Rhiannon Lockley

Rhiannon Lockley for Vice President

I am a Lecturer (Education and Social Work) at Birmingham City University. My background is in widening participation, previously working as an Access lecturer in Further Education. I’m also studying for my doctorate, and am a lone parent of two teenagers. I believe in education as a public good.

I am standing for election on a platform of building a united, member-led, democratic UCU.

The candidate elected to be Vice President (going on to be President) needs to be able to chair the union in a way which upholds democracy and builds unity. Strong democracy and unity are urgent priorities for us to build a union fit to take on the rapid dismantling of the education sector, and the wider, connected challenge of the growth and legitimisation of the Far Right. This will include chairing the Higher Education Committee, Sector Conferences, Branch Delegate Meetings, NEC, and Congress. The successful candidate must also uphold democracy and utilise leverage as a HE negotiator.

My experience:

I am very experienced in chairing, and also in negotiating and bargaining.

  • BCU Chair (2021-present), Secretary (BCU, Halesowen College)
  • NEC Midlands FE (2017-2019), Midlands HE (2021-present)
  • West Midlands Chair (2015-2018), (2022-present)
  • Equality Chair (2023-present), chairing two UK-wide hybrid conferences.
  • Established BCU JNCC while locked out of sector-bargaining, extensive negotiation on a range of issues.

As chair I prioritise care for participants, care for hearing and getting through business, and care for upholding democracy. As a negotiator I know the importance of respecting the democratic mandate we are awarded by member decisions, and the central importance of organising leverage for any negotiations to be meaningful.

I understand our union and listen to members. I worked in FE (2005-2018) before moving to HE. As regional chair, I’ve organised with ACE and Prison Education, with students and other unions. At BCU, I’ve built representation for Professional Services. I’m studying for a doctorate (focusing on education unions), understanding PGR issues. I’m a highly experienced caseworker.

I’ve worked extensively to centre equality in UCU including winning support for trans rights, defending abortion rights, and mobilising in response to the Far Right. UCU must continue work in solidarity with workers around the world against genocide and scholasticide, and organise against emboldened attacks on the marginalised in our workplaces and communities.

I’ve visited pickets and branches across our regions and nations. I know how vital it is for members to get clear messaging from leadership, and how important it is for branch officers to be kept informed, and to have support and respect from the union for the huge work we take on to mobilise members. I support UCU developing strength and unity, both through empowering branch recruitment, activism and campaigns, and through defending and building sector bargaining.

At BCU, I’ve worked to

  • Double membership to become a large Post-92 branch, with high meeting turnouts and engagement
  • Build the branch through action, consistently beating ballot thresholds, growing activism, and making gains for members

HE must resist attacks on jobs, pension threats, and erosion of curriculum and research. FE needs investment and pay parity. ACE needs to be reestablished as central to community growth. Prison educators urgently need safety in the workplace. Pay, equality, workload, job-security and bargaining machinery are key priorities across our sectors. We are seeing the Education Sector under attack, a threat not only to our members and students but also to the principles of democracy and freedom in a time of increasingly powerful and unaccountable political forces. We must be united and confident in taking on this threat.

Workplace pressures are intensifying. We can meet this by renewing our strategies for engagement: principles of labour organising are key. Members need space to share issues, formulate demands collectively, debate and vote on strategy. We must work together to reestablish confidence decisions will be implemented.

I support urgent resolution of the Unite dispute. UCU must model trade union values.

I am endorsed by ucu left and by non-aligned UCU reps across our sectors and nations: read more at https://rhiannonforucuvp.wordpress.com/2024/12/03/endorsements/

My record is one of building consensus and unity. I act transparently and accountably and respect my mandate. These are the principles I will uphold with your vote.

Thank you for supporting UCU by voting in these elections!

Rhiannon Lockley Vice PresidentDownload