ELECTION OF UNITE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2011 – 2014

From: dearunitecom@googlegroups.com [mailto:dearunitecom@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of mailings@dearunite.com
Sent: 09 January 2011 03:54
To: dearunitecom@googlegroups.com
Subject: Grass Roots Left - Executive Council Elections

The brand new 'Grass Roots Left' has formed after Jerry Hicks' campaign in the General Secretary Election.  We are running candidates for the forthcoming Unite Executive elections. Website coming soon.

If you are in London and Eastern Region please would you ask your branch to nominate David Beaumont
and Mark Evans, details below. David is the editor of dearunite.com. Nomination period is period 10
January 2011 to 7 February 2011. 

'Grass Roots Left - reclaiming Unite for the members'

Thanks

ELECTION OF UNITE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2011 – 2014
David Beaumont
NEC CANDIDATE
London & Eastern Region

Dear Colleague

Unite National Executive Elections 2011 – London and Eastern Region

I want to return our union to its members from the self serving bureaucrats who currently run it. I want to revitalise branches and member democracy, and help make Unite a truly left wing, member run union. Please would you nominate me for a London and Eastern seat on the unions’ Executive.

My back ground is left wing and an activist.  I was a key supporter of Jerry Hicks in the recent General Secretary election. I run the website www.dearunite.com which, with its predecessors since 1999, has been exposing the union’s failure to support left wing policies and, quite frankly, to expose corruption like the ‘Baylissgate’ affair. 

As treasurer of London region I was suspended from office along with the Secretary Hugh MacGrillen and President Sue Michie. This was for supporting Ken Livingstone in the first Mayoral election. That witch-hunt was organised by the then General Secretary Roger Lyons. I later removed Lyons from office by establishing that he had illegally extended his term without an election. I have a background of taking on the most highly paid officials who currently run our union. 

Unite failed to hold Labour in government to account.   We have been dragged into the High Court on
balloting technicalities, witnessed our members being victimised by BA because of the anti-union laws. Repealing those laws was official union policy but was sidelined by the leadership. That failure has left us vulnerable and angry as we now face the Con-Dem onslaught.

I want to help transform a top down union, run like a business, to a bottom up one where ‘members decide, the union provides’. I support Jerry Hicks’ principles:
•    Election of all union officials.
•    Empowering the grass roots -  workplaces, branches, combines, sectors and regions,
•    Becoming a fighting union, not just campaigning,
•    Scraping Trident saving £75 billion. Instead spend £25 billion on schools, hospitals, houses, providing 100,000 jobs. £25 billion on green energies creating a million jobs.  £25 billion on pensions. Save money and lives by bringing the troops home from Afghanistan.
•    Confronting anti-union laws and supporting unofficial action when necessary.
•    Making the Equality and Diversity structures a model for genuine involvement.
•    Ensuring retired members, a prized asset, have equal rights in the union.

My name is David Beaumont and I have been an active member of the union for over 25 years. I am
currently secretary of Hounslow and Feltham branch.  Previously I have been chair of that branch and
treasurer of London Region.

To nominate me you will need the following information.  My Unite membership
number 30163927 my Branch, Hounslow and Feltham and the seat I am standing for, London and
Eastern region. 

I am happy to address workplace and Branch meetings. Please contact me by email david@dearunite.com
or on my mobile 07973 809527.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours fraternally, David Beaumont

ELECTION OF UNITE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2011 – 2014

Mark Evans
NEC CANDIDATE
London & Eastern Region

7th January 2011

Dear Colleague

Unite National Executive Elections 2011 – London and Eastern Region

My name is Mark Evans and I have been an active trade union member for 20 years. Over this period of time I have been privileged to support members by carrying out a number of Union roles including Shop Steward and Works Convenor at Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge. I am also the Branch Secretary of the Unite Cambridge Central Branch and Chair of the Cambridge & District Trades Council, from which I am delegated to the County Trade’s Council Association and SERTUC.

After careful consideration and with encouragement from numerous members within the Region, I have
decided to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming NEC election and am asking for your support.

We now find ourselves in unprecedented times of severe cuts to jobs, services and conditions with the current coalition government turning back the clock and dragging us back to the dark ages. In such times we cannot afford to sit back and let all the Trade Unions hard work be unravelled. We need a strong organised union capable of providing effective support and correct advice to members as well as a fighting union that will battle successfully for our member’s jobs and conditions.

The new Unite leadership should be directly confronting anti Union legislation that has criminalised workers who simply seek to defend themselves and support others against attacks. Disgracefully, despite members’ donations funding thirteen years of three Labour Governments, these same laws still permit the suspension and sacking of countless Convenors, shop stewards and activists.

Our relationship as a union with the Labour party needs to change from one of unbridled support to one of payment by results. I believe we should only fund those MPs or councillors who support our members.

I also believe in the election of all Unite officers, it should be for the members to decide who represents them, not an individual or a panel. Until this happens Unite will never be truly democratic and encourage full lay member participation.

Nominations must be made at a meeting held in the period 10 January 2011 to 7 February 2011.  To nominate me you will need the following information.  My Unite membership number, which is 31415325 and my Branch, is Cambridge Central 1859. 

I would be delighted to be offered the opportunity to address workplace and Branch meetings. For further information, please contact me on my mobile 07967325363, or by
email
centralbranch@ntlworld.com

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours fraternally, Mark Evans