The issue of opt-out membership for students’ unions crops up sporadically, but rarely gains significant traction. This could change within the next year, however, as senior figures in Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) debate a new draft constitution that includes the right to disassociate from the union.
This Editorial Board has previously written that mandatory union membership is not the draconian silencing tool that its hysterical opponents make it out to be, arguing that there are significant differences between traditional workers’ unions and TCDSU.
And the particular case put forward by the constitutional review working group would see the union represent all students, regardless of their membership status, and non-members would still be allowed to access union services. The only practical difference is that non-members would not be allowed to take part in union elections.
It is also difficult to argue that anyone should be forced to associate with any organisation, particularly if it is taking political stances on contentious issues.
However, that does not mean that there are no risks involved in opening the door to an exodus of students from the union. While the review group appears unconcerned about this, if TCDSU was to make a particularly unpopular decision or blunder, disgruntled students could disassociate in large numbers – the optics of which would be dreadful for the union and could hamper its bargaining power with College.
Furthermore, there could be difficulties around keeping track of the students who have disassociated, particularly around election time. Student numbers are pivotal to union elections, and the question of how to make a list of students who can’t vote could be tricky.
Last week, this Editorial Board was critical of how the draft constitution was cobbled together. Examining this particular proposed change calls into question again the decision-making process of the group: why did they insert a similar clause to one that students voted against, albeit narrowly, just a few years ago?
With public opinions on disassociation currently largely limited to what can be garnered from Twitter, it remains to be seen how students writ large will react to this proposal. But either way, the union should be prepared for scrutiny on the idea of disassociation.
The symbolism of disassociation from TCDSU shouldn’t be sniffed at – granted, it makes little practicable difference, and most students don’t care either way, but it could also damage the union.
