Seeking nominations

So, I'm now seeking nominations for the young members seat on UNISON's National Executive Council. This is the sort of bit I hate when it's for my own election, telling everyone how wonderful you are doesn't come naturally. But I'm standing for the NEC because I do actually think that if I get elected it will be the best thing for UNISON and especially our Young Members.

I'm hoping I can use this election period to reach out to young members and hope this blog will become a really useful source of information about me and the election. If you'd like to offer your support please get in tough. If you want to get your Young Members Forum and/or Branch to nominate me please do, the more the merrier. Information on nomination can be found at www.unison.org.uk/elections

Below is the letter that I'm sending out to branches and regions and generally anyone who wants it. If you want a full copy please get in touch.

Sisters and Brothers,

Nomination for National Executive Council

I am seeking nominations for election to the NEC as the young members representative. The NEC is the keystone of our union's democracy and leadership and I feel that my passion, dedication and experience will ensure young members are heard. My vision is where young members are heard loud and clear at local, regional and national levels and where our union continues to fight for the diversity of our membership.

I have a breath of experience to be able to serve effectively on the NEC in political action, organisational governance and activism for young people, students and workers. Below I have set out this experience that I hope evidence the reasons why I hope you will consider nominating me:

• On the Management Committee of the British Youth Council (www.byc.org.uk). I was involved in campaigning on issues such as anti-social behaviour, lobbying for the national minimum wage for 16 & 17 year olds and overseeing the
  development and work of the organisation. This was my first experience of being a trustee and I gained insight into the constraints on organisational finances and how we must manage our resources to best be able to achieve our aims.
• As a student I became hugely involved in my student union (www.bugs.bham.ac.uk), spending a year as full time President. I led the organisation in a direction of prioritising political action rather than service delivery and led campaigns on higher education funding, against the BNP and our local efforts as a members of the make poverty history coalition. This activism led to us taking the largest numbers of students outside Cardiff to the NUS National Demo in Wales, stopping Top-Up Fees for Wales in their tracks; and taking even more students to Edinburgh on the 2nd July for the G8 rally. This was a key experience for me in understanding the different tactics in achieving change (such as informal lobbying, formal mechanisms and direct political action) and the important role that everyone in an organisation plays.
• As a steward and young members officer in my Branch, University Hospital Birmingham UNISON, I have been active in the activities of my branch. I was hugely involved in our recent successful dispute over Agenda for Change banding, ensuring members were fully aware of the situation and ready for action should it be necessary. On a local level, on top of the work with individual members, I have been leading staff sides involvement in a service reconfiguration.
• Within the West Midlands I am the Chair of Regional Young Members Forum. Having recently launched targeted recruitment materials and activities, our regional forum is now going from strength to strength with increased involvement. We're starting to make our mark in the region with plans in place to ensure young members are listened to in the region.
• As Vice Chair of National Young Members Forum I am leading on the development of our work to support the positively public campaign, ensuring young members have their place in the campaign and complementing the wider effort with young people focused activities.

I joined UNISON when I started my first job at 17, working as a carer in a residential home, becoming a member of my Local Government Branch. Unfortunately the 'Got a boss; get a union' idea isn't there for all young people, so UNISON at every level must engage with young workers and ensure this vulnerable group gets protection. We cannot do this by freebies alone, recruitment of young members must be backed up with strong campaigning on issues that young members care about, be that Votes at 16, equalising the national minimum wage or defending the public services of our future. Anyone that saw the huge numbers of young people marching for peace, free education and an end to world poverty in recent years know that lots of young people passionately care about our politics, so trade unions need to meet us young people in a dynamic and engaging way on issues we care about.

I'm standing for the NEC to ensure that over the next 2 years, UNISON not only recruits more young members but speaks and wins for us. This means a strong and democratic union that focuses on getting results over enforcing proceduralism. I would be grateful if you could give me your support in achieving this by having your branch or young members forum nominate me for the Young Members Seat on the NEC. For more information about the election and my candidacy visit
www.james4nec.blogspot.com

In unity,

James Anthony
Membership No. 8679650

NB. UNISON Branches and Regional and National Young Members Forums are able to nominate for the young members seat on the NEC. In order to nominate me the relevant committee would have to agree and submit appropriate nomination papers. Papers should be distributed from the 8th January and can also be obtained from www.unison.org.uk/elections The nomination period closes on the 16th February.