Organizer II by-election: nominations now open

The position of Organizer II was not filled in our Fall 2023 election. We are therefore holding a by-election for the Organizer II position.

Nominations for this position are now open. To be considered for the position, please submit a completed nomination form to the Trustees in person or by email to trustees@tssu.ca. Candidates must also provide a brief (maximum 300 words) candidate’s statement.

The nomination form can be downloaded here. [LINK]

Nominations close at 5PM on December 1, 2023.

The position is open to any member in good standing, provided they have not held the position for two or more years cumulatively, or have worked as a salaried officer for four or more years cumulatively (H.1). Under normal circumstances the hours of work are approximately 25 hours per week (T.3.1). A full description of the duties is reproduced from our by-laws on the reverse of the nomination form. The position is up for regular re-election in Fall 2024. For more details regarding the duties, hours of work, salary, and benefits, please see the TSSU By-Laws and Policies. Our election policies can be found in By-Law E.1 and Policy H, as well as Appendix B of our By-Laws and Policies.

If you have any questions regarding the position or the election, contact the Trustees (trustees@tssu.ca).

Summer 2023 By-Elections

By-election nominations are now open for Chief Steward-Organizer, Secretary-Treasurer, and Trustee I.

Submit completed nomination forms to both Trustees (trustees@tssu.ca) by August 1, 2023. All candidates must submit a candidate's statement by August 3, 2023.

See position details below.

Chief Steward Organizer - Salaried Officer

Re-election will occur in Spring 2024

Approx. 25-30 hours/week commitment

Note: “hours will depend on necessary tasks and will be divided by the Chief Steward I, Organizer II, and holder of the temporary Chief Steward-Organizer position” (motion passed Feb 2023 GM)

Main Responsibilities:

Encompasses duties of both Chief Steward II and Organizer I outlined in Bylaws E.2.7 and E.2.9, including but not limited to
- Coordinating union campaigns (e.g., strike)
- Development and maintenance of membership networks
- Handling grievances
- Chairing and coordinating steward meetings
- Strike Committee voting member

Secretary-Treasurer - Salaried Officer (Temporarily reduced hours)

Re-election will occur in Spring 2024

Approx. 10 hours/week commitment

Main Responsibilities:

Financial duties from Bylaw E.2.2, including but not limited to
- Chairing Finance Committee
- Bookkeeping (e.g., payroll, stipends, reconciliations, remittances)
- Union taxes (e.g., preparing T4s and T4As)
- Annual budget preparation
- External audit preparation
- Regular financial updates to Executive and GM

Trustee I - Salaried Executive Officer (Temporarily Stipended)

Re-election in Fall 2023

Approx. 5 hours/week commitment

Stipend $250/month

Main responsibilities:

Financial signing authority and thorough review of finances (member of Finance)
Ensuring TSSU Bylaws are followed
Updating and maintaining Bylaws (member of IR)
Overseeing all work done by Executive and reporting unusual decisions to GM
Schedule and oversee all elections and referenda

Letter to Mayor Ken Sim and Vancouver City Council - DTES Street Sweeps

Letter to Mayor Ken Sim and the Vancouver City Council

The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) Executive, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Student Association (FNMISA), and Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) are vehemently opposed to the City of Vancouver’s deplorable actions against houseless peoples in the Downtown Eastside (DTES).

Displacement only exacerbates other, serious risks that those living in the DTES face such as gender-based violence, toxic drug supply, access to medical and shelter services, and shelter from extreme weather conditions. The City has reduced these encampment homes and the folks living in them to garbage through its forced removal and “sweep up”. Humans are not garbage that can be “swept away”, and this sentiment, clearly displayed by the city’s actions of literally throwing away personal shelters and belongings, is both horrendous and oppressive. Further, the lack of safe and affordable housing has made these encampments the safest shelter option for many residents. The city's removal of the encampments only exacerbates the safety risks houseless people face, such as greater risk of death or illness from extreme weather and greater rates of gender-based violence. The city's actions have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with advancing the interests of parasitic business owners and developers.

Considering that many individuals living in these DTES encampments struggle with mental illness, addiction, disability, and poverty, the City’s actions are a clear representation of stigma and discrimination. Many of the DTES residents are also Black, Indigenous, or people of colour, especially women, who already face disproportionate violence in Canadian society. For the City to respond to safety concerns through further violence shows its racism, sexism, and ignorance about what those living in poverty face daily and the negative impacts of street sweeps, especially on those who are already marginalised by the colonial system. Further, this is a demonstration of colonialism in action. The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Police Department removing unhoused people from their homes, especially on unceded Indigenous land, mirrors the removal of Indigenous communities from their original lands. This is not justice, equity, or reconciliation in practice.

In a recent research report by Pivot Legal Society (2022), street sweeps were found to be ineffective at addressing poverty and houselessness since these methods only recycle poverty and displacement without resolving underlying conditions. Pivot also claims that street sweeps are a violation of human rights of people sheltering outside, and provides qualitative evidence of the harm and trauma caused by these displacement methods.

Thus, the TSSU Executive, FNMISA, and SFPIRG stand in solidarity with those living in the DTES encampments and echo the demands of both Stop the Sweeps’ Calls to Action and Former Councillor Swanson’s Motion (B.3) for the City to immediately uphold human rights and cease the Two Stage Approach to Ending Encampment.

In solidarity,