The notes of our Conference at Wortley Hall are now published at:-
https://www.union-coops.uk/publications/conference-22

union-coops:uk membership is open to all who support our aims

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Bank: Unity Trust Bank
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Account Number: 20438762
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Our conference, Sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward, took place on May 20th/21st 2022 at Wortley Hall, the “workers stately home” having been delayed from October 2021 due to Covid.

22 of us met to develop a strategy to build the union-coops movement in the UK and to plan out our actions for the coming year and beyond. Our movement is now bigger and stronger, and we have the backing of key players in the trade union and worker co-operative movement. We are committed to build membership and influence. More details will be posted here soon

Our first face to face conference on May 20th/21st at Wortley Hall is getting nearer

Had enough of Zoomathons?
Want to get to meet colleagues face to face, chat, enjoy a drink, put the world to rights?
Want to learn more about how unions and worker co-ops can work together for decent work and an end to our current employment miseries?

Why not join us. Day tickets are only £40 including lunch, tea and coffee?
24 hour delegate tickets including a dinner with Sarah Wooley are £160

Day Delegate Bursaries, sponsored by Co-operative Ways Forward, are available for anyone on benefits or in low paid insecure work and unable to afford the full rate. Just follow the link to Eventbrite and click on Bursary Ticket

We’ve a great line-up of speakers, including:-

Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
David Barnard (MU)
Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
Ian Wilson (CASE)
Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
Anita Mangan (Bristol Univ15ersity)
Cath Muller
Cilla Ross
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture)
Fredy Velez (BFAWU Suma)

And via a live video link from USA:-

Michael Peck (1worker1vote) (USA)
Kevin O’Brien (Worx Printing) (USA)
Ellen Vera (Coop Cincy) (USA)
Ra Criscitiello (SEIU-UHW) (USA)
Erik Forman (The Drivers’ Coop – TDC in NYC)
Steve Sleigh (The Drivers’ Coop – TDC in NYC)

They will be talking about creating union-coops, including the multi million dollar, 2,500 member drivers coop in New York, and their involvement in the unionisation struggles at Amazon and Starbucks

Bookings for the conference are open at:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

It’s all systems go for our upcoming conference, Decent Work at Wortley Hall, the “workers’ stately home” on May 21st/22nd

We’re really looking forward to meeting everyone face to face again, and we’ll also be welcoming guests from the USA via video link. Weekend tickets including accommodation on Friday night and all meals are just £160, and a Saturday day ticket is £40.

A small number of bursaries are available for people under 30 with limited income at https://union-coops.uk/bursaries-2/

Bookings for the conference are now open at:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

For those of you who may have missed any of our online events this winter, recordings of the first three are available on our website at https://union-coops.uk/online-events-2021-22/

If you want to register for the final one, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557

We’ve fixed the dates for our next three online events. They will take place at 16.30 GMT on Wednesdays Jan 19th, Feb 23rd & March 30th The first, on Jan 19th is:- Trade Union Education: its role in developing union-coops Speakers to include Siân Gale (BECTU), Julian Manley (UCLAN), Andrew Birchall (Preston Trade Union Education Centre) The second on Feb 23rd is:- The role of a trade union in a union-coop structure Speakers tbc And the third on March 30th is:- Workplace/Economic Democracy: What may this look like to union members and ordinary workers whose work experience is confined to the standard model of Master/Manager/Subservient worker? Speakers tbc Events series sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward The whole events series can be booked via our Eventbrite page:- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557 Sign up now and we’ll email with details of each event as soon as they’re booked ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bookings are also open for our face to face conference at Wortley Hall on May 19th/20th 2022 “Decent Work & Democracy” Our face-to-face conference on union-coops at Wortley Hall, South Yorkshire has been rescheduled to May 20th/21st 2022 Conference sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward Join us for union-coops:uk‘s first conference at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, “the worker’s stately home”. Set in 26 acres of parkland, this grand stately home venue was built by Sir Richard Wortley in 1586, but is now owned and run by a workers co-op This event has been rescheduled from 2021 due to Covid-19 We will be taking every precaution necessary to maintain a safe environment, but if the pandemic conditions require it, we will not hesitate to reschedule again. If that is necessary you will be offered a place at the re-scheduled event or a full refund – the choice is yours. Similarly,  if you are unfortunate enough to have to self-isolate we will offer a full refund. Your safety and security is our highest priority Speakers will include:-

• Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
• Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
• Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
• Michael Peck (1worker1vote – USA)
• Ian Wilson (CASE)
• Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
• Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
• David Barnard (MU)

The conference starts with dinner on the Friday evening, and includes overnight accommodation and all meals. The full conference runs throughout Saturday with plenary and active learning workshops in the “world cafe” style. Delegates can sign up for the full 24 hour package, or just the Saturday sessions. As 24 hour places are limited, you are advised to book early to get a guaranteed place and the discount. Bookings for the conference are now open again at:- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

We’ve fixed the dates for our next three online events. They will take place at 16.30 GMT on Wednesdays Jan 19th, Feb 23rd & March 30th

The first, on Jan 19th is:- 

Trade Union Education: its role in developing union-coops

Speakers to include Sian Gale (BECTU), Julian Manley (UCLAN), Andrew Birchall (Preston Trade Union education Centre)

The second on Feb 23rd is:-

The role of a trade union in a union-coop structure

Speakers tbc

And the third on March 30th is:-

Workplace/Economic Democracy: What may this look like to union members and ordinary workers whose work experience is confined to the standard model of Master/Manager/Subservient worker?

