UCU Left

Posted my ballot paper yesterday for the @ucu.org.uk NEC elections! Make sure you use your vote!

What is happening within UCU is disgraceful - solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social

Your daily reminder (if any were needed) that fascists want to keep women down.

As well as black people, Jews, migrants of all kinds, disabled people, old people, trade unionists, workers...

Fortunately, if we unite we can stop them.

Great to see Grant enthusiastically endorsing our slate. We particularly agree with this part of his election address!

NEC Elections 2026 Vote for a fighting member-led union: We need action, solidarity and equality! It is vital that members vote in the upcoming NEC elections. Across post-16 education sectors, jobs are threatened, pa…

Vote for our candidates in the upcoming NEC elections!

@seanawallis.bsky.social for VP (HE)
@regipilling.bsky.social for VP (FE)

And our other candidates, all of whom stand for a fighting, member-led union. We also recommend some members of 'Rank and File Revolution'.

uculeft.org/nec-election...

And if you're in FE - here are other suggestions.

All members can vote in both VP Elections.

@uculeft.bsky.social

You could also text / WhatsApp 5 people to ask them to vote UCU Left in the elections? We need a union that stands and fights back. One that enacts democratic decisions and takes a lead. We need to treat this like a ballot GTVO. /2

Sean Wallis - for UCU Vice President For a stronger and more democratic UCU led by ordinary members

#UCU NEC Elections

Who could you contact today? Are you on social media? Please post a message of support, today, for UCU Left candidates: uculeft.org/nec-election....

Sean Wallis for VP from HE seanwallis.uk
Regine Pilling for VP from FE reginepilling.com /1

If you're in HE - here are some suggestions on how to vote.

@uculeft.bsky.social

Vote UCU Left in the NEC elections! VP from FE Election 1 Regine Pilling VP from HE 1 Sean Wallis North East HE 1 Matt Perry 2 Suzy Fitzpatrick 3 Dr Loes Veldpaus* London & East HE 1 Sean Wallis 2 Christina Paine 3 Simon Courtenage 4 Cecilia Wee UK elected HE 1 Donna Brown 2 Bee Hughes 3 Dr Marion Hersh 4 Dr Deepa Driver 5 Grant Buttars* 6 Dr Rhian Keyse* Rep: Women 1 Lesley Kane 2 Dr Deepa Driver 3 Dr Rhian Keyse* More details: uculeft.org/nec-elections-2026/ *Not a UCU Left candidate, but supported by UCU Left

Slate 2 (HE)
Vote for @uculeft.bsky.social and left aligned candidates in the NEC elections. Election materials are arriving now.

Remember everyone elects the VP and equality seats (Women this year) so make sure you use all of your votes.

Vote UCU Left in the NEC elections! VP from FE 1 Regine Pilling VP from HE 1 Sean Wallis North West FE 1 Nina Doran London & East FE 1 Sean Vernell 2 Regine Pilling UK elected FE 1 Regine Pilling 2 Jill Kennedy-McNeill 3 Elaine White 4 Duncan Moore* Rep: Women FE 1 Safia Flissi 2 Tania Wanjiru Manyuira More details: uculeft.org/nec-elections-2026/ *Not a UCU Left candidate, but supported by UCU Left

Slate 1 (FE) - vote @uculeft.bsky.social candidates in the NEC elections, ballot materials are arriving now!

Remember if you are an HE member that the electorate for equality seats (women’s this year) is the whole membership, so make sure you use all of your votes!

Grant Buttars (University of Edinburgh)

It’s @ucu.org.uk NEC election time again. Please read my election address and consider giving me your vote www.ucu.org.uk/article/1436.... Please also vote for Sean Wallis for Vice President HE seanwallis.uk @seanawallis.bsky.social

‘I am pleased to endorse Sean Wallis for the position of Vice-President from the HE sector. I am branch chair at University of Westminster (Cavendish campus), which is a post-92 university. Sean’s university, UCL, is our next-door neighbour in central London, so I (and my branch) had many opportunities over the years to be grateful to Sean for his help and support. Sean is an absolute font of knowledge and wisdom about anything to do with UCU, university finances, employment law, and health and safety legislation. He has always been generous with his time and advice — advice which has often come from many years of hard-won experience. Sean is a committed, hardworking and experienced union activist at branch, regional, and national level. Sean would be a great vice-president for all our union. Please vote for Sean.’ — Simon Courtenage, Branch Chair, University of Westminster (Cavendish) UCU.

Thanks Si!

And thanks for your lovely endorsement.
seanwallis.uk/endorsements

Simon is also standing alongside me in London and the East (HE).
uculeft.org/nec-election...

Sean and Regi are fantastic #ucu people who have given so much to our union over the years. Please vote for them - #ucu really needs Sean and Regi to be our VPs!

