TSSU Election Polls will be set up at the following locations (Please come out and vote!):

Tuesday, March 10th: Burnaby Campus-11am-3pm / Harbour Centre-11am-3pm / Surrey Campus- 11am-3pm

Wednesday, March 11th: Burnaby Campus-11am-3pm

The following candidates are running (candidate statements are available below, click "Read More")

Scott Drake - Chief Steward

Soizic Wadge - Coordinator

Dina Dexter - Treasurer

Emily Gordon - Secretary

Saswati Chaklader - Trustee II

Jason Tockman - Ex-officio

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Scott Drake – Chief Steward: I am very excited about running for the Chief Steward position. My
time as a Salaried Officer has allowed me to familiarize myself with the functioning of our union. I have developed close working relationships
with both our Grievance Officer and Organizer with whom as Chief Steward I will
collaborate in numerous capacities. I have participated in various stages
of the Grievance process from Labour Management meetings and informal meetings,
(which would be my primary duties) to Arbitration. One of my primary aims
as Chief Steward will be to develop our stewards' network so that the union can
establish a solid presence in each department. I will work to get a
steward in every department. A strong stewards' network helps us build a
strong union and ensure the university adheres to our Collective
Agreement. In addition, I will endeavour to maintain open lines of
communication between our General Membership, Executive and Grievance Officer
so that we can collectively carve our the future path of the union. It
would be my privilege to put my research and organizational skills towards
improving working conditions for our members. Our union is only as strong
as its workers and in the role of Chief Steward I will help bring our many strengths
together.

I am in the fourth year of my PhD in English, having completed my MA studies
at SFU. During my time at SFU I have been active within the TSSU in a
number of different roles, all of which have helped me gain an appreciation and
understanding of the diversity of issues which we face. Having worked as
a Teaching Assistant and Sessional Instructor, I have a strong awareness of a
variety of concerns from different aspects of our membership. Within the
TSSU I have been Coordinator since the end of last July and this experience has
given me incredible insight into the internal workings of our union. I
have been Chair from August 2007 to July 2008. In my different capacities
I have participated in numerous committees, including Contract Research,
Finance, Internal Relations, Communications and Staff Restructuring. In
2005-2006 I was a Steward for the English department. Within the English
department I have served as the PhD representative and helped to organize two
graduate conferences. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to
work for the TSSU, in a new capacity as Chief Steward.

Soizic Wadge - Coordinator: I Soizic Wadge have been an active member of TSSU since my
arrival at SFU in September 2006. During this time I have acted as Steward for
Chemistry as well as the communication commissioner. It is with great pleasure
that I announce my candidacy for the position of coordinator and I look forward
to serving the members of the TSSU.

Dina Dexter - Treasurer: Since becoming apart of the Teaching and Support Staff Union (TSSU) in
September 2008 I have strived for input, experience and partnership within the TSSU.
I was elected as the Stewart for the Department of Political Science in the
Fall of 2008 and have since maintained an active role as medium between the
TSSU and the members within my department. I have upheld active membership
within the Internal Relations Committee and Education Committee and will gladly
find an active role within the Finance Committee. I found my membership and
participation within the TSSU both meaningful and rewarding; therefore I gladly
will run for the opportunity to fill the position of Treasurer within the
executive of the TSSU.

I have had extensive experience within student organizations dealing with
budgets as well as financial planning; through the position of Fund Raising
Coordinator within the Political Studies Society, the Vice-President of Finance
within the Young Liberals Club and as the Speaker of the Mount Saint Vincent
University Students’ Union I served on the Constitution and Policy Planning
Committee where I helped to assess the cost of the Graduate Health Plan.

I Look forward to a more in-depth role within the Union,
and to serving our membership.

Emily Gordon – Secretary: I have been a steward for the English department since
September 2008, when I began my PhD at SFU. During my MA I was a secretary for
the English Graduate caucus. Since beginning as a steward, I have realized how
important the union is and decided I would like to contribute beyond my
department. Communication is something I have been working on in my department
this year; running for Secretary is an extension of this interest. I believe
that the role of Secretary is important because keeping track of what has been
said and done, and making this information open and accessible, is the always
the first step for clear communication between TSSU and its members and the
past and the present. I would also like to be Secretary because I (strangely)
enjoy taking notes of meetings.

Jason Tockman - Ex-officio: I am running once more for the position of Ex-Officio in
order to continue
to provide continuity to the TSSU. In this advisory role, I hope to serve as a resource to the rest of the Union's Executive, regarding the Union's history, finances, By-laws and policies. I also plan to focus attention on the TSSU's social justice campaigns and conduct research aroundbargaining.