Jane Charlesworth (University of Warwick)

Election address

As a postdoctoral researcher in the life sciences who has been employed on fixed-term contracts for the past ten years, at four different universities, and who is rapidly approaching the end of another contract in the middle of a global pandemic, I write this from a place of questioning my future in academia. Moving around every couple of years in order to pursue an academic career has intersected with my experience of anxiety and depression and has at times left me feeling deeply isolated and unwelcome. It must be a priority for us to resist and reduce our employers' increasing reliance on casualised labour across both the FE and HE sectors, as my story is far from atypical among academics of my generation.

I joined UCU shortly prior to the 2018 strike, because I was unaware for my first six years as a postdoc that I was eligible to join. I worked in a university-affiliated research institute and in a group located within a hospital, and UCU had no presence in either workplace. If elected to NEC, I would advocate for a greater UCU presence in these underrepresented pockets of academia, which are primarily staffed by precariously-employed workers and where bullying workplace cultures are liable to fester. Since joining UCU, I quickly became more involved and now sit on the Warwick UCU branch committee as Disabilities Secretary. I strongly believe that us ordinary members are UCU and that our voices and lived experiences are crucial to making decisions that benefit all.

As a union member with a chronic health condition that is often disabling, and who has experienced periods of mental illness, I am absolutely committed to fighting ableism and discrimination on the grounds of disability in our workplaces. Too often disabled staff and students are pitted against each other by management, but we are stronger when we stand in solidarity to protect our common interests.

Speaking from my own experience, short fixed-term contracts have made it far more difficult and stressful to work during times of illness, both mental and physical. I would therefore strongly advocate for no fixed-term contracts of less than three years, unless these are extensions to existing contracts.

I am non-binary and stand unequivocally for the rights of trans and non-binary UCU comrades and students. Trans and non-binary gender identities often intersect with other forms of marginalisation, such as disability and casualisation and I will approach all workplace issues from an intersectional perspective. Transphobia serves to divide our union and labour movements at a time when we most need solidarity with each other.

I am standing for election as a member of the UCU Commons slate of candidates. For more information see www.UCUCommons.org