Our AGMs need to be quorate and to achieve this we need you.
Come and hear what the branch has been doing over the last year and where we are going in the future.
This is an opportunity to have your voice heard – and enjoy a free lunch! The meeting can be taken as work time so there’s no need to use up your flexi (lunch is in your own time).
Book your ticket > agm2018 for one of the following events.
Workplace stewards are at the heart of our union. They are the first point of contact for our members in your local workplace, and they work to make your workplace a fairer and better place to work.
And we need more! We have vacancies in lots of areas at Sheffield Hallam. As new ways of working are rolled out across all professional services in the University, we need stewards in as many areas as possible.
Ever thought of becoming a steward but you’re worried you don’t have the right skill or the time? Don’t worry – you receive excellent training, plus paid time off work for your union duties.
Here are six common worries you may have about becoming a steward – and how you can overcome them.
…but I do raise issues I am concerned about in team meetings at work.
…but I did complain when my gas bill got too high, and I did sort out a better deal with the company.
…but I did support my local library when it was threatened with closure.
…but I do get my neighbours to support the local school
…but I do organise outings and holidays with my friends and family
…but I did go to the doctors with my partner to make sure they got their views across.
Sound like you? Your colleagues need you!
To find out more or express an interest in becoming a steward, contact Dan Bye on d.j.bye@shu.ac.uk
Here are the areas we currently have vacancies at Sheffield Hallam.
Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences
Development & Society
Health & Wellbeing
Sheffield Business School
Registry Services
Facilities
Finance, Planning & Human Resources and Organisational Development
Library and Student Support Services
Digital Technical Services
Director of Education and Employer Partnerships
Learning Enhancement and Academic Development
Student Engagement Evaluation and Research
Admissions & UK Recruitment
Communications & Development
Marketing
Secretariat and Governance Services
Global Engagement Directorate
Research & Innovation Office
Students’ Union
This course is a one day session delivered by an Open University lecturer and is open to UNISON members and activists.
Objectives for the day
What the day covers
If you’re interested in attending, please email t.shearer@unison.co.uk
The personal finance newsletter for UNISON members published by Lighthouse Financial Advice – read more UNISON MoneyTalk Newsletter Autumn 2017
Are you a Branch Women’s Officer or interested in becoming one?
Come to our one-day Branch Women’s Officer course.
Saturday 21 October
10am–4.30pm
UNISON Regional Office, Commerce House, Wade Lane, Leeds, LS2 8NJ
Cost is £25, payable by your branch.
Contact Jo Turnbull (j.turnbull@unison.co.uk / 0113 218 2322) by Friday 6 October 2017 if you would like to attend.
Are you retiring or considering retiring in the next 18 months? Join our workshop and prepare for the next stage of your life.
Learn how to
If you’re interested in attending, please email t.shearer@unison.co.uk
Many thanks to all those eligible members who participated in our pay offer consultation vote: just over 33% of you did so, which is an improvement on recent years.
The result locally was that 85% of respondents indicated that they wished to accept this year’s offer.
Our local outcome was reported to UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group executive, who discussed the results from all participating Branches and ratified members’ acceptance of the pay offer.
Overall, UNISON members voted by 71.1% to 28.9% to accept the offer.
The HE Unions have jointly reported to UCEA, the higher education employers’ organisation, that UNISON and GMB had consulted members and were accepting the offer; UNITE have rejected the offer but are consulting further before deciding on next steps; UCU was conducting an electronic ballot of members (due to end at the end of July) with a recommendation of “best that can be achieved by negotiation”; and EIS, the Scottish lecturer’s union, had conducted an initial consultation and would be consulting further over the summer.
UNISON’s head of higher education, Donna Rowe-Merriman, commented:
“Members working in universities have reluctantly accepted this year’s offer.
“Whilst higher than recent years, it still does not go far enough in compensating staff for successive years of low wage increases.
The HE service group executive has already begun work on next year’s claim and will want to mobilise support from across HE to ensure decent pay for our members in future.”
It should be noted that because not all the unions have concluded their consultation processes, it will obviously be some time yet before any pay uplifts can be applied, even assuming that each union ends up accepting the offer over the summer.
Calling all disabled staff! Do you want to discuss disability issues and influence decision-making at Sheffield Hallam?
The University is hoping to get the Staff Disability Network up and running again.
Staff networks are run by and for staff at the University. They are an opportunity to meet, share ideas and experiences, support each other, and play a more active and influential role in the decision-making processes across the University.
This is not just for Unison members – any disabled staff can join.
If you are interested in joining the network, please contact Trish in the Equality and Diversity Team on 0114 225 3499 or email diversity@shu.ac.uk
Please (please!) fill out the 2017 Unison Equality Survey if you have ten minutes to spare. It will be really useful for Unison in working to make your workplace more equal.
Click here to complete the survey.
It asks questions about your age, disability, gender, and other ‘protected characteristics’.
It also asks questions about whether you have ever requested to work flexibly, and what the response from your employer was. If you have anything to say about this it will be really valuable to say it here.
Thanks
Lucy Davies
Equality Officer
Sheffield Hallam UNISON Branch