Thread by @MikeOtsuka

THES piece 👇by @jgro_the on the election for @ucu General Secretary, with a focus on their views on #USS. 1/
timeshighereducation.com/news/who-will-…

In April, on a record turnout of 63.5%, 64% voted to accept the offer to suspend strikes over #USS & set up the Joint Expert Panel. 36% voted to reject that offer. 2/

The JEP issued a magnificent, unanimous report in September which was strongly supportive of the position on the valuation that @ucu & @FirstActuarial have been pressing for years. 3/

.@mattwucu was strongly in favour of voting Yes to suspend the strikes & set up the JEP. 👇4/

For the reasons I mention 👇, I think @mattwucu made the right call then. 5/
medium.com/@mikeotsuka/wh…

The other two candidates, @DrJoGrady & @JomcneillUCU, made the wrong call then by voting No. 6/

Of course, everyone gets things wrong. @mattwucu made the wrong call in mid-March by supporting the ACAS agreement & @DrJoGrady & @JomcneillUCU made the right call in rejecting that agreement. 7/

What's more important than whether one ever got things wrong in the past is whether one is willing to admit & learn from past mistakes. 8/

I don't think any of the 3 candidates is on record admitting that they called anything seriously wrong, either w/r/to the #USS strikes or else w/r/to the re-balloting over pay & equality. 9/

It would be encouraging to learn of any past admissions of fallibility along these lines. 10/

Of the 3 positions sketched w/r/to the current valuation in the THES piece, I'm in most sympathy w/ @mattwucu's reported openness to splitting additional costs between USS members and employers if required. 11/

.@mattwucu is quoted as saying: "My own view is that the priority is to protect members’ benefits while keeping costs as low as possible". 12/

For the reasons I mention here👇, that position makes more sense to me than the reported no detriment positions of the other 2 candidates. 13/
medium.com/@mikeotsuka/th…

This long thread also provides an explanation of why I don't think No Detriment is a feasible position. 14/14

https://twitter.com/MikeOtsuka/status/1113321408375984129

PS: I also think @mattwucu is right about this👇. The postal re-balloting that the other 2 GS candidates favoured in the pay & equality campaign was a huge mistake (to which neither has admitted).

PPS: See @mattwucu's response👇to my query re past mistakes, either w/r/to #USS strikes or pay ballot. Neither @DrJoGrady nor @JomcneillUCU has yet responded.

https://twitter.com/mattwucu/status/1113495220593807360