Thread by @felicitycallard

Over the weekend, I have been fixated on trying to understand all that happened in 2014 as key to the current (2018) university pensions crisis #ucustrike #ussstrike. An earlier thread is attached below. #ucustrike #ussstrikes

When I'm not on strike, I usually research by piecing together published, archival & grey literatures to build up a rich tapestry through which to get a grip on shifting phenomena. How do 'objects' & phenomena gain consistency & tractability? How do they change in form?

So here are some of the things (official lit, grey literatures, weblinks, newspaper/magazine articles etc.) that are currently in my "What happened around pensions, USS & UUK in 2014?" folder #ucustrike #ussstrikes

Feb 2014: Aon Hewitt "calls on UK government to concentrate on collective DC". An Aon Hewitt partner, said "the increase in cost [because of shift to single tier] might make the cost of DB unaffordable for the very few employers still offering the scheme" ipe.com/aon-hewitt-cal…

The Aon partner also "called on the government to provide certainty on the timetable for implementing [collective DC] CDC, in a bid to avoid employers having no alternative to pure DC." ipe.com/aon-hewitt-cal…

10 March 2014: UCEA ran its "Annual HE pensions schemes update." Programme available here:
ucea.ac.uk/en/seminars/ev…

31 March 2014: The date for the USS financial position. The USS report on this (with a document date of 20 November 2014) is available here: uss.co.uk/how-uss-is-run…

April 2014 membership of USS Employers Pension Forum. employerspensionsforum.co.uk

(I can't actually locate where I downloaded this. The broader point is that EPF website provides little info on its committee processes. I have been able to find membership for only 2014 & 2017)

*** HIATUS ***
I need to go to the picket line. More later. Including some estimable documents from some universities in response to 2014 consultations.

4 June 2014: Queen's Speech. Private Pensions Bill (see p. 35 ff) which enables "‘Collective schemes’ that pool risk between members & potentially allow for greater stability around pension outcomes." gov.uk/government/upl…

16 July 2014 [creation date as listed in doc 'Properties'] "USS funding and benefits – consultation by Universities UK" ox.ac.uk/sites/files/ox…

NB The start of the doc makes clear that this consultation follows "the Universities UK consultation on the scheme’s future funding which concluded in March 2014." I haven't located this yet. Does anyone know if details are available and, if so, where?

This doc also mentions UUK's "response to the previous consultation on behalf of the USS employers, which was submitted to USS in March 2014". I haven't located this yet. Is it available? Where?

Doc states: 'option of moving to a DC scale for all future accruals' was considered. A 'significant minority of institutions...supported a full move to DC in the earlier [UUK] consulation' but majority wanted to maintain 'core' DB element (p.5). Any more info available anywhere?

16 July 2014 [from creation date in Doc properties]: USS "An Integrated Approach to Scheme Funding". UUK circulated this for comment along with their consultation doc I mentioned in previous tweets pensions.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/uss_inte…

28 July 2014 [date of creation of document I'm linking to]: "EPF briefing on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) - July 2014". Includes discussion of new section of USS that will provide DC benefits (see pp. 4-5) sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gatewa…

29 July 2014: "A novel contribution - opinion piece by the EPF Chair", Anton Muscatelli (universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=…) employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/novel…. Includes this extracted section.

For Science & Technology Studies (#sts) people, it's in September 2014 that things start getting particularly interesting. #ucustrike #USSstrikes

On 11 August 2014 [I'm also interested in the timing of all of this; August is right in the heart of academic research time], EPF put out a document called "Latest Q&As on the USS". That document is stored here: warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrike

Question 9 of this (original) warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… document of Q&As asked: "What are the issues with longevity and will they really impact on USS?" And here is the answer (as presented on 11 August 2014):

9 September 2014: Jane Hutton, professor of statistics at U of Warwick, sends a letter to EPF to 'point out the gross errors in life expectancy' [as represented in EPF's response to Qu. 9] warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #USSstrikes

25 Sept 2014: @Dennis_Leech argues that @timeshighered's reports on USS 'tend to imply that statistics show a funding deficit as if the USS’ assets and liabilities are objective scientific truths when in fact they are based on theories' timeshighereducation.com/comment/letter…