Regine Pilling for FE VP UCU Vote Regine Pilling for a member-led union that takes action that can win

Please also vote for ⭐Regi Pilling @regipilling.bsky.social for Vice President (from Further Education).

She is a stellar candidate and deserves your vote.

She is exactly the kind of leader our union needs.

Go to reginepilling.com to read more.

Sean Wallis - for UCU Vice President For a stronger and more democratic UCU led by ordinary members

I am standing for election for UCU Vice President from Higher Education.

For more information about my election campaign and what I stand for, see seanwallis.uk

See also uculeft.org and @uculeft.bsky.social

YouTube video by Sean Wallis Sean Wallis: Why I am standing for Vice President of UCU in 2026

I'm standing for election for Vice President of UCU.

👇This is why.

I am standing for a stronger and more democratic UCU led by ordinary members.

See seanwallis.uk
On uculeft.org you can read about our other candidates, and follow @uculeft.bsky.social

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ZX...

NEC Elections 2026 Vote for a fighting member-led union: We need action, solidarity and equality! It is vital that members vote in the upcoming NEC elections. Across post-16 education sectors, jobs are threatened, pa…

She gets my vote.

Can I recommend you give her yours?

UCU Left candidates are people like Christina.

People who have held their branches together, who fight their employers. Who build solidarity.

🔢For a full list, with proposed voting order, see uculeft.org/nec-election...

@uculeft.bsky.social

I'm proud to endorse Christina Paine for London & the East HE.

Christina was one of the few surviving co-com reps in London Met UCU branch after David Hardman and Mark Campbell were victimised. She has held the branch together and built it in extremely difficult times.

uculeft.org/nec-election...

Unite are on strike from 9-20 February! Please show all solidarity!

HE: unite to change "funding model" The changes to higher education funding in 2011 went further than tripling fees.

At UCU conference, a motion passed calling on the union to open a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education which can only be settled through more funding and changing the current funding model.

workersliberty.org/story/2026-0...

NEC Elections 2026 Vote for a fighting member-led union: We need action, solidarity and equality! It is vital that members vote in the upcoming NEC elections. Across post-16 education sectors, jobs are threatened, pa…

The last 5 years have seen members’ decisions overturned, delayed, or frustrated. Jo Grady and her supporters from UCU Commons and the Campaign for UCU "Democracy" are killing our union. Another dispute with Unite UCU looms. Vote for a strong member-led alternative!

uculeft.org/nec-election...

Shocking to hear that Unite UCU will be on strike from 9 February.

NEC Elections 2026 Vote for a fighting member-led union: We need action, solidarity and equality! It is vital that members vote in the upcoming NEC elections. Across post-16 education sectors, jobs are threatened, pa…

Vote for our candidates in the upcoming NEC elections!

@seanawallis.bsky.social for VP (HE)
@regipilling.bsky.social for VP (FE)

And our other candidates, all of whom stand for a fighting, member-led union. We also recommend some members of 'Rank and File Revolution'.

uculeft.org/nec-election...

Please show your support and solidarity to all FE teachers strking this week.

FE Teachers deserve better.

Sean Wallis - for UCU Vice President For a stronger and more democratic UCU led by ordinary members

Announcement!
𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗖𝗨 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁.

🗳️Voting begins 30 Jan.

I think UCU has to stand up for education, research and publicly-accountable science.

My election blog is at seanwallis.uk Join me!

The Triple Threat to UK Higher Education: Market, Trump and ‘AI’ Introduction Higher Education in the UK is in the throes of a three-fold existential crisis.  The first faultline concerns the much-discussed chronic crisis of university profitability under the go…

UK Higher Education faces a #TripleThreat:
✴️a financial crisis of the HE funding system
✴️a rise of AI tools purporting to replace human knowledge
✴️a growth of far-right parties seeking to emulate Donald Trump

So what are we going to 𝗱𝗼 about it?
seanwallis.uk/2025/12/31/t...

UCU union leaders to blame for low turnout in universities strike ballot The turnout of the UCU union's indicative ballot fell below the 50 percent threshold that is required by anti-trade union laws to strike

'UCU union leaders to blame for low turnout in universities strike ballot'

#UCU #UKHE

socialistworker.co.uk/trade-unions...

UCU union leaders to blame for low turnout in universities strike ballot The turnout of the UCU union's indicative ballot fell below the 50 percent threshold that is required by anti-trade union laws to strike

'UCU union leaders to blame for low turnout in universities strike ballot'

#UCU #UKHE

socialistworker.co.uk/trade-unions...

After the HE ballot results – what next? The Higher Education ballot results are out. Despite hard and consistent work by reps and activists in branches, and a campaign from HQ, unfortunately we failed to get over the 50% threshold. The r…

Comrades! We must fight! Reballot and HESC NOW @ucu.org.uk

uculeft.org/after-the-he...