The VC of the Uni of Greater Manchester has just been sacked for misuse of over £1m of university funds. Hardly a mention in the media. Not black so not newsworthy.
William Crosby
@crosbywilliam.bsky.social
~ sounding kinships & muddy listening & sonic pedagogies ~ artist, musician, pedagogue, writer, agitator Lecturer @ Anglia Ruskin University | PhD @ CRiSAP, LCC:UAL | UCU Rep @ both (all views my own) 🇨🇾 🍉
I expect to be reading of the resignation of the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University very shortly at the very least.
One phrase sums up what happened to Jason Arday. Hounded to death.
Every single article should include Nathan Cofnas’ name as the instigator of this.
Chris Berez@chrisberez.bsky.social · 2mo agoHoly fucking shit Jason Arday found dead
Eddie Dempsey general secretary RMT said: “We are devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died as a result of today’s crash between Luton and Bedford. The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the ASLEF trade union at this awful time.”
I am very excited to have contributed to Hannah Kemp-Welch's upcoming book, 'Listening Glossary', published by Silver Press's Spiral House imprint. Thank you, Hannah! 👂 🖤 You can pre-order the book here: www.silverpress.org/products/lis...
Great report from Grant. Technocrats on the right of the union/leadership once again undermining democracy and transparency.
Grant Buttars@gbuttars.bsky.social · 8mo agoUniversities: what has happened to the Secretary of State dispute? revsoc21.uk/2026/02/18/u...
Join a union, and be an active member
Omfg It’s Bunsz !@copaceticbunsz.com · 2y agoIf you’re over 30, quote this with some life advice 🤌🏼
Join NATO so that like Denmark you too can have one member publicly threatening to invade and annexe your sovereign territory, while another refuses to even state that doing so is wrong.
The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 9mo agoA UK Government minister has repeatedly refused to say if it would be wrong for the US to invade Greenland after Donald Trump threatened to take over the country
I am genuinely tempted to add something like "This email was written by me, for you to read. I do not and will not use LLM AI in any of my work." to my office signature.
I've uploaded two new albums to bandcamp. Recordings of performance art and noise, exchanging roles of lead voice and atmosphere/environment. nicolnicolnicol.bandcamp.com (I like them!)
LMAO Noam Chomsky doesn’t surprise me one bit. Integrity isn’t exactly a trait for someone who picks and chooses his genocides and genocide denialisms.
Cafe Oto | Sun 7 December 2025 Playing new music for guitar by Thanos Chrysakis, Tim Hodgkinson, and David Ryan . . . and old music by Feldman, Takemitsu, and Wolff . . . alongside Jason Alder and Atsuko Kamura. Tickets: bit.ly/49A4lVa
Fact-Checking Claims About Zohran Mamdani https://theonion.com/fact-checking-claims-about-zohran-mamdani/
AI is not sentient. It doesn't have a survival instinct. What's happened is that corporations have decided that we'll all obey capital if it can pretend to talk.
🧵 The last month or so in UCU world has left me feeling very concerned. I’m not a member or fan of any faction, but the recent NEC elections have given the hard-right of the union a majority on our highest council. Meanwhile, our senior leadership appear to be half heartedly launching our (cont…)
This treatment of staff by a trade union employer (or any!) is despicable. Jo Grady must resign (in shame). She is not fit to have her name associated with the trade union movement.
Unite UCU@uniteucu.bsky.social · last yr.Do you want to know how UCU senior management has responded to UCU branches calling on them to remove their threat of deductions? This is how. How would you react? uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...
@drjogrady.bsky.social, you need to demonstrate the change you want to see. You cannot go after our Vice Chancellors while you’re yourself employing some of their worst practices. Remember what you said, “a fairer future for all”. FOR ALL.
Unite UCU@uniteucu.bsky.social · last yr.Sometimes solutions are easy @drjogrady.bsky.social & @ucu.org.uk Let’s sit down and talk without conditions or threats that damage everyone. It’s time to resolve this dispute. Our statement, with support from the following branch committees:
Jo is intentionally omitting key details here. General Secretary, be transparent with your members for once, the ballot is on 3 issues: 1. Pay uplift = at least RPI+3.5% or £2,500, on all pay points 2. Protection of national agreements on T&C's 3. A national agreement to protect jobs & subjects
University and College Union (UCU)@ucu.org.uk · last yr.VCs don’t run universities. We do. After another real terms pay cut, UCU is launching a UK-wide strike ballot. Ballot opens October. Vote YES. #WeAreTheUniversity
There is no trade-off between pay and jobs. Don't let the employers fool you otherwise. This dispute is on three things: 1.Pay uplift = at least RPI+3.5% or £2,500, on all pay points 2.Protection of national agreements on T&C's 3.A national agreement to protect jobs & subjects #WeAreTheUniversity
University and College Union (UCU)@ucu.org.uk · last yr.VCs don’t run universities. We do. After another real terms pay cut, UCU is launching a UK-wide strike ballot. Ballot opens October. Vote YES. #WeAreTheUniversity
Looking forward to speaking at ‘Thinking Through Sound’ @ Sheffield Uni tomorrow! Can a ‘muddy’ episteme resist capitalist and colonialist conceptions of clarity, convenience, and knowledge production, and can new ways of thinking with/through sound mess up, or ‘muddy‘ the waters, of the academy?
UCU policy: “To work with the TUC and other TUs to campaign for a change to the law to prevent such deductions, including lobbying government and opposition parties” Maybe while @drjogrady.bsky.social is at @tuc.org.uk in Brighton she can work on thi… oh! policy.web.ucu.org.uk/motion-infor...
UCU: Fighting punitive ASOS deductions
Motion from UCU Congress 2022-2023: Fighting punitive ASOS deductions
policy.web.ucu.org.uk
Jo Grady finds new ways to undermine UCU every week. TUC attendees should let her know their views. Oh, and where is the outcome from HEC @drjogrady.bsky.social?
Unite UCU@uniteucu.bsky.social · last yr.UCU policy: “To work with the TUC and other TUs to campaign for a change to the law to prevent such deductions, including lobbying government and opposition parties” Maybe while @drjogrady.bsky.social is at @tuc.org.uk in Brighton she can work on thi… oh! policy.web.ucu.org.uk/motion-infor...
uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/04/u... UCU senior leadership once again channeling the worst of our sector’s Vice Chancellors in how they treat their own staff. These people are not trade unionists, they are self-serving cowards and a stain upon our movement. Solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social
UCU deploys “vindictive” union-busting tactics in attempt to crush staff union
Unite the union members working for the University and College Union vote to take further industrial action with a 76% Yes vote for strike action on a 77% turnout This was their third consecutive s…
uniteucu.wordpress.com
"But they came here illegally" 1. No, they didn't. Seeking asylum is a human right protected under Article 14 of UDHR. 2. Even if they did, who even gives a fuck?! We would ALL break the law in a desperate situation. Less chat of legality more chat of justice & morality pls They're not the same.
Everyday I become more and more disgusted by and ashamed of UCU senior leadership, and those pockets of the membership that continue to support them and/or bury their heads in the sand. UCU supposedly stands for a “fairer future for all”. That has to mean ALL. Not just the SMT’s sycophants.
Unite UCU@uniteucu.bsky.social · last yr.😡 Targeting our reps 😡 Refusing to talk 😡 Imposing an office return with no equality assessment or hybrid agreement 😡 Breaching agreed procedures 😡 Unsafe levels of work-related stress Just 5 reasons our ballot opens today for a Safe & Professional Workplace. uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/08/01/b...