Dennis Leech's (@Dennis_Leech's) blog, if you haven't yet read it, is a remarkable archive on what's happened in relation to USS pensions over the last few years blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/ #ucustrike #USSstrikes

By 2 Oct 2014 (see Jane Hutton's account: (warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…):

EPF change their Q&A for 9, but do not change date that appears on the document (This still reads 11 August 2014, though the document name is epfqa2014oct2.pdf) warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrike

Compare the 2 Q&As for Question 9 (the first from 11 August 2014 warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…; the 2nd from October 2014 warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…, **though the doc still says 11 August 2014**) #ucustrike #ussstrikes

But though the specific data (i.e. evidence) on life expectancy were gone, EPF did not change any of the conclusions presented in their Q&As. (Jane Hutton: 'The conclusions drawn remained, with no indication that a change had been made' warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…)

With contested evidence removed & no date change on the doc made, it's hard to be confident that EPF was following its own advice given 3 days earlier (29 Sept 2014):
employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/commu…

#factualclearandconcise

On 9 October 2014, EPF released two documents.

The first was "Proposed Changes to USS – Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings".

The author listed in doc properties is Alistair Jarvis warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrikes

[Brief aside:

Factual, clear & concise ... myths, misconceptions & misunderstandings ...

Honestly, the #STS papers could almost write themselves]

The 2nd EPF document published on 9 October was "The Employers’ Proposals for Reform of USS: A Summary for USS members" [different author name in doc properties] The doc stresses the proposals are "not a cost cutting exercise." sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gatewa… #ucustrikes #USSstrikes

21 October 2014: EPF publishes "Proposed changes to USS – what the changes might mean for you", which provides "examples of possible outcomes for five different types of USS member" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/… #ucustrike #ussstrikes

21 October 2014 is a busy day for UK pensions. Over in Parliament, there are a number of witnesses called for the Pension Scheme Bill (see also: ): publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cm…

... TBC, probably tomorrow morning; I need to go & eat. Meanwhile:

#ucustrike #ussstrikes

25 Oct 2014: @timeshighered published letter by leading UK academic actuarial scientists, which stated that EPF's "Proposed Changes to USS – Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" "contained misinformation & a mistake". timeshighereducation.com/comment/letter… #USSStrikes #ucustrike

.@timeshighered letter states 'the assumptions on mortality appear to be unchanged from the 2011 valuation, yet the EPF 'archly advances the statement that "members of the USS are living longer so the pensions scheme has to pay pensions in retirement for longer than planned"'

.@timeshighered letter focuses its criticisms on section M7 of the "Myths, misconceptions & misunderstandings" document written by Alistair Jarvis [that is name of author as listed in document properties]. This is attached below. pensions.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/changes_…. #USSstrikes #ucustrike

28 Oct 2014: Cambridge University reports on "The future of the Universities Superannuation Scheme". Chair of Pensions Working Grp notes 'inconvenient' timing of UUK/USS consultation & the 'rather inadequate information' provided admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2014-… #USSstrikes #ucustrike

Late Oct/early Nov 2014: UUK sends out its consultation document on the USS actuarial calculation. Here's page 1 of UUK 2014 Consultation questions

(For confirmation of date: Warwick received its on 4 Nov 2017: see p.5 of pdf whatdotheyknow.com/request/440689…)
#USSstrikes #ucustrike

Here's page 2 of UUK 2014 Consultation questions

(note that these are all extracted verbatim from King's College London's response to consultation, and so accuracy in relation to original UUK communication cannot be guaranteed; see whatdotheyknow.com/request/440680…
#ussstrikes #ucustrike

Look closely at syntax of Qu. 14 in 2014 UUK consultation

On my reading [feel free to suggest other readings!], this implies that 'radical changes' (DC/DC-type benefits) are indeed planned (or at least anticipated) by UUK 'for a later date'
#ussstrikes #ucustrike

4 Nov 2014: UUK publishes "USS: Consultation on Technical Provisions and Recovery Plan" lancaster.ac.uk/hr/Payroll/fil…

NB Note how many of my links are not to UUK website, but to other sites; what are UUK's policies for storing documents on its own website?]
#ussstrikes #ucustrike

4 Nov 2014: This UUK doc is cover note accompanying formal consultation consultation document received on 30 Oct 2014 from USS. (Is this available anywhere?) Employers invited to submit their comments – via UUK – to consultation document by 28 Nov 2014. lancaster.ac.uk/hr/Payroll/fil…

4 Nov 2014: The UUK cover note contextualises the consultation, indicating how it draws on 'a number of exchanges of documents and conversations that have taken place to date, on the valuation process' (lancaster.ac.uk/hr/Payroll/fil… p.2)

4 Nov 2014: The UUK cover note indicates that UUK asked Aon Hewitt to review consultation doc & that Aon Hewitt raised 3 principal areas of technical comment on trustee proposals, including on demographic assumptions (lancaster.ac.uk/hr/Payroll/fil… pp. 2–3) #ussstrikes #ucustrike

7 Nov 2014: Employers Pension Forum publishes expanded set of "Myths, Misconceptions and Misunderstandings"; author listed in document properties in Alistair Jarvis warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #USSstrikes #ucustrike

Again, I urge the #STS community to get cracking on how these documents, (& the letters commenting on them), employ terms such as facts, misunderstandings and myths

OK, we're now up to the 2nd week of November 2014.

Another **HIATUS** as the London march is soon to start uculondonregion.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/london…

More as soon as I can
#ussstrikes #ucustrike

Jane Hutton (warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…) argued that the expanded set of alleged "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" did not fulfil its 'stated aspiration "to include additional facts"' (see highlighted passages below) warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #usstrikes #ucustrike

17 Nov 2014: Jane Hutton & Saul Jacka warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… ltr to Anton Muscatelli (at that point Chair of USS EPF) detailing what they argued was 'the highly disingenuous, the unfortunately misleading & the downright erroneous' #USSstrikes #ucustrike warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

17 Nov 2014: Hutton & Jacka ltr to Anton Muscatelli. Read whole letter. Phrases include: 'the [EPF] gloss is a
triumph of misdirection'. Note strong critique of M17 (on life expectancy; see earlier tweets) warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrikes warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

Quick check: today (15 March 2018), it seems same document "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" [author in doc properties: Alistair Jarvis] critiqued by Hutton & Jacka still on EPF website (pls check that I haven't overlooked any changes EPF made) employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/…

The original EPF news item (11 November, 2014) linking to that "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" document (critiqued & Hutton & Jacka) is still there employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/brief…

But I can no longer find EPF news item of 20 May 2014 linked to in the EPF "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" document":

'The full set of Q&As can be accessed by everyone at employerspensionsforum.co.uk/en/EPF-News/ne…'

[Pls check; I might have missed it] #ucustrike #USSstrikes

10 November 2014: EPF publish news item on their website: "Latest Q&As on the USS". They include a Q&A on the "issues of longevity" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/lates…

Ah! Now located the EPF news item of 20 May 2014 "Latest Q&As; on the USS" web.archive.org/web/2014072904….

Thanks to @mpdavies pointing me to wonders of the internet archive Wayback Machine archive.org/web/

#ussstrikes #ucustrike

20 May 2014 EPF news item ("Latest Q&As") web.archive.org/web/2014072904… appears to be almost the same [someone, please check carefully!] as 10 Nov 2014 "Latest Q&As on the USS" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/lates… #ucustrike #ussstrike

***CORRECTION***
Actually, I'm wrong. The previous tweet is *not* correct. The 10 Nov Q&As are significantly longer than 20 May 2014 Q&As (which are no longer on EPF site), and there are some distinct changes in phrases, that I'll point to in the next tweet #ucustrike #ussstrikes

e.g. Change in how Question 5 is posed (the answer remanis the same):

Qu 5 in 20 May 2014 (i.e. in doc no longer on EPF website) web.archive.org/web/2014072904…) is:
"Is my pension safe?"

Qu 5 in 10 November 2014 as: employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/lates…
"Are accrued pension rights safe?"

Tracing the history of USS EPF (Employers Pension Forum) employerspensionsforum.co.uk. Anyone else fancy checking web.archive.org/web/*/http://e… (thanks @mpdavies) for changes to the web pages? #USSStrikes #ucustrike #twitterstorians

11 November 2014: EPF publish news item announcing the "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" document [which, from doc properties, was created/modified on 7 November 2014] employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/brief… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

19 November 2014: Jane Hutton, in her uss section of her website warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… reports that Anton Muscatelli (then chair of USS EPF) sends an email to Jane Hutton & Saul Jacka, responding to their letter of 17 November 2014 #ussstrike #ucustrike

Jane Hutton interprets Anton Muscatelli's email of 19 November 2014 as follows:

'In my opinion, this email seems to suggest that the errors come from the USS Trustee.' warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…
#ussstrike #ucustrike

18 November 2014 [sorry, slightly out of order]: Dennis Leech posts a piece to his Warwick University blog titled "The intellectual basis for the neoliberal regulatory regime for DB pensions" blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/mo… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

The 2 papers Dennis Leech mentions blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/mo… follow:

1. Exley, Mehta & Smith, 1997, The financial theory of defined benefit schemes, British Actuarial Jnl cambridge.org/core/journals/…

Also available here: actuaries.org.uk/research-and-r…

#ussstrikes #ucustrike

Here is an assessment of influence of the Exley, Mehta & Smith paper by Jonathan Stapleton in @ProfPensions in 2015:

"The financial theory of DB pension schemes - 18 yrs on from the paper that changed everything (in pensions)"

professionalpensions.com/professional-p…

#ussstrikes
#ucustrike

The second paper Dennis Leech mentions blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/mo…:

2. Simon Carne, 2004, Being Actuarial With the Truth: A story of economic confusion over defined benefit pension schemes blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle…

#ucustrike #USSstrikes

The account of Carne presenting "Being Actuarial With The Truth" to the Staple Inn Actuarial Society meeting on 31 August [unclear which year]: theactuary.com/archive/old-ar…

20 November 2014: Warwick University "Report on USS Pension Valuation" from the "Working party on pension valuation" warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

20 Nov 2014: Warwick Uni Report concludes: "Our analysis leads us to conclude that the valuation of the decit is potentially
flawed & that certainly further work is required to answer the points made in the executive summary." warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrikes #ussstrikes

20 Nov 2014: Warwick Uni Report was initially for internal use only & prepared for Imperial College London. Membership of the working group (largely from mathematics dept) & distribution list attached. #ucustrike #ussstrikes warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

27 Oct 2014: [end of 2014 is v busy; sorry re chronological order] UCU HEC report that employers submitted their proposals for a hybrid scheme to USS JNC at its meeting that week, & attach proposal.

It's worth reading in its entirety; plus see p.7. blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle…

22 November 2014 [date from doc properties]: Jane Hutton & colleagues write to Martin Harris, chair of the USS Trustee Board, 'to express serious concerns about the assumptions underpinning the estimation of the USS
pension fund deficit' warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike

21 Nov 2014: Dennis Leech blog: "Somebody has to pay for de-risking. The [USS] trustees want it be members. Arguably since the whole need for de-risking stems from the privatisation and marketisation agenda of David Willetts the government should pay ..." blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/mo…

24 Nov 2014 [from doc properties]: U Warwick "Response to Consultation on Technical Provisions Assumptions Proposed by USS" [available through Neil Davies' FOI request]. Worth reading all their response. whatdotheyknow.com/request/440689… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

U Warwick's response to FOI request is fascinating. As well as actual consultation response sent to UUK, they include report of sub-cttee of lay members of Finance & General Purposes Cttee & discuss need to avoid conflict of interest whatdotheyknow.com/request/440689… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

The U Warwick Council USS Review ToR notes that the VC [Nigel Thrift, I assume?] requested that key issues be discussed by independent lay members of Council & Finance & General Purposes Cttee (because of COI issues) whatdotheyknow.com/request/440689… cc @gailfdavies #ussstrikes #ucustrike

Other responses to the FOI request re the 2014 UUK consultation on USS are rather more tightlipped. Here is one (v characteristic) page of the response from KCL #ucustrike #ussstrikes whatdotheyknow.com/request/440680…

Cardiff University 'no longer hold a
copy of the response' to the 2014 USS valuation consultation, but have however 'requested a copy from @UniversitiesUK which we will
forward once received'. Not sure how quickly they'll be able to get to that. whatdotheyknow.com/request/respon…

Here is U Exeter's response (p. 1 of 2) to the 2014 UUK consultation on the USS valuation -- in letter form whatdotheyknow.com/request/440676… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

Here is part of U Birmingham's response to the 2014 UUK consultation on the USS valuation signed by Provost & Vice-Principal Adam Tickell: the section on 'Key Features' whatdotheyknow.com/request/440691… #ussstrike #ucustrike

The FOI response from U Leeds re their response to the 2014 UUK consultation on the USS valuation shows the structure of the UUK Web survey, designed & hosted by Aon Hewitt on behalf of the EPF #ucustrike #ussstrikes whatdotheyknow.com/request/440681…

U Leeds response to 2014 UUK web survey, showing 2 Q&As:
1. On extending CRB or – note that same phrase -– 'leaving more radical changes for a later date?'
2. On potential changes to future benefits if needed to keep contributions affordable whatdotheyknow.com/request/440681… #ussstrikes

U Bristol's response to FOI request re 2014 UUK consultation shows structure & questions posed in "Scheme funding within USS: an engagement with Universities UK | Appendix C - Complete list of engagement paper questions" #ussstrikes #ucustrike whatdotheyknow.com/request/440690…

U Bristol's 2 responses to FOI request re 2014 UUK consultation (after a request made for transparency; see: whatdotheyknow.com/request/respon…) are interesting to compare.

Redacted whatdotheyknow.com/request/440690…
Unredacted whatdotheyknow.com/request/440690… response to question 8 #ucustrike #ussstrikes

You can see which universities/colleages have & haven't responded to the FOI request re 2014 UUK consultation on USS valuation by going here: whatdotheyknow.com & searching under 2014 AND UUK AND USS #ucustrike #ussstrikes

26 Nov 2014: Dennis Leech reports that Imperial College publicly oppose the USS reform proposals (blogs.warwick.ac.uk/dennisleech/mo…)

The link provided no longer works; is this public opposition statement available elsewhere? workspace.imperial.ac.uk/college/Public…
#USStrikes #ucustrike

27 Nov 2014: "Response by the London School of Economics Pensions Advisory Group to USS Consultation on Technical Provisions and Recovery
Plan" warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrikes

27 Nov 2014: Jane Hutton reports that she still has not received a reply to the letter she wrote to the USS EPF pointing out the gross errors in life expectancy on
9 September 2014 warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… #ucustrike #ussstrikes

28 November 2014: The USS EPF puts out a USS valuation webcast by its actuary, setting out "the principles and processes that drive USS's formal valuation" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/uss-v…

The webcast link is now broken

I *think* that brings us to the end of November 2014. Maybe tomorrow I'll reach the end of the year 2014

#youcanbuthope
#ucustrike #ussstrike

19 Sept 2014: [OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER!]

I forgot to embed important slides from AHUA [senior university managers] conference, where shift to the 'more radical solution' of DC/DC-type benefits is explicitly posed by USS & EPF.


#ucustrike #ussstrike

19 September 2014: AHUA conference (for senior university managers) happens with presentation from USS & JNC; see end of this thread where slides are also inserted not in chronological oder. Or here:

Late Oct/early Nov 2014: [OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER]

I forgot to thread in p. 2 of UUK consultation questions [p.1 in correct chronological order]. Qu. 14 is: "Would you prefer to focus primarily on extending CRB for all, leaving more radical changes for a later date."

OK back to where we were: i.e. start of December 2014.

2 Dec 2014 [from doc properties]: UCU submits a "Report to the USS paper: 2014 Actuarial Valuation" prepared by First Actuarial [date on doc says Nov 2014] #ucustrike #ussstrikes blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle…

Reminder: The "Report to the USS paper: 2014 Actuarial Valuation" was responding to the USS 2014 Actuarial Valuation; A Consultation on the Proposed Assumptions for the Scheme's Technical Provisions & Recovery Plan" (Oct 2014) blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle… #ucustrike #ussstrikes

The First Actuarial report, in its response to the USS paper, stresses that the introduction of the 3 tests was made at a 'very late stage' – & see highlighted passages below (from p. 3) blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle… #ussstrikes #ucustrike

First Actuarial report states: 'discussion is hampered by a lack of figures in the consultation document & a lack of any broader analysis' (p 4). Where there are 'additional data which would shed light on issues', it has raised questions – see Appendix A. blogs.warwick.ac.uk/files/dennisle…

2 December 2014: UUK's "Response to the USS Consultation". UUK is 'prepared to work within the trustee’s risk framework & accompanying 3 tests', but is concerned about 'overall level of prudence' assumed in the valuation process. #ussstrikes #ucustrike employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/…

2 Dec 2014: UUK's "Response to the USS Consultation" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/… notes good response from consultation, 'with many institutions providing comprehensive responses'. 54 of the participating institutions responded. Cross-check some here: whatdotheyknow.com/search/UUK%20U…

2 Dec 2014: UUK's response to USS consultation states that 'sheer range of responses' to consultation – & previous consultations as part of valuation framework – means 'majority view will not satisfy all employers'. employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/… #USSstrikes #ucustrike

2 Dec 2014: UUK's response to USS consultation employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/….
Whole document is an important read. It can, as mentioned, be read alongside those responses from individual universities/colleges available through FOI requests whatdotheyknow.com/search/UUK%20U…
#ucustrike #USSStrike

9 Dec 2014: Employers Pension Forum (EPF) announces "UUK Response to the USS consultation on Technical Provisions and Recovery Plan - 2 December 2014" employerspensionsforum.co.uk/epf-news/uuk-r…

18 Dec 2014: [we're reaching holiday period; things winding down] Bill Galvin, Group CEO of USS writes to Jane Hutton & Saul Jacka warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… -- responding to the letter they had sent to Anton Muscatelli on 17 Nov 2014 warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…
#ussstrike #ucustrike

If you go back to Nov 2014 in this thread, you'll see that Hutton & Jacka's letter was framed as a strong critique of the "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" document (7 Nov 2014; author from doc properties is Alistair Jarvis) put out by EPF employerspensionsforum.co.uk/sites/default/…

For example, see Hutton & Jacka's critique of M14 in the "Myths, Misconceptions & Misunderstandings" document, which they frame around the EPF's representation of the USS Trustees warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

USS letter is long; read in its entirety. Note how questions of misunderstanding/fact circulate through all correspondence in this controversy. (This ltr includes 'factual', 'misunderstanding', 'not correct', 'supporting data', 'correctly observe'.) warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis…

USS letter warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… considers question of longevity improvements (screen shot 1), which Hutton & Jacka had raised in their letter to USS EPF warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… (screen shot 2)

There ends my collection of things (official lit, grey literatures, weblinks, newspaper/magazine articles etc.) currently in my "What happened around pensions, USS & UUK in 2014?" folder. Many of the threads continue into 2015 (which will be new thread). #hurrah #ussstrikes

But a couple of provisos & reflections before I end.

1. A timeline, and the Twitter thread format, cannot but imply certain kinds of implied causality/linking between items. You (& I) should be wary of this. *More research is needed*.

2. There are obviously many things missing -- those I know about because they are referred to (but which I haven't yet located), those that provide much wider context for what was happening in 2014 (thanks for the discussions @WillViney), & those I don't yet know at all.

3. My research is on the 20th/21 century psy disciplines. I didn't really know anything about pensions before the strike started. So there are bound to be errors, misinterpretations, faulty assumptions. PLEASE LET ME KNOW so things can be corrected #ussstrike #ucustrike

4. I haven't really 'discovered' anything myself; rather I have spent a long time searching, gathering, collating sources & archival insights that many others have taken the care to keep (& also to write about in various places). This thread displays the labours of many others

5. It should go without saying that my own disciplinary backgrounds (#notallgeographers, #STS, #psychosocial studies, #histpsych) have inflected what and how I have presented things. #interdisciplinary #ucustrike #ussstrike

6. But my main aim was always to serve #ussstrike #ucustrike. i.e. bring together docs & possible connections that could be used, in multiple ways, by many of us, as we work out how we reached point of pensions (& university) crisis in 2018. #ucustrike #ussstrike END OF THREAD