Fast growing union Usdaw starts second Organising Academy

Usdaw, the UK's fifth biggest union, today enrolled 18 reps to its latest Organising Academy, as the continued drive to increase membership and encourage active involvement gathers pace.

Usdaw's Organising Academy ran as a pilot project last year, with tremendous results. The 15 reps who took part recruited 5,000 new members, visited 2,500 workplaces, identified over 200 potential new activists and ran major organising campaigns in over 75 workplaces.

Such was its undoubted success, Usdaw is running another Organising Academy this year. Eighteen reps today started a secondment from their normal workplace to spend the next six months dedicated to developing their organising skills. They will spend four weeks in residential training co-ordinated by Usdaw, with the remaining time spent on workplace projects. Each rep at the Academy is assigned to an experienced Usdaw official who acts as a coach.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary Elect, said: "I was delighted with the outcome of the first pilot of the Academy and am now looking forward to its second year. This is a great opportunity for the reps to take time out away from their normal workplace, develop their organising skills and help ensure Usdaw remains one of the fastest-growing unions in the TUC."

The hard work and dedication of Usdaw activists and officials is the main reason behind Usdaw recording increased membership figures every year since 1995. At the end of 2003, Usdaw had 331,703 members - which is its highest membership level since 1991.

Notes to Editors:

• The 18 reps joining the Organising Academy today are: Mike Allen (Dairy Crest, Wrexham); Sean Beharie (NFT Distribution, Middlesex); Noreen Cahoon (Tesco, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland); Barry Campbell (Unipart, Nottingham); John Challoner (Chiron Vaccines, Liverpool); Paula Colbourne (Tesco, Devon); Valerie Garrett (Tesco, Ipswich); Garry Gibson (The Learning Shop, Hull); Daniel Gow (Safeway, Penrith); Sarah Hughes (Tesco, Worcester); Brian Kenny (Safeway, Edinburgh); Amanda Mansfield (Sainsbury's, Cobham, Surrey); Colin Marriott (Tesco, London); Sujata Patel (Sainsbury's, Richmond); Craig Smith (Unichem, West Lothian); Peter Watson (Tesco, Midsomer Norton); Veronica Williams (Tesco, Glamorgan); Marci Wilson (Littlewoods, Belfast).

• Usdaw is the UK's fifth biggest trade union, with over 330,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in retail, but the union does have members in transport, distribution, home shopping, call centres, food manufacturing, dairy process, chemicals and other trades.

• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.

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