Why We Support Andrew Feeney for Honorary Treasurer.
Why Andrew welcomes our support, and some UCU Commons endorsements
Dear subscribers,
As you might know, UCU Commons are backing Andrew Feeney for UCU’s next Honorary Treasurer. Andrew is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, where he is also Secretary of the UCU branch. In this mailout, you can hear from Andrew himself about why he welcomes our support, as well as some endorsements for him from UCU Commons members.
You’ll find more information about all UCU Commons candidates on our website. We have also written an explainer of the role of NEC and the elected officers, how the voting system works, and why it is so important to vote in these elections. Please keep reading and sharing it!
The UCU officer hustings were held last week, and the recording is now available to watch online. We strongly recommend giving it a watch.
If you are still yet to receive your ballot papers, order a replacement set here.
In solidarity,
UCU Commons
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Andrew Feeney for Honorary Treasurer:
“I do feel very proud to have been endorsed by UCU Commons. Since returning to the NEC in 2022, I have worked with several colleagues from Commons and we have always seen ourselves on the same side of the main argument, differing perhaps only occasionally in tactical choices. I was especially grateful to Mark Pendleton for the support he gave when we were the two Vice Chairs and national negotiators from HEC.
I have been actively involved in politics as a democratic socialist for many years now, and my principles and values have remained unwavering. I believe these values align closely with those of Commons, putting equality, respect and openness at the centre of our work.
I have a long personal and family history of trade unionism: but that activism has always focused on the priorities of members and fighting for achievable outcomes. This means building strong branches in which members feel empowered and listened to. Too many ‘activists’ in UCU believe that union democracy entails small factions pushing policies through committees and then expecting members to uncritically do as they are told. This results in disenchantment and disengagement from members and, consequently, inevitable losses in industrial disputes. These factions then seek to put the blame elsewhere, crying out that it was all the fault of some ‘other’ or some ‘leadership’ figure who let us down.
UCU can be better, but it will take radical reform. I look forward to working with colleagues, including all those from Commons, to achieve that reform. The first step is getting all our comrades elected, including Dyfrig Jones for Vice President.”
UCU Commons member endorsements for Andrew:
“I’m endorsing Andrew Feeney for Honorary Treasurer, not least because he is qualified for the job, having worked in several financial roles, and has a long history of selfless commitment to the trade union movement. I’ve sat with him on NEC and HEC for the past three years and can safely say that he is honest, compassionate and ideal for the job. Please give him your number 1 vote”
- Jo Edge (she/her), University of Portsmouth
“I’ve seen Andrew Feeney for two years, both as vice chair of HEC and as an ordinary member of NEC/HEC. He has always advocated careful and intelligent stewardship of UCU resources, both of centralised ones like the Fighting Fund, but also those borne by individual members in the field. This is precisely the quality I want in an Honorary Treasurer”
- Bijan Parsia (he/they), University of Manchester
“Andrew Feeney is a dedicated trade unionist, committed to transparency in our union’s finances. I’m endorsing him as I know he will seek to ensure that UCU is not bankrupted by adventurist motions on use of members’ money”
- Sophia Woodman (she/her), University of Edinburgh
“I have seen Andrew work relentlessly hard for members, both as Vice Chair of HEC and fighting redundancies (successfully!) in his local branch. He is kind, honest and has genuine respect for the viewpoints and capacities of the membership”
- Matilda Fitzmaurice (she/her), Lancaster University