RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING Legal Plus days raise awareness Reps are using campaigns to make sure Usdaw continues to lead the way as the fastest growing union in the UK. Sainsbury’s, Emerson Green, Bristol View the Recruitment and Organising Gallery on the UsdawUnion Flickr page Follow us @UsdawUnion on Twitter for helpful tips and advice Tesco stand-down rep Sherrie Mavin from the Redfield store, Bristol is just one of hundreds of reps that Usdaw negotiates for a secondment period from their employer so that they can work as a full-time rep for the union. “Stand-down can be anything from a few hours, a full day, a week or even longer,” said Sherrie, 48. “My area organiser Milan Pavlik negotiated my time out with my manager, I was thrilled and nervous when I heard the news but I was confident Milan would support me. “This was my first stand-down week and it was very interesting. “As a rep I’ve only been involved with disciplinaries, so going into a completely new company and workplace was a bit daunting. “During the week I shadowed two reps Paul Birkett and Mark Crawley who had both completed Academy1 and 2. “I sat in on two of their inductions as they signed up new members, it was a great experience. We visited several stores and depots around Bristol during membership week. “A Legal Plus Day at the Sainsbury’s store in Emerson Green was also another good opportunity for me. “I worked with experienced rep Tracy Cannard and she explained how to run an in-store campaign event. “She taught me a lot and even signed me up for an online learning course! “I’m really looking forward to the next stand-down and the opportunity to meet more reps and gain even more experience.” 24 Network March/April 2016 Morrisons Crowborough Academy2 rep Lawrence Miller ran an eight-week recruitment campaign at the Morrisons Crowborough store in East Sussex and raised membership by more than 15 per cent and recruited two new reps. “It was a well organised and co- ordinated campaign,” said warehouse worker Lawrence, 56, who works for Wincanton in Snodland, Kent. “I had the support of experienced Tesco rep Julie Hart who was on stand-down from her store in Eastbourne and also area organiser Sidone McShane from the Faversham office. “I also had the backing and support of the store personnel manager, Maria Aldred, herself a former Usdaw rep. “When Maria heard I was on Academy2 she asked me to come in and organise a recruitment campaign event to help raise the profile of the union. We also had the full support of the store manager. “It was a great advantage that we had eight weeks to really establish the union and promote its benefits across all of the shifts. “And in January we held our first ever union event in the Crowborough store, a Legal Plus Awareness Day and it was hugely successful. “Our Usdaw solicitor was brilliant in explaining the legal help available for all members. I couldn’t have been happier. “We now have a rep’s team in store to support and help the union grow.” Tesco, Woodford Green, London Experienced reps Gerry Wood and Lebo Phakoe took new rep Nayna Rathod under their wing in January to help run a Legal Plus Awareness Day in their Tesco Woodford Green store in North East London. “Nayna is one of three new reps who SAINSBURY’S, EMERSON GREEN, BRISTOL TESCO, EXTRA YORK signed up last November, she was keen to get involved immediately so the Legal Plus day was an ideal opportunity,” said Gerry, who has been a rep for 15 years. “She took to it really well and within no time she was chatting away to members and handing out leaflets, it was a good learning curve for her. “We ran the campaign all day up until 5pm. We had lots of interest from members and non-members asking for more information on the union and the legal services. “Fifteen people completed the free- will application form on the day and others took them away and have signed up since. “Members said the solicitor was very personable and efficient, and they were very pleased to have had such a quick response back with their paperwork for