The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) at Simon Fraser University stands in solidarity with CUPE 4600 at Carleton University. As academic workers engaged in teaching and research, TSSU is well aware of the struggles and precarity academic workers face day-to-day. More than anything, we are familiar with the employer dragging their feet in bargaining.

It’s a disgrace that the Carleton University Administration is unwilling to address significant problems such as wages, increasing class sizes, overwork, and a rapidly rising cost of living. These issues, factored with inflation and tuition increases, are implicitly a wage cut in a time where Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Contract Instructors struggle to make ends meet. Just as disgraceful is the Carleton University Administration’s knowledge of their graduate student workers making up approximately 80% of food bank usage (despite only making up about 7% of the student population) and still refusing to acknowledge graduate student workers and their hard work, contributions to the university, financial needs, and wellbeing through a fair collective agreement. 

As an independent union beginning job actions soon, we understand that striking is not easy and requires endless and exhausting work on the part of the union. Thus, we admire and look to your strength and resilience, and share our support while you fight for a fair deal. We look forward to hearing of a well-earned victory, and look forward to celebrating alongside you. 

In solidarity, 

The Teaching Support Staff Union

Feminist, directly democratic, and non-hierarchical since 1978.

www.tssu.ca

The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) stands in solidarity with Rutgers American Association of University Professors - American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT). As university teachers and researchers without a contract, we at TSSU are well aware of the struggles academic workers face in coming to a collective agreement. Precarity and labour exploitation are borderless, but so too is solidarity. We are fighting alongside our union siblings in AAUP-AFT for a fair contract.

We are appalled by Rutgers’ offer, an effective pay cut that does not keep up with inflation. It is clear that this offer does not reflect the costs shouldered by precarious graduate and adjunct workers at the university. As workers we are also facing skyrocketing costs of living that are affecting us all, but notably international students and women. We are inspired by your membership showing Rutgers admin with a resounding yes that poverty and precarity are unacceptable. The fact that this is the first academic worker strike in the University’s 256 year history shows the urgency to get to a fair deal. We congratulate you on this historic strike that will no doubt pave the way for future worker victories at Rutgers.

We look to your strength as we begin our strike vote today with a unanimous mandate from our  membership at our last general meeting. Our Research Assistants have been fighting for their first contract for 1217 days today while SFU Senior Administration has been union busting. After organizing a union drive, signing a voluntary recognition agreement with the administration, and waiting well over three years for a contract, being asked to accept less than their fair share is nothing short of disgraceful. All other TSSU members have been without a contract for well over 300 days as the administration continues to delay for as long as possible.

As a completely independent union, we look to the victories of other academic worker unions for strength. A 94 percent yes vote for strike with an 80 percent turnout is such a victory that we aspire to. Congratulations and we will continue to follow the strike as the momentum grows.

In Solidarity,

Teaching Support Staff Union

Feminist, directly democratic, and non-hierarchical since 1978.

www.tssu.ca