Speakers tbc

Events series sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

The whole events series can be booked via our Eventbrite page:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557

Sign up now and we’ll email with details of each event as soon as they’re booked

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookings are also open for our face to face conference at Wortley Hall on May 19th/20th 2022

“Decent Work & Democracy”

Our face-to-face conference on union-coops at Wortley Hall, South Yorkshire has been rescheduled to May 20th/21st 2022

Conference sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

Join us for union-coops:uk‘s first conference at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, “the worker’s stately home”. Set in 26 acres of parkland, this grand stately home venue was built by Sir Richard Wortley in 1586, but is now owned and run by a workers co-op

This event has been rescheduled from 2021 due to Covid-19

We will be taking every precaution necessary to maintain a safe environment, but if the pandemic conditions require it, we will not hesitate to reschedule again. If that is necessary you will be offered a place at the re-scheduled event or a full refund – the choice is yours.

Similarly,  if you are unfortunate enough to have to self-isolate we will offer a full refund.

Your safety and security is our highest priority

Speakers will include:-

• Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
• Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
• Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
• Michael Peck (1worker1vote – USA)
• Ian Wilson (CASE)
• Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
• Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
• David Barnard (MU)

The conference starts with dinner on the Friday evening, and includes overnight accommodation and all meals.

The full conference runs throughout Saturday with plenary and active learning workshops in the “world cafe” style. Delegates can sign up for the full 24 hour package, or just the Saturday sessions.

As 24 hour places are limited, you are advised to book early to get a guaranteed place and the discount.

Bookings for the conference are now open again at:- 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

On November 12th we spoke at the Union Coops Symposium organised by Coop Cincy, an online and in-person event in Cincinnati.

We were joined by our good friend, Michael Peck, who works at 1worker:1vote in Washington DC

You can watch the video here, or head over to the Coop Cincy YouTube channel where they have lots more

We plan to run another online event in January, so save the date, January 19th at 6.00pm (GMT)

You can book for the entire online series on our events page https://union-coops.uk/online-events-2021-22/

The first of our online events, union coops stateside, took place on Oct 1st, and the video recording is available here:-

Future events can be booked via our Eventbrite page:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557

We are working on an exiting events programme to run until May 2022. Sign up now and we’ll email with details of each event as soon as they’re booked

Events series sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

A single ticket booking, available now, free of charge, will get you access to all the online events in this series. A donation towards our costs would be most appreciated, but is not a requirement. 

Please choose either “donation ticket” or “free ticket”.

Oct 2nd 2021 – Our first online event, featuring Michael Peck (1worker1vote – USA) and other USA colleagues was a great success with delegates and attendees rating it highly

November/December 2021 – (Date/time to be confirmed) Colm Massey (Solidarity Economy Association) with trade union and co-operative colleagues from Rojava (North & East Syria)

union-coops:uk’s first conference at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, originally scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed until May 20^th/21^st next year due to rising Covid infection rates,

Between now and then we’re organising a series of online events.

The first online event in the series is:

“union-coops stateside” 

Oct 2nd 2021at 11.00am BST 

with Michael Peck (1worker1vote), Ra Criscitiello (Service Employees International Union – UHW), Kristen Barker & Ellen Vera (Coop Cincy) and Kevin O’Brien (Worx Printing)

Sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

A single ticket booking, available now, free of charge, will get you access to all the online events in this series. A donation towards our costs would be most appreciated, but is not a requirement. 

When booking please choose either “donation ticket” or “free ticket”.

Our second event is planned to be in November 2021 – (Date/time to be confirmed) with Colm Massey (Solidarity Economy Association) and trade union and co-operative colleagues direct from Rojava (North & East Syria)

If you book in advance you will automatically be updated with dates/times of future events in the series, and this will also help us plan for the number of attendees.

Book at:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-events-series-tickets-178607739557

Alternatively you can simply log-in on the day using this link:-

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85906139225

Apologies to anyone who had technical problems with the Eventbrite link in the previous email – this has now been amended

In 2022 (Dates/times to be confirmed) we’re planning a series of further online events covering some of the topics below:-

How can we ‘build back better’ after Covid-19?

What can union activists do to fight for decent work and democracy?

How can workers get control over our daily working lives?

What can we do to promote democracy in the workplace?

Do we have to accept the gig economy and precarity?

Is the union co-op a model whose time has come?

We hope some of our panel of speakers may include:-

Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)

Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)

Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)

Michael Peck (1worker1vote)

Kristen Barker & Ellen Vera (Coop Cincy)

Kevin O’Brien (Worx Printing)

Ra Criscitiello (SEIU-UHW — USA)

Ian Wilson (CASE)

Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)

Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)

David Barnard (Musicians Union)

Our face to face conference at Wortley Hall is provisionally scheduled for May 20^th/21st 2022

Bookings will reopen nearer the event

Stay subscribed for more details, or visit our website at www.union-coops.uk