2022-2025 Collective Agreement Finalized
The 2022-2025 Collective Agreement has now been finalized and printed copies are on the way. All of the new collective agreement language is in full force and effect, now that it has been ratified by both the SFU Board of Governors and the TSSU Membership. Some final issues related to Mentors in the Faculty of Education remain before an arbitrator for decision which is why some portions of Article 15 are redacted.
If you need more information or if you believe the Employer isn't living up to the terms of the Agreement, please don't hesitate to get in touch at tssu@tssu.ca
Joint Open Letter Regarding SFU’s Return to Campus Plan: Unsafe, Inadequate, and Inequitable
On Monday, January 24th, SFU returned to full in-person instruction. This mandatory return was conducted amid the highly transmissible rates of the Omicron variant, its overwhelming impact on the healthcare system, and the danger it presents to disabled and immunocompromised SFU community members. SFU’s actions both encourage the spread of COVID-19 and understate the impact it can have on many community members.
The SFSS, TSSU Executive Committee and many undersigned SFU campus groups, individuals and organisational supporters, call on SFU to:
- Immediately delay the full return to in-person learning until two weeks following 90% of the SFU community having received a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and province-wide transmission rates are reduced;
- Strengthen on-campus protection measures by providing appropriate PPE (i.e., N95 masks or equivalent) to all campus personnel and ensuring that infrastructure meets COVID-safe regulations, including ASHRAE guidelines for ventilation;
- Provide comprehensive and timely communication with students, staff, and faculty that allows adequate time for course planning;
- Expand student financial aid and support to alleviate financial burdens and mental and physical health impacts on students;
- Support and assist instructors in providing accessible and flexible course delivery (e.g., appropriate technology and training); and
- Immediately initiate and act on a broad public consultation with students, faculty, staff, and the wider SFU community, with emphasis on prioritising the voices of community members who have been historically and continue to be marginalised and their representative groups. SFU must also commit to changing and adapting policy to meet the concerns and needs expressed during consultations.
If you are in support of these calls to action, please sign on to our OPEN Letter
You can also sign on to our email campaign located here
TSSU Childcare Grievance - Settlement Reached!
I am pleased to announce that just one week ahead of a scheduled arbitration hearing, TSSU and SFU have come to a settlement agreement over the grievance filed in 2014 regarding the disbursement of funds from the TSSU Member Child Care Bursary.
As a result of this settlement, SFU will be depositing an additional $310,000 into the Childcare Bursary fund to be disbursed to members with childcare costs. Achieving settlement without third party intervention leads to some optimism about our ability to solve problems with SFU in the future.
Attached is a joint statement from TSSU and SFU. We are confident that this settlement, combined with the recently signed-off TSSU control over the terms of reference for the TSSU Child Care Bursary, will start getting money into the hands of parents and allow the bursary to fulfill the purpose for which it was created. However, these terms or reference will not be in full force and effect until we have our arbitration decision that finalizes our new collective agreement. A survey about the Childcare Bursary's new terms of reference will be forthcoming.