The Friday email: 14 October 2022

UCU Rising: vote YES by Monday or forever accept less

There are days left until our UCU Rising ballot closes. To ensure your ballot is delivered on time make sure you post it by Monday 17 October and let us know you have voted. From now until the ballot closes it is everyone's job is to get as many yes votes cast and posted as possible.

We have now closed our replacement ballot form. If you have already requested a replacement but are yet to receive one, it should be on its way to you now. We have chased every replacement ballot which has yet to be received with Civica Election Services.

Ballot results will be announced on Monday 24 October, and this will be followed by a period of mass consultation in our union, a process democratically decided by UCU Congress and our Higher Education Sector Conference in June this year.

Your branch will be consulting you between Tuesday 25 - Friday 28 October - it is vital you participate in this process and make your voice heard. Following this there will be a Branch Delegate Meeting on Monday 31 October between 12.00 and 14.00. The Higher Education Committee will meet on 3 November to consider the views of members and to agree the next steps in the campaign.

Respect FE strike: keep the pressure on college employers

Our strike action in further education saw more well-supported days of strike action and you can catch up on our unprecedented action with picket line photos, reports, messages of solidarity and videos here.

Next week will see another three days of industrial action over pay, workload and professional respect on Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October. Please post messages, photos and videos using #RespectFE, visit picket lines and donate to UCU's fighting fund to support colleagues taking action.

Falmouth two-tier dispute: three-day strike starts Monday!

Members are striking at the Falmouth and Penryn campuses Mon-Weds 17-19 October in defence of post-92 agreements and against the rise of the subcos. Falmouth University is now employing all new academic staff through a subsidiary, Falmouth Staffing Ltd. FSL staff now not only lose continuity of service in the sector but also access to the Teacher's Pension Scheme. Please follow the branch on social media and join the picket lines if you can.

October is Black History Month

Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate Black history and energise Black and white activists in the anti-racist fight. Please let us know what your branch is planning.

UCU's Black members standing committee is holding an online Black History Month event on Wednesday 19 October, 17:00-18:30 and you can register here. Joining us for what promises to be an energising session will be Juliana Ojinnaka, Bill Gulam, Gargi Bhatacharyya, and Dave Muritu.

UK Officer and NEC elections in 2023 - nominations now open

Nominations are now open for vacancies for UCU vice president (becoming president in 2025-26), honorary treasurer and for more than 20 positions on UCU's National Executive Committee. Full details of terms of office for these positions, the full calling notice and nomination forms, can be found here, or requested from Kay Metcalfe. The deadline for completed nominations is 5:00 pm on Friday 11 November 2022.

UCU Climate and environment update

Please click here for the latest UCU climate and environment update, including:

• UCU CPD offerings on climate and sustainability
• Green New Deal podcast on trade unionism and fighting for climate in the workplace
• COP27 climate themed learning campaign
• Climate and ecological emergency annual meeting: Thursday 10 November 2022.