UNISON Barnsley Local Government Branch Newsletter - Summer 2019

Barnsley Barnsley

Summer 2019

matters www.unison-barnsley.org.uk

S ’ Y E L S N R A B E V A S E C I V R E S S L A E M SCHOOL Barnsley Council Schools Catering Service You may have seen in the local press that Barnsley Council is considering options for the future of its Schools Catering Service. We understand that the option that is being recommended to Cabinet is a managed exit from the service.

This would mean that each of the 45 schools that the Council currently provides the service to would need to find an alternative private provider to supply their school meals.

UNISON is opposed to the privatisation of public services and we are campaigning to retain the Council’s in-house catering service. Cabinet is due to meet on 29 May and will consider a report outlining the options for the service. It is planned that the final decision will be taken on 24 June.

UNISON has organised a lobby of the Cabinet on 29 May and all members are invited to attend and give support for our campaign and the 220 workers who work in the service.

Lobby of Cabinet Meeting and Rally Barnsley Branch

SAVE BARNSLEY’S

SCHOOL MEALS SERVICE Sign the petition!

http://chng.it/vGpW9Vj5n4

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When: Wednesday 29 May at 9am Where: Outside Barnsley Town Hall Please come along to lobby Cabinet members and support our rally.

Keep up to date and support our campaign. Members are encouraged to support our campaign. Here are a few ways that you can help us get our message across and try to influence the decision of Cabinet members:-

Attend our lobby on 29 May 2019 Share our petition and collect signatures http://chng.it/vGpW9Vj5n4 Contact your councillor Write to the Barnsley Chronicle Recruit your colleagues to UNISON and receive a £15 shopping voucher for each one Follow us on Facebook 01226 772988 and Twitter

take action

CONTACT US

branchoffice@unisonbarnsleylg.org

www.unison-barnsley.org.uk

4 Burleigh Court, Burleigh Street, Barnsley, S70 1XY

@UnisonBarnsley F UnisonBarnsley

Barnsley matters

Recruit a Friend Scheme

UNISON brings the lolz to Barnsley!

How would you like to earn £15 to spend at the shops every time you help strengthen your union’s voice? With the branch’s ‘Recruit a Friend’ Scheme, you can earn £15 for every new member who joins UNISON on your recommendation.

That’s why we’ve arranged a night of award winning and critically acclaimed comedy exclusively for you. Why not join us?

Application forms should be available on the noticeboards in your workplace for you to pass to friends or colleagues. Extra forms and freepost envelopes can be requested by emailing the Branch Office. Please write your name and membership number clearly on the top of all completed application forms so we can tell who you have recruited and ensure all forms are returned to the Branch Office address on page 1.

The more people join UNISON, the stronger your union becomes. Research shows the biggest reason people don’t join a union is “No one asked me”.

A union is only as strong as its membership. The more members we have, the stronger we become, the more protection we can offer to you, your colleagues and your family.

TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER

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Your UNISON branch has been going from strength to strength and we wanted to celebrate!

As a UNISON member you’ll receive a free drink token on arrival. Bring friends, family and UNISON colleagues and join us for a fun night out.

• To celebrate UNISON’s Year of Young Workers, tickets for members under 27 are just £8 and available by clicking here. (https:// www.wegottickets.com/sct/ Qt7fSmXEdu) • Standard tickets are £12 and you can grab them now by clicking here. (https://www.wegottickets. com/sct/fjnEsTAzKa) To receive your drink token on arrival please bring proof of membership (e.g. your membership card).

Date: Thursday 30th May Time: 7.15pm doors /

8pm start Location: The Old Picture House 6b Eastgate, Barnsley, S70 2EX (Upper floor function room)

Annual General Meeting 2019 Our AGM was held on 7 March at Barnsley Town Hall as two aggregate meetings.

The meetings were well attended and featured guest speaker Simon Atkinson from Barnsley Hospice, who reported on the branch sponsorship during 2018.

