Bee Hughes (Liverpool John Moores University)  HE North West

Bee Hughes (Liverpool John Moores University)  

Election address 

I'm an experienced branch, regional and national rep, working at a post-92 institution. In the NW we stand on the shoulders of giants of radical and socialist politics and the TU movement. As your rep to NEC I will take inspiration from this legacy to challenge injustice and fight to support the needs of our diverse members.   

I know the toll casualisation takes. I'm a Senior Lecturer in media and cultural studies at LJMU, appointed after 8 years of insecure contracts. Post-16 education is a major employer in our region, from the big universities of our cities to the colleges serving our towns and rural communities, and the dedicated educators working in adult education and prisons. We all share a commitment to championing our students.    

Through our national and regional structures I will support members and the wider community. That means supporting our trans and gender non-conforming siblings, fighting for the climate and to end austerity, for freedom from racism, and to fight to end genocide and war. UCU must oppose all forms of oppression and discrimination. We need to defend bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. As a queer trans/non-binary person I understand the difficulties and joys that come with being LGBT+.   

As a white person with a relatively well-paid and secure job, I have a responsibility to fight for those who face multiple and different forms of oppression - often with added layers of precarity in their lives from employment to housing and visa status.  

I will always approach my work through an intersectional lens - nobody is liberated until we all are.   

Branch:   

• organiser (2019-20)   

• chair (2020-24),   

• co-lead negotiator (2020-)   

• secretary (2024-).    

• caseworker (2022-)   

• consulting on new trans and non-binary policy, winning and working on development of Organisational Stress Risk Assessment, getting employer to divest from Barclays.   

Region:   

• Delegate to NW Regional Committee   

• member of the Regional Executive & LGBT+ Officer.   

UK-wide:   

• LGBT+ HE Rep to NEC (2021-23)   

• LGBT+ members' committee (2021-present) serving as Chair and Vice Chair.    

• Chair of LGBT+ Members Conferences and LGBT+ Research Conference.   

• Conduct of Members Committee (2024-)    

• Appeals Panel (2023-2024)   

• Contributed to delivery of UCU CPD programme   

• Chair / speaker at multiple member and public facing webinars   

• TUC LGBT+ conference delegate and delegation lead.   

I'm a member of UCU Left and I'm committed to opening space for discussion and debate, and ensuring our union structures enact the decisions our members make.   

We can't make decisions on policy and strategy in silos. We need to meet as branches, regions, sectors, and across these structures to develop solidarity and collective work.    

Please vote for me so I can bring my experience and commitment to represent members in HE across the North West.