UCU Election for Vice-President (FE)
Statement of support for Sean Vernell
Dear Colleagues
The education sector is facing major
challenges. In Adult Education there
are massive cuts in provision. In
Universities we see unprecedented
job losses. In both FE and HE there
are problems in achieving decent pay
settlements.
We see academic freedom and
genuine education under threat from
marketisation and privatisation in many
forms, including the endless talk about
education as a business, not a public
service, and outsourcing of provision.
For many UCU members workloads
are going through the roof. Whatever
the outcome of the next General
Election, we are likely to face further
massive cuts in education and other
public sector funding, and attacks on
our jobs, conditions of service, pay
levels and pensions. In this context
we need to fight back and to link
educational and industrial struggles.
This election is important for all
UCU members, whether working
in Adult, Prison, Further or Higher
education. It is important whether you
are academic or academic-related,
whether you are an administrator,
researcher, tutor or lecturer.
We need to elect a Vice-President
who is committed to defending
education standards, academic freedom
and the jobs and conditions of the
education workforce.
Many of us have worked with
Sean Vernell on UCU campaigns and
committees. We know Sean to be a
dedicated trade unionist, who takes
the responsibilities of union leadership
seriously, attends meetings regularly
and is committed to building UCU as an
effective and democratic trade union.
Sean’s priorities are the same
as most UCU members: defending
education, jobs, and working conditions.
Sean understands that a good quality
education for students and good
conditions of service for education
workers are two sides of the same
coin. This is why Sean has been active
as Vice-Chair of UCU’s national FE
Committee in supporting UCU members
when they are taking industrial action.
We believe that Sean Vernell has the
vision, energy and commitment to lead
the union in the difficult times ahead.
We call upon you to vote for Sean as
UCU Vice-President.
Signatories include:
UCU Branch/Region
Endorsements
• London Regional Committee
• Manchester University UCU
National Executive
Committee members
• Alan Whitaker: Chair FEC /
President elect • Sasha Callahan:
Immediate Past President • Dave
Armstrong: Barnet College•
Lynne Chamberlain: UK-elected
FE/Greenwich College • Maire
Daley: Representative of women
members FE/Chair Education
Committee/Liverpool Community
College • James Eaden: FE
Midlands/Chesterfield College
• Alison Gander: UK-elected
FE/Nelson and Colne College
• Brian Ingham: UK-elected
FE/Strategy and Finance
Committee/Richmond College
• Angie McConnell: FE North
West/Chair Equality Committee/
Wigan & Leigh College •
Laura Miles: Representative
of LBGT members/Vice Chair
FEC/Bradford College • Loraine
Monk: FE South/NESCOT •
John Murphy: FE North West/TU
& Education Centre • David
Swanson: UK-elected member
FE • Mark Campbell: UK-elected
member HE/LMU • Karen Evans:
HE North West/University of
Liverpool • Jane Hardy: HE
London and East/University of
Hertfordshire • Tom Hickey: HE
South/Chair of ROCC/University
of Brighton • Maeve Landman:
UK-Elected member HE/UWE
• Ron Mendel: HE Midlands/
University of Northampton •
Malcolm Povey: UK-elected
member HE/University of Leeds
• Gavin Reid: HE North East/Vice
chair Education Committee/
University of Leeds • Christine
Vie: UK-elected HE/Manchester
Met University • Liz Lawrence:
HE North East/Vice Chair
HEC/Sheffield Hallam University
• Dave Gibson: FE Yorkshire and
Humberside/Barnsley College •
Alan Barker: UK-elected member
FE/New College Nottingham
Branch officers:
Higher Education
Mike Healy: Branch Sec/
Westminster University• Adrian
Budd: Southbank University,
Branch Sec • Paul Brookes:
Manchester University, Branch
Sec • John Buglear: Nottingham
Trent University, Branch Officer