Branch Officer reports were received by the meeting, outlining our achievements over the last year and progress against our

objectives. A number of changes to branch rules were approved as well as the approval of Barnsley Bereavement Support Services as our sponsored charity for 2019.

Thank you to everyone who attended.

Barnsley matters

Branch Officers 2019 Branch Chairperson Branch Vice Chairperson Branch Secretary Assistant Branch Secretary Branch Treasurer Assistant Branch Treasurer Communications Officer Pensions Officer Health & Safety Coordinator Equalities Officer Education Officer Welfare Officer Sports & Social Secretary International Officer Young Members Officer Labour Link Officer LGBT Officer Retired Members Officer Membership Officer Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator Disabled Members Officer Women’s Officer Black Members Officer

April Pepper Simon Tewson Ben Harvey-Wade Steve Wilson Lauramay Beynon Maxine Russell Vacant Vacant Ben Hobson and Owen Adams Job Share James Stephenson Amber Taylor-Smith Vacant Owen Adams Owen Adams Amber Taylor-Smith and Alex Heeley Job Share James Stephenson Ben Harvey-Wade Kevin Swift April Pepper Gillian Nixon Vacant Jenni Healey Vacant

Stewards Nominations Owen Adams Maxine Bailey Lauramay Beynon Shirley Bower Kathryn Broadbent Andrew Clarke Diane George Richard Green Danielle Hartley Andy Hemingway Ben Hobson Lisa Jones Stephanie Horsfield Janine Neville Gillian Nixon Maxine Russell Simon Tewson Alistair West Steve Wilson Heath Wyatt

Dimensions Mapplewell Primary Astrea Academy Dearne BMBC - Wellington House Northern College Milefield Primary Dearne Goldthorpe Primary South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Kings Oak PLC Berneslai Homes BMBC - Smithies Depot Gooseacre Primary Academy Silkstone Primary Horizon Community College BMBC Culture – Town Hall Archives BMBC IT - Gateway Plaza South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Berneslai Homes – Construction Services BMBC IT - Gateway Plaza BMBC - Wellington House

Union Learning Representatives Kathryn Broadbent Daniel De Arriba Lisa Jones

Northern College BPL Gooseacre Primary Academy

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Barnsley matters

Free Women’s Lives and Return to Learn Courses Return to Learn SHEFFIELD

The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, S1 4FW Information Session: Wednesday 4th September 2019, 18.00 – 20.00 Start Date: Wednesday 18th September 2019, 18.00 – 20.00 (course runs for 16 weeks) For UNISON members of all ages, this is a course specifically designed for adults who have been away from learning for a long time but would now like to take up new learning opportunities. Return to Learn will help you develop your skills and give you confidence in four key areas: writing, investigating/research, analysing and problem solving and working with numbers. Where facilities are available you will also be able to learn basic computer skills.

Learning in UNISON

Women’s Lives BARNSLEY

YMCA, Blucher Street, Barnsley, S70 1AP Information Session: Thursday 19th September 2019, 18.45 – 20.45 Start Date: Thursday 3rd October 2019, 18.45 – 20.45 (course runs for 10 weeks) For UNISON women members, this is a course specifically designed for women who have been away from learning for a long time but would now like to take up new learning opportunities.

Women’s Lives will help you develop your skills and give you confidence in writing, investigating/research, analysing and problem solving. The course looks at issues of interest to women and draws on your experiences at work and home.

For further information and to download the application form, please visit www.unison-yorks.org.uk/education

Get help with school uniform costs this summer Families living on low incomes with children struggle constantly to make ends meet – and this can be particularly acute before the new school year begins when the extra costs hit hard.

But it’s not all bad news – help IS available.

The union’s welfare charity There for You has once more set up a limited fund to help members on low incomes towards the costs of school uniform through a one-off payment of £40.

For more information www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/ there-for-you/

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WOMEN’S RETURN TO LIVES LEARN You can find details of all the courses we run on our website www.unison-yorks.org.uk Join UNISON 0800 0 857 857