{"id":403,"date":"2018-03-01T22:29:32","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T22:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/?p=403"},"modified":"2018-03-01T22:29:32","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T22:29:32","slug":"tales-from-the-picket-lines-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/01\/tales-from-the-picket-lines-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"TALES FROM THE PICKET LINES (AND BEYOND)"},"content":{"rendered":"

PICKET\u2019S GOT TALENT<\/span><\/p>\n

Picture it: The angry mob of workers, wearing dirty hi-vis jackets, furiously clutching placards as, with red faces and protruding eyes, they scream \u2018SCAB!\u2019 at passing colleagues who dare to go into work. Now picture the exact opposite, and you might have some idea of how Lancaster UCU does pickets. All picket locations were well attended, but the focus of activities was undoubtedly the main drive, which saw dozens of colleagues and students from across the University on each strike day, even edging up over 100 some days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beginning with the event on the eve of the strike last Wednesday, a beer-fuelled banner-making session in Lancaster\u2019s newest real ale pub, 75 Church Street, creativity and high spirits have characterised Lancaster\u2019s approach to picketing. Banners included the expected slogans (\u2018Campus closed\u2019, \u2018Staff and students unite\u2019, \u2018Support our staff\u2019, \u2018Don\u2019t axe our pensions\u2019), along with some more… creative offerings (\u2018UUK: Putting the \u201cn\u201d in \u201ccuts\u201d\u2019 raised a few eyebrows). What particularly stood out was the crafty design of the banners – the banner-making session involved lots of cutting, sticking and sewing, and even ornate calligraphy, going well beyond the usual hastily scrawled bedsheets seen at most picket lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the strike started in earnest, things got even more creative, with members showing their talents at baking, music, dancing, and even sculpture: highlights included a scratch band that worked through a repertoire of Billy Bragg and Pete Seeger songs, a picket Zumba class that had everyone jumping around, and, on the last day, snow sculptures (a mini-picket line featuring its own banners, such as \u2018UUK: Cold as ice\u2019, which caused one observer to comment \u2018but not willing to sacrifice\u2019).<\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside the picketing, UCU also organised a \u2018Teach Out\u2019, featuring a programme of talks and workshops, mainly at the Gregson, which allowed discussion and reflection of the strike and the wider causes of the strike (see also our review of Bob Jessop\u2019s talk, below).<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the all-singing and dancing picket lines, the fun did not detract from the seriousness of the pensions dispute, and UCU reports that it continues to gain new members each day of the strike.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

ESSENTIAL READING FOR THE PICKET LINE<\/span><\/p>\n

subtext is pleased to announce a vibrant, up-to-the minute competitor publication has started up on campus. The Lancaster UCU’s daily strike update has been a simple, single-side-of-A4 publication, but it has quickly become essential reading – as well as ensuring that those crossing the picket line can’t just say ‘I’ve already got your leaflet!’ and drive on. Well done to all concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

SAMBA UP THE TOWN HALL STEPS<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the last of the UCU \u2018teach out\u2019 sessions held at the Gregson on Wednesday (28th February) a spontaneous (well, almost) unauthorised march took place through the city centre towards the town hall. Forty or so \u2018raggle-taggle\u2019 folk trotted, skipped and samba-ed their way accompanied by drums, maracas, bits of wood that made noises, washboards, whistles and squeaky toys. They tramped through the streets to congregate on the town hall steps for an impromptu rally. They were joined by members of the National Education Union (formally the NUT) and a smattering of other trade union members, and quite a large number of students who supported the strike \u2013 so not quite as unplanned as was made out! Cue lots of speeches, calls-to-arms and witty chants, accompanied by a surprising number of motorists blasting their horns in support. However, it was jolly cold and after participants had fun photographing their fellow frozen demonstrators it was felt that they had made their presence known (before the police had got to twig what was going on). Banners were packed way and folk hurried home to a hot cup of something. Grand turn out for a (sort of) spur-of-the-moment event, but for folk to stand around in the bitter cold for so long says quite a lot \u2013 although exactly what is open to debate!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PICKET\u2019S GOT TALENT Picture it: The angry mob of workers, wearing dirty hi-vis jackets, furiously clutching placards as, with red faces and protruding eyes, they scream \u2018SCAB!\u2019 at passing colleagues who dare to go into work. Now picture the exact … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":568,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[225,233,245,246,179,237,70],"class_list":["post-403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-special-feature","tag-activism","tag-issue-174","tag-pickets","tag-samba","tag-strike","tag-teach-out","tag-ucu"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p99sHo-6v","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1120,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2019\/12\/13\/return-of-the-angry-ducks\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":0},"title":"RETURN OF THE ANGRY DUCKS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"December 13 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It was pure picket line d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. Not just the buses and cars queuing on the main drive, trying to avoid running anyone over. Not just the hand-made banners and placards, the angry ducks and the picket discos. No, what most made it seem like February 2018 all over again\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":483,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/15\/strike-up-your-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":1},"title":"STRIKE UP YOUR LIFE","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 15 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In the fortnight since the last edition of subtext, there has been a considerable amount of strike-related activity, both in Lancaster and at the national level. THE LOCAL FLAVOUR The campus picket lines have been busier than ever, with a head count of over 160 on Tuesday this week, along\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1209,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2020\/02\/19\/subtext-192-strike-while-the-subtext-is-hot\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":2},"title":"subtext 192 – ‘strike while the subtext is hot’","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"February 19 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Every so often during term time. Letters, contributions, & comments: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk Back issues & subscription details: http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/about\/ In this issue: editorial, strike, casualisation, lancaster exchange, student politics, emeriti, gender stereotyping, new build, spineless, university future, widden's review, penguins, letters. ***************************************************** EDITORIAL 'Ultimately our aim is to protect our community's wellbeing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "editorial"","block_context":{"text":"editorial","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":395,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/01\/395\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":3},"title":"LU TEXT LOST AND FOUND","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 1 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Those who follow us on Facebook (facebook.com\/LUSubtext - you really should 'like us', we occasionally update the page and everything!) will have seen our latest takedown of the fake news media. This time the culprit was the Times, which had the temerity to suggest that our Vice-Chancellor would be so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "lu text lost and found"","block_context":{"text":"lu text lost and found","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/lu-text-lost-and-found\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1137,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2019\/06\/28\/two-strikes-and-youre-out\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":4},"title":"TWO STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"June 28 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"More than a year after UCU members stood down from the picket lines, the prospect of another strike is again looming in the air over alleged mishandling by the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the fund manager, and over employers acting in bad faith with regard to pensions. The main concession\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1100,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2019\/11\/01\/subtext-190-get-subtext-done\/","url_meta":{"origin":403,"position":5},"title":"subtext 190 – ‘get subtext done’","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 1 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Every so often during term time. Letters, contributions, & comments: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk Back issues & subscription details: http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/about\/ In this issue: editorial, sugar free, union council, apart-nope, sports, portrait, dundee, IP, emeritnews, ISS vs societies, pun corner, climate strike, letters. ***************************************************** EDITORIAL Anyone walking up the Spine on Monday at around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "editorial"","block_context":{"text":"editorial","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/568"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":404,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions\/404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}