How to develop your branch

Lorraine Collins, E&HC Regional Branch Development Support, September 2016

Communication to members

• Tell them what you are doing on their behalf: Be transparent about activities. It’s their branch.
• Create an intranet area or website, Facebook account, twitter feed, blog. Find a member with an IT interest/skill to take that on as a task!
• Use email discussion list/forum
• Ask to have a union noticeboard and keep up to date with leaflet/joining info
• Email all new joiners to introduce & explain where you can be reached and how you need greater input from members
• Office drop-in hours (& signs on office door re how to contact you/join/keep visibility)
• Newsletters. Paper copies can be left around/visibility/read by all.
• Regular emails about various subjects-try to avoid the same type emails-else people will not read them. eg anti-racism week to prove the diversity of UCU’s work. Try to find something they are interested in/a hook (read HO updates for relevant ideas: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/2940/Branch-updates) 
• Finding new reps
• Get anyone who expresses any interest in any area/issue to research & inform you all i.e. turn them into a “rep” for that subject
• Ask successful cases to help with branch/give something back
• Encourage reps to be trained https://www.ucu.org.uk/training The Reps 1 training is really useful.

• Result of gaining more reps: you can focus on the tasks you want to do and leave the rest to the others!Casework

• Protocols –one contact point, available proforma (Hard copy or on branch website) to explain situation, confidentiality.
• See national training courses https://www.ucu.org.uk/training or ask Regional Office re local casework training/mentoring (contact: Alex Eastwood)
• Possibly use retired members as “advisors” for cases 
• Recruitment

• New staff induction process-do you get to speak to/contact new staff and introduce the concept of joining the union?
• Stalls in lobby/communal area/cafe
• Drop-in hours advertised/how to join info on your office door
• Email members asking to pass onto colleagues with join information (www.ucu.org.uk/join) in a “sign up a buddy” -type way. Most people only join because someone they know actually asks them one-to-one
• Newer members may be more engaged, and bring new ideas to the branch, so regular recruitment activity is always needed/worthwhile Structure of the branch
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• Branches should follow model branch rules which need to be adopted at a general meeting
• Longer term when you have identified new reps, they can take on rep & officer roles as explained in the rules.
• Ideally there should be a “committee” carrying out the branch work and they should meet regularly/monthly
• Have 3 general/all member meetings a year.
• Engaging current members

• Hold meetings, be these formal, informal or social meetings. An open invitation to meet the first Friday of each month in the pub might be better place to engage members. Offer film showings, mini “working-group” discussions about key issues affecting staff (e.g. REF, equality issues)

• Ask them: Find out what the members want their branch to focus on/need support with
• Ask them to share the workload. Be honest to members about wanting help yet not let management think you’re struggling.
• Be transparent about activities-develops a sense of ownership if members know what their branch is doing on their behalf.
• Share wins, be positive about successful activities Work with other unions

• Develop a relationship with any other onsite unions. Joint activities can work well: joint recruitment exercises, new staff induction talks

FE branch finances

• There is no set procedure for keeping track of branch finances. Email Marion Strachan mstrachan@ucu.org.uk at head office, the key finance officer for the branches, to send you an up to date cash flow for the branch
• Email Martin Sundram msundram@ucu.org.uk at head office, he’ll be able to send through a list of direct debit subs payers. Cross reference this with membership details. All members should be paying national subs
• Branches can apply to head office for £2.46 per member per annum (2015/2016 amounts). This would be sent in 3 separate payments; initially 75p p/member, then £1 p/member, followed by final annual payment of 71p p/member. This has to be done via a F29/capitation form, and must be accompanied by details of budgeted requirements i.e. they won’t just pay you it without knowing what you intend to spend it on
• Funds can only be paid into a Unity Trust bank account. Open one via Marion Strachan at head office. They’d need minimum two signatories (and up to 5 I believe)
• Any branch can charge an additional local sub. Some FE branches do this; some charge 20p per member p/month. Others charge £s per month. See this link for who charges what. https://www.ucu.org.uk/localsubs This would affect the funding from head office and would need to be agreed at a general meeting.

Membership database (UCU eServices)

• It’s easy to use!
• Run weekly “dynamic reports” on starters & leavers to keep track of your members. Can run off a list off all members to cut & paste email addresses via “standard branch reports” or track down details on one specific member via the “list branch members” search

• Jo Sayers jsayers@ucu.org.uk at head office is your membership officer for your branch. She’s very helpful-so DO ask her questions if you’re not sure what to do about something. Jo can give you access to change details/search on this database.
• All your members’ details are logged with head office on the E-services database. If they’re not registered here…they are not proper, paying members. Cross reference with any locally held membership “list”. Lapsed members can resurrect their file/rejoin. Some members may need to be transferred from another branch.
• Keep members’ details up to date. Encourage them to update their own details online via https://members.ucu.org.uk/ or it’s under “Members”, then “update your membership” menus on the website www.ucu.org.uk
• New members can join at www.ucu.org.uk/join (this section of the website has lots of useful information about why someone should join plus subs) or by phone tel:0333 207 0719.

 Further information                                    

• UCU national website is regularly updated www.ucu.org.uk
• The Build a Union section is essential reading- full of ideas, tips and templates on how to do lots of the above tasks crucial to building a successful branch. Ensure all your committee/key reps read: http://btu.web.ucu.org.uk/
• https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/2803/Activist-FAQs will also give you more ideas about what can be done, how other branches do things and links to resources you can access.