Maria Chondrogianni

UCU NEC elections: 
Vote Maria Chondrogianni for Vice President

For a fighting and winning
member-led Union

 UCU is in the fight of a lifetime. Our union has to rise to the challenges of this fight. I am standing as Vice-President to be part of the leadership of a union that wins for us all.

I have been a dedicated union activist for almost 30 years. Using my leadership as Vice-Chair of the Higher Education Committee and chair of the Education Committee, I have helped build consensus to advance members’ interests. I proposed the HE Rising ballot motion, which was successfully adopted, and led this summer’s UCU negotiators in the disputes meetings with UCEA.

My contribution nationally builds on what I have achieved locally. As branch chair for nearly 10 years, I championed the post-92 academic contract in successful ACAS negotiations, and have achieved fractionalisation for hourly-paid staff. I was instrumental in ensuring no compulsory redundancies under challenging circumstances. I also have a strong interest in USS and TPS, and I am one of five member representatives of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Pension Board.

Our campaigns

The cost of living crisis affects everyone. In every sector, we need UCU to rise, and fight for fair pay and pensions, realistic workloads, and an end to precarity and inequality, in HE, in FE, in Adult Education, in Prison Education. The USS dispute is at a crucial stage. It is vital that we extract actual benefits reinstatement than empty promises from the employers and USS. Whether you are a precarious member of staff in Oxbridge, an academic related staff or an adult educator, I pledge to be your voice. As I highlighted when I addressed the UCU rally outside UCEA last February, zero-hour contracts should be eradicated from post-16 Education. As Vice-President, I will strive to bring democracy, ensure that Congress, NEC and Sector decisions are acted upon, build our union, be your voice. 

UCU’s priorities

  • Being accountable and accessible to members;
  • Bringing senior elected officers closer to members, e.g. by attending branch and regional meetings, and through a regular VP meeting;
  • Making sure your voice is heard, and for alternative strategies and tactics to be considered, within a democratic, member-led framework;
  • Branch delegate meetings, focussing on your agenda and questions.

 Union Experience

  • NEC 2018-present
  • Vice-Chair HEC and National Negotiator
  • Education Committee Chair
  • Women members and Migrant members Standing Committees
  • TPS Pension Board member and UCU TPS HE representative
  • Recruitment-Organising and Campaigns Committee
  • London Region H&S rep
  • Local officer and negotiator, University of Westminster (since 2003)
  • Member of UCU Left.
  • Delegate: Women’s TUC 2022, 2023; TUC 2022; UCU Congress 2016-2022

 maria4vp.co.uk
@chondrogianni
Please vote for me and for UCU Left candidates