NASUWT Representatives

14 www.nasuwt.org.ukOrganising in the school/collegeOrganising for the NASUWT is about emphasising the main ideas and purpose of our tradeunion. Workplace organising is a key activity for any NASUWT Representative.The NASUWT sees members as:l part of a collective, social organisation – members are the Union;l best able to identify issues of concern in the workplace;l having ownership of those issues;l taking responsibility for and, with the help of others, resolving the issues;l identifying with and participating in the Union;l being proud of their Union;l realising that they are the Union.The NASUWT wants activists and representatives to be able to:l closely identify with members;l work in partnership with members;l reflect members’ concerns;l where appropriate, agitate and articulate concerns of members both to members andthen to management;l resist the temptation to take on all responsibility for resolving members’ problems;l respond to the question “What is the Union going to do about this?” with “You are theUnion. With our help, what are you going to do about this?”By getting the relationship right between members and activists we hope to:l get more members participating in the Union by taking responsibility for their ownworkplace issues;l encourage new activists by letting them know they are not expected to take completeresponsibility for all members;l grow the Union in terms of activists and members.In this context, the role of the NASUWT Representativeshould be to:Build• From putting material on the notice board to speaking with colleagues about joining theUnion, you’ll find it easier when you share the load. Ask other NASUWT members to helpyou do your job. Build a team who can help you do the things that need doing.• Build the membership by finding someone willing to take responsibility for helping withrecruitment. They could approach new teachers when they join the workplace, speak tostudent teachers on placements and speak to colleagues that they feel might want to jointhe Union.• ‘Mapping’ is important. If you are in a big workplace you might want to find a member ineach department or site who can help keep track on members’ details and report theinformation back. Alternatively, you might want to speak to members before or after eachterm to report changes such as moves, retirement, changes of name etc. to the LocalAssociation Secretary. There are many ways to map, but it is important to keep accuraterecords so that the Union can function most effectively.• Take the time to build relationships with other unions and senior leaders. Being able toapproach individuals to form alliances or deal with informal issues is important. If acolleague is confident with this type of activity then talk about how you might be able tobuild these relationships together.Background Information