• Patrick Connellan: Nottingham
Trent University, Health and Safety
rep • Mike Haynes: University of
Wolverhampton, Rep • Richard
Bradbury: Open University
Branch SW Region Associate
Lecture rep • Des Freedman:
Past President Goldsmiths Uni
•Jim Wolfreys: Kings University,
Branch Sec • Geoff Abbot:
Newcastle University, Branch
Treasurer • Terry Wriggley:
Edinburgh University, Assistant
Sec • Joanna Gilmore:
Manchester Metropolitan
University, Committee Member
• Pete Hicks: Manchester
Metropolitan University,
Campaigns Officer • Jon Berry:
University of Hertfordshire,
Branch Negotiating Officer • Paul
Blackledge: Leeds Metropolitan
University, Committee member
• Peter Skrandies: University of
Greenwich, Rep • Tony Sullivan:
University of the Arts, Branch
Sec of The London College of
Fashion • Rob Murthwaite:
London Metropolitan University,
Equalities officer • Graham
Kirkwood: Edinburgh University,
Assistant Secretary, Equality and
diversity • Sean Wallis: University
College London. Branch Sec •
Rick Saull: Queens Mary College,
Branch Sec • Nicolas van Labeke:
Nottingham University, Committee
member • James Cussens:
University of York, Branch Sec
• Iain Ferguson: University
of Stirling, Branch Executive
member • Carlo Morelli: Dundee
University, President • Alexis
Wearmouth: Dundee University,
Anti-casualisation Rep • Lesley
McGorrigan: Leeds University,
Branch Officer • Tony Brown:
University College London, Rep
Branch Officers:
Further Education
• Andy Strouthous: City and
Islington College/Branch Sec
Camden Road • Phil Magee: City
and Islington College/Branch
Sec Finsbury Park • Tony
Hodges: Carlshalton College/
Branch Sec • Sue McDowell:
Lambeth College/Branch Sec •
Carol McLeo: Lambeth College
,Committee Member • Maggie
Carmen: Hackney Community
College/Chair • Terry Sweeney:
Newham College/Branch Sec •
Richard McEwan: Tower Hamlets
College, Poplar/ Joint Branch Sec
• Mark Winter: Tower Hamlets
College Poplar/Joint Branch
Sec • Richard Palser: Tower
Hamlets College, Arbour Square
coordinator • Roberto Foth:
Tower Hamlets College, Bethnal
Green/coordinator • Louise Orick:
Westminster College/Branch Sec
• Florence Akepokodje Greenwich
College, Committee member •
Julian Thomas: Uxbridge College/
Branch chair • Patrick McCann:
Uxbridge College/Branch Sec •
Timothy Dalrymple: Hammersmith
and Ealing College Branch Sec
• Susan Willis: Waltham Forest
College, Branch Sec • Lucretia
Packham: Rotherham College
of Arts and Technology/Branch
Treasurer • Pete Green:
Westminster and Kingsway
college, Branch Sec •
Penny Charles: College of North
East London, Branch Chair
and UCU Black members Rep
• Graham Mustin: Barnsley
College, Assistant Branch Sec •
Pam Marshall:Barnsley College,
Branch Chair • Geraint Evans:
Bradford Ace Branch Sec •
Graham Peterson: South Thames
College, Branch Executive
member • John Baxter: Sheffield
College, Committee • Rod
Challise: Doncaster College,
Branch Sec • Hazel Raven:
Doncaster College, Branch Chair
• Sue Christie: York College,
Branch Sec • Dave Carrier:
Richmond College, Branch Sec
• Debra Callow: Richmond
College, Branch Magazine Editor
• Cheriee Psaros: Croydon
College, Branch Chair • Margot
Hill: Croydon College, Branch Sec
• Adele Potten-Price: Chesterfield
College, Branch Sec • Alliya
Stennett: Birmingham College,
Branch Chair • Umit Yildiz: UCU
Black Members National Standing
Committee
Regional officers
• Jenny Sutton: Chair FE sub
Committee London Region and
College of North East London
branch Sec • Louis Wood: Sec
FE sub Committee London Region
and Hammersmith and Ealing
College Branch Committee •
Cliff Snaith: Sec London Region
• Geoff Carter: Chair London
Region, Barking College Branch
Committee • Sean Wallis: Sec HE
sub committee London Region
• John Westmoreland: Sec
Yorkshire Humberside Region
• Jeanie Robinson: Sec East
Midlands • Geoff Abbot: Northern
Region, HE sector Committee
Chair • Sue Abbott:Equality
Officer Northern Region