Improving communications

At Exeter University, we've worked really hard to improve communications with members and raise the profile of the union more generally. We had a new committee and a couple of big local issues around the closure of a cafe and local pay bargaining and we made sure that members were kept in regular email contact with what was happening.

We also produced a regular newsletter and a team of local contacts who volunteered to distribute the newsletter to all members and to non-members too.

At a time when the union was more actively campaigning locally, just having a higher profile and better communications seems to have helped recruitment and this membership in the branch is now growing.

Dave O'Toole
UCU South West region