Ellen Shobrook
ellensho.bsky.social
Ellen Shobrook
@ellensho.bsky.social
UCU, University of Birmingham. Here for building connection and community for positive change. Resisting the temptation to despair (mostly). All views my own (is this still a thing we have to say?). Profile pic is at least a decade old.
I don’t know about any other @ucu.org.uk comrades but I kinda think Phil may have an idea here
June 25, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Our chair, also Mids NEC rep, @illdoitanyway.bsky.social updates the regions and nations meeting about victimising attacks on FE reps in West Mids, updates congress on BCU recruitment spike in out-of-bargaining dispute
May 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
One of us, all of us: fighting for our members, our workplace, your union.

6:30pm, Saturday 24 May, Leonardo Hotel, Liverpool

#YNWA
May 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
. @uniteucu.bsky.social's dispute needs to be resolved.

It needs to be resolved bc Congress voted for @ucu.org.uk leadership to do so.

It needs to be resolved bc it's the right thing to do.

It needs to be revolved bc not resolving it makes things harder for branches in dispute.

Solidarity!
April 24, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
It gets worse…

Members back at work today after taking lawful strike action are now being threaten with disciplinary procedures if their auto-replies mention the reason for their absence during future strikes.

In what trade union world is this acceptable?
April 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
It is so difficult to work out the logic/strategy behind this increasingly aggressive and destructive response to lawfully - and democratically - agreed IA. Solidarity @uniteucu.bsky.social - there would be legitimate outrage if one of our employers did this.
It gets worse…

Members back at work today after taking lawful strike action are now being threaten with disciplinary procedures if their auto-replies mention the reason for their absence during future strikes.

In what trade union world is this acceptable?
April 3, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Oh.

My.

God.
It gets worse…

Members back at work today after taking lawful strike action are now being threaten with disciplinary procedures if their auto-replies mention the reason for their absence during future strikes.

In what trade union world is this acceptable?
April 3, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Disgusting behaviour from my own union towards its staff. What are we gonna say now if our own employees, universities, try that same shit when we strike?
It gets worse…

Members back at work today after taking lawful strike action are now being threaten with disciplinary procedures if their auto-replies mention the reason for their absence during future strikes.

In what trade union world is this acceptable?
April 3, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
I’m hearing this is getting better. SMT are now actually threatening staff with disciplinaries if they dare to mention strike action in future out of office replies. Citing some rubbish about GDPR?

Fucking nuts.
Our employer is editing our members’ out-of-office replies to remove reference to our strike action. They are choosing to censor us rather than talk to us.
April 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
These disgusting tactics by #UCU make me sick to my stomach. Does the leadership realise how much this dispute is upsetting members and will undermine support for its own campaigns? All solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social
I hoped #UCU would redouble efforts to resolve the @uniteucu.bsky.social staff dispute

Instead our own union-as-employer has issued management instructions NOT to use tactics #UCU members have routinely been advised to use *by #UCU*

Then this page was deleted: web.archive.org/web/20230218...
1/7
April 3, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
I hoped #UCU would redouble efforts to resolve the @uniteucu.bsky.social staff dispute

Instead our own union-as-employer has issued management instructions NOT to use tactics #UCU members have routinely been advised to use *by #UCU*

Then this page was deleted: web.archive.org/web/20230218...
1/7
April 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Solidarity to @uniteucu.bsky.social - standing up for its members in the face of huge pressure. As everyone who has ever taken IA knows, those with power often control the narrative & this makes it even harder but I know that every member of the Unite Committee wants to resolve this dispute.
We deeply regret our strike action which begins today in our Campaign for A Safe and Professional Workplace. With our dispute now a year old we remain resolute that the toxic bullying culture, racism and victimisation that our members and officers are experiencing must end.
uniteucu.wordpress.com
Unite UCU
Unite branch (LE127) for employees of the University and College Union
uniteucu.wordpress.com
March 27, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
We deeply regret our strike action which begins today in our Campaign for A Safe and Professional Workplace. With our dispute now a year old we remain resolute that the toxic bullying culture, racism and victimisation that our members and officers are experiencing must end.
uniteucu.wordpress.com
Unite UCU
Unite branch (LE127) for employees of the University and College Union
uniteucu.wordpress.com
March 27, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social who begin strike action today #ReclaimUCU uniteucu.wordpress.com
Unite UCU
Unite branch (LE127) for employees of the University and College Union
uniteucu.wordpress.com
March 27, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Full solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social in their dispute. Our branch has already had intimidation tactics and “legal threat” rhetoric in relation to this motion - this is not what I would expect from a trade union. It’s all so deeply disappointing
March 25, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
5 years on from the first day of lockdown, the UK is in a worse position to cope with a pandemic than it was before Covid hit.

We need to prepare public services properly to save lives in the future.

covidfamiliesforjustice.org
March 23, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
Dear @helenhayes.bsky.social,
Delighted the Education Committee is looking at at the dire state of #UKHE. As our list is part of your briefings (commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-bri...) might we provide evidence? It’d be reassuring if you’re not just talking to VCs.
Yours sincerely
UKHE Staff
March 15, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Reposted by Ellen Shobrook
This dispute needs to be resolved - we cannot function as a union when the internal culture is so broken. It is in everybody’s interest to find a way through that restores trust & achieving this in a constructive way requires properly listening to staff voices uniteucu.wordpress.com/unite-voices/
Unite voices
In their own words: the lived experiences of UCU staff.
uniteucu.wordpress.com
March 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM