Spring 2019 MMC By-Election Candidate Statements

Below are the candidate statements for the Spring 2019 Membership Mobilization Committee (MMC) Commissioner By-Election (three candidates). You will receive an emailed voting token. If you do not receive a token, or you believe you were sent one in error, please contact trustee@tssu.ca

Aicha Araba Etrew

Greetings to Everyone! Aicha Araba Etrew is my name. I am a graduate student of communication. I currently serve as the TSSU representative at the Graduate Student Council, and a member of the Membership Mobilization, and Occupational Health and Safety Committees of the TSSU.

With 8 years professional experience in policy research and advocacy, community development and event organizing within and across West Africa, I believe I have the requisite skills and thus more than pleased to volunteer to serve in the capacity of Commissioner for the Membership Mobilization Committee.

I believe there is strength in numbers, and in acting collectively we will achieve the prioritized needs of our membership. We are going into bargaining this year and we are being ambitious because our members deserve the best. To be more than successful will require each member to rally behind the executives.

I also recognize the work/studies stresses that we experience from time to time. A safe and secure work environment as well as a healthy mind cannot be underestimated. In this regard, membership outreach is one of my priorities. I seek to broaden the membership scope of the TSSU within the SFU community by introducing community bonding activities as part of effort to revitalize this great Union. This is to enable members to have a platform for work-life balance.

I do not intend to do this in isolation but instead work effectively with members, the Executive and all committees of the TSSU. I am looking forward to serve in the best interest of members of the TSSU, thank you.

Ladan Fathi

Dear TSSU members, I am Ladan Fathi and I am running for the position of Member Mobilization Committee (MMC) commissioner. I became involved with TSSU from 2017 when I joined the MMC and started playing an active role in many activities. The reason that I joined MMC was that I believe unions help to create workplace democracy with regulating standards that eventually benefit the workers, service receivers, and even the employees. I contend that MMC plays an important role in fulfilling the TSSU’s purposes since it has a direct connection with the members. I think this is not only a place to be involved in the community, but also a friendly environment for professional development, learning new things, and having new experiences. As my work with MMC, I was involved in data analysis, designing pamphlets, tabling and hosting events for TSSU, door knocking and informing the members, etc. I worked closely with my department’s Steward (Interactive Arts and Technology) to educate and engage other members as this is the main priority of the MMC. These valuable experiences made me more familiar with the importance of informing other members about their rights, led me to use my potentials, and learn new skills.

Considering that the bargaining process will start on April 3^rd, mobilizing the members is a key component in reaching a better agreement. Therefore, MMC should act stronger and in its most organized way. As a result, If I become elected as the MMC commissioner my focus will be on:

Having a stronger connection with the Stewards of all departments and providing the required support for them to mobilize the members.
Finding the best practices to inform more members about the process of bargaining and encouraging them to become involved.
Establishing a stronger relationship with the organizer and contract committee to facilitate the communication between different parts of the union
Keep the MMC meetings regular and in all three campuses to have a more inviting environment to attract new members.
Have more activities to use members skills and provide new opportunities for learning

It would be an honor for me to work closely with the executive members and other committees as the commissioner and I devote all my effort, skill, and attention to help the union.

In solidarity,

Ladan

Elly Habibullah

I am a first year MA student in Communication department and I have been a member of TSSU since I started my career in graduate school. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from the school of Arts at SFU, so I believe my experience from two completely different schools of FCAT can be an asset for better undressing the school policies. My working experience in art and culture sector enables me to meet deadlines and manage tasks independently and as a group member. My goal is to support all Teaching Assistants, Tutor Markers and ELC/ITP instructors in Membership Mobilization Committee.

Spring 2019 Executive By-Election

We currently have two Executive positions open for by-election: Trustee II and Membership Mobilization Committee (MMC) Commissioner.

Positions are open to any TSSU member in good standing and are stipended. The nomination period runs from today, March 21, 2019 to next Thursday, March 28, 2019.

To nominate yourself, complete the attached nomination form and return to trustee@tssu.ca by March 28, 2019.
In addition, nominees may submit a brief candidate statement to trustee@tssu.ca by March 29, 2019.

Trustee II (By-Law E.2.4) (term from April 2019-March 2020)
Stipended at $360/semester
Duties include (See By-Law E.2.4 for more details):

Ensuring that the TSSU By-Laws are adhered to and keeping these same By-Laws up-to-date
Ensuring that proper procedures are adhered to at GMs in accordance with Bourinot’s rules
Overseeing the work done by Executive Members and reporting any atypical decisions to the General Membership
Scheduling and overseeing all elections/referenda
Inspecting the financial records of the TSSU on a monthly basis in consultation with the Coordinator.
Resourcing either the Internal Relations Committee or the Finance Committee

Membership Mobilization Committee (MMC) Commissioner (term from May 2019-November 2019)
Stipended at $100/month for first 6 hours + $20/hr for each hour thereafter up to a maximum of $1200 per month
Duties include (See By-Law E.2.6 for more details):

Calling meetings and making sure meetings are chaired and minuted
Producing TSSU outreach materials in coordination with union volunteers, outside partners and vendors
Attending Executive meetings and acting as liaison between the Membership Mobilization Committee and the Executive
Liaising between the Membership Mobilization Committee and other TSSU committees to facilitate the flow of information between committees and the General Membership
Overseeing layout and content of the TSSU website and other social media and ensure that content is updated regularly

If you have any questions about the positions, please contact trustee@tssu.ca.

Organizer (Two Candidates)i Chien Jade Ho 何宜謙 (Organizer)

Spring 2019 Executive Committee Nominations Open

Nominations Close: Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Nomination form here Download

Send nomination forms and candidate statements to: trustee@tssu.ca

Description of Executive Positions:

Chief Steward II: Salaried at 15 hours/week

(a) The Chief Stewards shall be jointly responsible for knowledge of the Collective Agreement, Health and Safety regulations, and other relevant legislation. They will be responsible for communicating monthly updates on the status of ongoing grievances to the Executive and General Membership in order to facilitate mobilization and organizing. Both shall also be responsible for the Grievance Procedure including meetings, research,
and legal activities. Both shall work in conjunction with the Member Representative to ensure member rights are enforced and protected as outlined in the Collective Agreement. The two Chief Stewards in consultation with the Member representative will also be responsible for maintaining any seniority lists and for checking position posting in relation to the Collective Agreement. Each semester, these two officers shall mutually agree on the division of the responsibility for the following tasks:
• Chairing and coordinating Steward meetings.
• Chairing and coordinating Grievance meetings.
• Serving as the resource person for the OH&S Commissioner

Organizer: Salaried at 25 hours/week

The Organizer shall be responsible for recruiting volunteers for the Union including Stewards, volunteers for TSSU committees, and TSSU representatives for University and other committees. The Organizer shall ensure there is TSSU representation at departmental and special orientations including Tutor Marker Orientation and the Teaching Orientation Program opening plenary. The Organizer shall ensure the presence of the Union at the University’s satellite campuses. The Organizer shall be the resource and support person for the MMC and Solidarity & Social Justice Committees and shall chair the MMC committee when there is no Commissioner/Chair. The Organizer shall be the Union’s liaison with campus employee groups, as well as off-campus trade union and social justice organizations. The Organizer shall be the Union’s media contact person. The Organizer can expect assistance in these two duties from the Coordinator. The Organizer will identify groups who are under-represented in the TSSU, work to create an environment where members will be self-motivated to participate, organize socials, and carry out publicity for upcoming events. The Organizer shall assist the Chief Stewards in the orientation and education of Stewards and shares the Chief Stewards’ responsibility for knowledge of the Collective Agreement.

Treasurer: Stipended ($280/month or $1120/semester)

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of an accurate and proper internal bookkeeping system and for coordination with the external bookkeeper. This bookkeeping system shall be set up under the instruction of the Executive. The Treasurer shall present financial statements to the first GM of each semester and shall circulate an audited financial report to the TSSU in September of each year. This report shall be read at the September GM. The Treasurer shall be responsible for creating and submitting the Union’s annual budget to the February GM of each year. The Treasurer will work in consultation with the Coordinator in carrying out these duties. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Committee.

Secretary: Stipended ($360/semester)

The Secretary shall be responsible for ensuring that accurate minutes for GM and Executive meetings are taken and distributed at subsequent meetings. The duty of taking minutes shall be shared between the Salaried Officers of the TSSU and the Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain a current file of all GM and Executive Minutes in the TSSU office, as well as
keep a record of, and remind the Executive of, resolutions passed at these meetings. The Secretary shall facilitate access to information of past precedent and resolutions on previous meetings, and thereby assist the Ex-Officio in maintaining institutional memory. The Secretary must be a signee on all legal documentation for the union, and shall also have financial signing authority.

Trustee II: Stipended ($360/Semester)

The two Trustees shall ensure that the TSSU By-Laws are adhered to and be responsible for keeping these same By-Laws up-to-date. They shall also ensure that proper procedures are adhered to at GMs in accordance with Bourinot’s rules. Trustees must have the ability to obtain all non-email account passwords that pertain to common union business. Trustees will have access to membership lists but shall not make any changes to the lists. They shall oversee the work done by Executive Members and report any atypical decisions to the General Membership of the Union. They shall be involved with the scheduling and publication of GMs in conjunction with the salaried officers; and schedule and oversee all elections/referenda. The Trustees shall be responsible for inspecting the financial records of
the TSSU on a monthly basis in consultation with the Coordinator. One Trustee shall be a member of the Internal Relations Committee and the other shall be a member of the Finance Committee.

Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner: Stipended ($360/semester)

The Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner (SSJC Commissioner) shall be responsible for coordinating the activities of the Solidarity & Social Justice Committee. The Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner shall call meetings and ensure that meetings are chaired and minuted. The Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner shall coordinate with union volunteers, outside allies, events, and vendors to further the goals of the Solidarity & Social Justice Committee. The Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner shall attend Executive meetings and act as a liaison between the Executive and the Solidarity and Social Justice Committee in conjunction with the Organizer. The Solidarity & Social Justice Commissioner shall also act as liaison between the Solidarity & Social Justice Committee and other TSSU
committees to facilitate the flow of information between committees and the General Membership.

Ex-Officio: Stipended ($360/semester)

The Ex-Officio, or advisor to the Executive, is intended to improve continuity between out-going and incoming Executives, particularly regarding reasons for previous Executive decisions. The Ex-Officio helps to ensure the non-hierarchical nature of the TSSU by maintaining an institutional memory based on lived experience. The Ex-Officio is a stipended, non-voting position to be filled by any member who served on the Executive during the previous twelve (12) months.