.uk/article/12620/
However, very small minority has gotten in touch without a please/thank you, gotten my name wrong, contacted me multiple times using dif media over weekend & demanded I provide info
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The climate crisis: an education crisis
youtu.be/ykAZ8Y80b8k
This short film is brilliant; give it a watch if you haven't already. Huge well done to official Marianne Quick and our brilliant VP ✊�?💜
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