Getting ready to strike: sign up to our pledge!

We are launching a strike pledge! By signing a pledge, you will be helping to build a strong strike at Cambridge. Once a majority of balloted CUCU members sign the pledge, we’ll deliver the pledge to University management through a large and noisy pre-strike rally.

What does the strike pledge say?

I am voting YES and, by taking this pledge, I am publicly committing to joining my colleagues on strike. We call on the VC, UUK, and UCEA to urgently meet our demands for: fair pay during a cost-of-living crisis, a livable pension, job security pay equality and a reasonable workload

>> Download a copy of the strike pledge here

Who can sign the strike pledge?

All balloted CUCU members can sign the pledge. Non-members who would be eligible to vote can join CUCU and then sign, too – please ask them!

How can I sign the strike pledge?

  1. You can sign the pledge digitally or physically.
    1. For digital signatures, please create a digitally-drawn signature. Here are instructions for mac and pc-users to digitally sign PDFs. Another option is to use a website where you can draw a signature and then take a screenshot. Please then send your signature to your department rep or to admin@ucu.cam.ac.uk.
    2. For physical signatures, get in touch with your department rep or contact admin@ucu.cam.ac.uk. Your rep can coordinate physical signatures in your department. In addition, members of the organising committe have created a large paper version of the pledge that we can bring to your department – why not organise an in-person meeting to discuss with other members how to build the campaign for a YES vote and get everyone to sign up to the pledge there?

What will a strike pledge look like?

We’ll put all the signatures on a big poster – showing one another and the University administration that we’re serious about striking. A strike pledge is a common organising tactic used in other successful strikes. Here are examples.

How will the pledge help us win?

  1. It is hard to coordinate action across hundreds of people! A secret ballot is legally necessary but doesn’t necessarily build participation in future action – with a ballot alone, we don’t even know who among us supports the strike.
  2. By contrast, CUCU members publicly pledging to strike will build up our action. Through the emails, texts, and conversations that will be necessary to organise the pledge, more of us will learn what’s going on and, in turn, participate.
  3. Each of us participating is how we collectively have power.
  4. If reasoned discussion were sufficient to win our reasonable demands, there would be no need for a ballot. If employers continue to refuse to reverse pay cuts, and industrial action is necessary, then the pledge will help us fully coordinate the disruptive actions within our departments and our University through which we can win.

Wait – this sounds like an excellent idea! I want to help collect signatures in my department. How can I do that?

Yes! 🙂

At the moment, we’re not circulating the pledge as an online form, because the conversations, messages, emails and meetings through which members will sign the pledge is an important part of building up our strike. This means that in order to reach our threshold we need members in every department to volunteer to collect signatures. If you’d like to help, please fill in this form and a member of the organising committee be in touch with more details.