UCU union movers for and against the Israeli academic boycott

Basically, the line up is this:

The elected General Secretary of the UK universities' union, Sally Hunt, is against the proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions. As she rightly says, the huge membership of the union as a whole doesn't support it.

Quite right, but of course neither did the entire membership support such other crackpot policies as helping to support the Stop the War Campaign and affiliating to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign as the predecessor union NATFHE was signed up to for years. Such considerations have never stood in the way of either of this union's predecessors before when it comes to hard-left inspired motions about international politics.

However, there is a motion up calling for any boycott motion to be put to the entire membership for a vote before it is ratified. It comes from a tiny college in Canterbury, where a leading moderate former NATFHE president is an influential figure. Would that motion get passed? Again, such is the outcome of the vote to the new UCU executive, packed as it is with hard left activists and members of the SWP that I find it difficult to believe that the new "Congress" (interestingly Stalinist term for a union conference) with its new and so far successful hard left caucus will support it.

Finally, here's the motion itself, put up by Brighton University and supported by one other large third rank university branch. Plus there's a host of supporting motions of various levels of intensity--one or two seeking to change the wording or leave out one of the more inflammatory paragraphs here or there.

30 - Composite: Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions (University of Brighton, Grand Parade; University of East London, Docklands)

Congress notes that Israel's 40-year occupation has seriously damaged the fabric of Palestinian society through annexation, illegal settlement, collective punishment and restriction of movement.

Congress deplores the denial of educational rights for Palestinians by invasions, closures, checkpoints, curfews, and shootings and arrests of teachers, lecturers and students.

Congress condemns the complicity of Israeli academia in the occupation, which has provoked a call from Palestinian trade unions for a comprehensive and consistent international boycott of all Israeli academic institutions.

Congress believes that in these circumstances passivity or neutrality is unacceptable and criticism of Israel cannot be construed as anti-semitic.

Congress instructs the NEC to

circulate the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches/LAs for information and discussion;
encourage members to consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions;
organise a UK-wide campus tour for Palestinian academic/educational trade unionists;
issue guidance to members on appropriate forms of action.

My reading of the track record is still that the motion for the boycott will pass, and the one to put it out to the whole membership will be lost.

Once again, it would be wonderful to be proved wrong.

Either way, we'll know by 7pm tonight.

Comments

[Bill]

They voted for the boycott. Academic Freedom has been repealed for the universities in the UK, and antisemitism (via the union) is now the effective policy on university campuses.

To deal with a UK university is to officially endorse the discrimination of Jews.

[Judy]

Bill, you're actually overstating the case. This lecturers' union does not control university campuses either officially or unofficially. It in fact has little or no power over actual university policies nor does it have the powers to enforce any action even on its own members.

Academic freedom remains and will remain strong in the UK (as opposed to in the UCU), and neither is anti-semitism in any way any university or department's policy, covertly or openly.

This union does not speak for UK universities, any more than the US Teamsters' Union speaks for General Motors.

[Bill]

I recognize that it is up to the union members (not the representatives who voted this time). BUT. If the UCU larger membership is opposed to the boycott as we are told, then why are their reps voting for these measures when they know they are going to get dinged? Does the membership care about what their reps do? Plus, I am not thrilled at Hirsh's comments that they the UCU will be funding a tour of universities slanted to get people to vote FOR the boycott. Is that supposed to be viewpoint neutrality for a union that has already made up its mind in voting for Hunt? If that is so, then the tail is wagging the tail. Big time.

As for the teamsters speaking for GM. Of course they don't, but they have significant leverage over labor and production. Same is true for UCU. For example, we have a tiny percentage of people who are "members" in our academic union here (US), but the union tells us how much we are to be paied (even those who precluded from union membership) and other levels of micromanagement, and otherwise have a catbird seat on academic policy.

I'd like to believe you, but as the news of this solidifies (the "roadshow" as David Hirsch called it), the deck is being stacked. And it takes one UCU member with a power kick to make things miserable for contrarians.

[Abe Bird]

As an Israeli I look at these British' events (UCU boycott and Pamela Hardyment bitter hatred) from aside know that the Israeli academy will continue to flourish and contribute to all, even to those in Britain that will not cooperate with their management's inferior decision.
I'm sure that the IDF will continue to protect me, my family, my friends and all the Israelis, Arabs as Jews alike, against the non-stop deadly aggressions of the Palestinian Arabs, no matter what this British doctor or that British professor might think of this. Our lives are much more precious that those of whom want to harm us (British UCU) or kill us (The Arab Palestinians/Iranians and so). I'm very sorry to disappoint some Anti Semites' hate mongers but we prefer pity you as we are alive then you to pity us as we dead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BzffA8LVP8&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66maIBToYv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQYXair1Fu8&mode=related&search=
Ain't it enough yet?

Abe Bird

[szeni]

I think that most Britons (and not just academics) are not particularly anti Israel - they just don't care enough to take exception to Sue Blackwell and her ilk. And there are many for whom marching, boycotting etc is a 'feel-good about yourself' excercise. Abe is spot on: Israel has nothing to apologise for