On a Winning Roll...the last AGM

The 2008 Labour Movement AGM season for me pretty much came to rest yesterday with the London UNISON Regional Committee AGM, held at the Friends Meeting place, Euston Road, London, WC1. This was my 8th of the year?

Over the last few years, centre left London UNISON activists have worked together to elect a representative lay regional leadership and ensure that the important committees that organise and oversee the union, act in the interests of ordinary UNISON members rather than politically motivated extremists.

During a relatively short period of time (at times a sharp battle), we firstly took the lay regional convener and deputy positions, then all of the lay regional council officers and we now hold a majority of seats in the main regional committees.

There are still problems and no doubt to our embarrassment later this year there will be (in my view) boring and repetitive “grandstanding” on the National Conference platform by predominately unrepresentative, angry, loud middle class types, arguing for the union to bring about revolution... NOW.

Yesterday, we won all the important votes and elections by a large majority. The first time in a long, long time.

London UNISON has changed.

(By co-incidence groundhog day, that evening I had to go all the way back from work to the Friends Meeting House again for my UNISON branch executive meeting!)

London UNISON Regional Council Elections

On Wednesday 6 February 2008 it is the AGM for the Regional Council. UNISON is the biggest union in London with more than 130,000 members. There are 152 branches that are entitled to send delegates to the AGM and vote in a secret ballot for lay regional council officers, regional sub-committees, conference delegates, motions and proposed rule changes. The AGM also approves (or not) various reports.

The president of UNISON, Norma Stephenson, is our guest speaker. There are also speakers from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, on public sector pay and a Parliamentary report from Jeremy Corbyn MP.

I am standing to be re-elected as Regional Finance Convenor. This is one of the 5 Regional Council Officers posts. I am also supporting Gloria Hanson for Regional Convenor; Conroy Lawrence for Deputy Regional Convenor; Lynn Bentley for Regional Publicity Officer; Gill Brown for Regional Equalities Convenor.

Check out “UNISON members win at Regional AGM” (5 February 2007 – one of my first ever posts)

Below is my election statement. I'm sure Andrew will post my opponents statement in "comments".

REGIONAL FINANCE CONVENOR ELECTION STATEMENT

ORGANISE TO WIN

I am currently the Regional Finance Convenor and strongly believe that
strong management of our member’s money is I believe the key foundation to organising campaigns that deliver for our members.

If re-elected as the Regional Finance Convenor I would ensure that the member’s money is used to support branches with key issues such as:

Recruitment

Defending Pensions

Campaigning to defend our public services

Campaigning for equalities

OPEN AND TRANSPARENT

Financial decisions need to be open and transparent and be easily understood by activists.

I want to make sure that activists better understand the financial support that is available to branches and ensure that the money gets to them to support recruitment and organising campaigns.

The Region has the money to back a growing union – the bigger we are, the stronger we are – let make sure it happens.

I am an experienced branch officer and regional activist for many years (including holding the position of branch treasurer, assistant branch secretary, branch health and safety officer and member nominated representative on Pension panel).

If anyone wishes to discuss my statement with me they could ring **** or email johndotgrayatunisonplusdotnet