Executive Committee & Staff

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Executive Officers

Chair

Daphne Nounesi (she/her/hers)
chair@tssu.ca

The TSSU Chair’s primary responsibility shall be to facilitate all GMs, Special GMs and Executive Meetings as well schedule executive meetings of the TSSU in accordance with by law H.1.2. and Bourinot’s rules. The Chair must be a signee on all legal documentation for the union, and shall also have financial signing authority. In the absence of the Chair, those in attendance at such GMs/Executive Meetings shall designate one of themselves, other than a Trustee, to chair the meeting. The Chair shall also be a member of the Internal Relations Committee. The Chair shall have a working knowledge of Bourinot’s rules.

Ex-Officio

Currently Vacant

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.

Trustees

Xuesong Bai (he/him/his) & Emily Barr (she/her/hers)
trustees@tssu.ca

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.

Chief Steward

Melissa Radford (she/her/hers)
chief_steward@tssu.ca

(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 postings 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
(b) In addition to these duties Chief Steward I shall act as the TSSU Executive’s primary point of contact with the Union’s Member Representative concerning the Member Representative’s employment and will sit on and be the resource person for the Contract Committee.

Organizer

Amna S. Ali (she/her/hers)
organizer@tssu.ca

Organizer jointly with the Chief Steward-Organizer shall be responsible for:
1) coordinating union campaigns and new member organizing drives;
2) the development and maintenance of membership networks; and
3) working with other parts of TSSU to achieve goals set by the membership.

Each semester these officers shall agree on the division of duties outlined below:
(a) Coordination of union campaigns and new member organizing drives, including: working with the union’s committees and general membership to set campaign objectives and timelines; coordinating volunteer networks and mobilization schedules, overseeing campaign communications, and managing teams; identifying groups of workers with a similar community of interests to our membership who are interested in joining the Union.
(b) Development and maintenance of membership networks, including: developing and maintaining a mapping system of the membership, work sites, common areas, bulletin boards, etc and relationships; actively recruiting volunteers from within the membership, for committees, stewards, etc.; developing membership outreach and education initiatives, which include, but are not limited to: workshops, socials, orientations, and trainings; ensuring there is TSSU representation at departmental and special orientations including, but not limited to the International TA Program and the Teaching Orientation Program opening plenary.
(c) Working with other parts of TSSU to achieve goals set by the membership, including: resourcing and coordinating the activities of the Membership Mobilization Committee (MMC); ensuring that MMC activities support union campaigns, new member organizing drives, member education, as well as other internal and external outreach initiatives; administering MMC’s membership, maintaining the committee’s internal communications, and calling meetings; resourcing the activities of the Solidarity and Social Justice Committee (SSJC); working with the Chief Steward-Organizer in the orientation and training of Stewards; ensuring that Steward activities support union campaigns, new member organizing drives, member education, as well as other internal and external outreach initiatives; working with the Chief Steward-Organizer in administering the Steward network and ensuring that its membership list is up-to-date.

Chief Steward-Organizer

Ciaran Irwin (he/him/his)
cs-organizer@tssu.ca

The Chief Steward-Organizer shall be responsible for taking on duties from both Chief Steward II and Organizer I outlined in Bylaws E.2.7 and E.2.9, including but not limited to:
- Assisting in coordinating union campaigns
- Development and maintenance of membership networks
- Handling grievances
- Chairing and coordinating steward meetings
- Strike Committee voting member

Treasurer

Pranto Paul (he/him/his)
secretary-treasurer@tssu.ca

The Treasurer shall be responsible for performing the financial duties of the Union. They shall also be a Legal and financial signing authority and be a member of the Finance Committee and Internal Relations Committee.
Financial Duties Include:

Chairing the Finance Committee;

Regular review of the union’s budgeted vs actual revenue and expenses, and providing regular updates to both the Executive and Finance Committees;

Overview of regular bookkeeping duties, including bank reconciliations, payroll, remittances, stipends, and receiving & depositing dues and other revenue;

Overview of the preparation and payment of taxes, including generation of T4s, T4As, and Records of Employment;

Preparing the annual budget, in consultation with the Finance and Executive Committees, normally for presentation at the February GM;

Help the Finance & Admin Coordinator with the yearly audit;

Presenting a financial update to at least one GM of each semester, including circulating an audited financial report, and appointing (or reappointing) the auditor, normally in the Fall semester, but no later than January of the subsequent year.

Staff

Senior Member Representative

Derek Sahota (he/him/his)
dereks@tssu.ca

The Senior Member Representative, reporting to the Chief Steward designated by the Employer,
provides senior level advocacy for the Union. They act as Spokesperson in negotiations, and with
Chief Steward 1, resource the work of the Contract Committee and others to prepare and cost
proposals. The Senior Member Representative coordinates the day-to-day advocacy work of the
Union and acts as co-counsel or counsel in third party processes where necessary. They promote and
support membership involvement and democratic practice in a non-hierarchical Union and work
effectively in democratic structures.

Finance and Office Coordinator

Ishtiaque Amin (he/him/his)
ishtiaque@tssu.ca

The Finance and Office Coordinator provides the financial and administrative foundation of the Union. They manage the union's full-cycle bookkeeping, including payroll and government remittances, and prepare the financial statements for the annual audit. They regularly prepare and review budget vs actual and other reports with the Executive and Finance Committee to support informed decision-making about the Union's resources. They provide day-to-day staffing of the Union's offices to answer member inquiries, maintain essential records and systems, and support the executive, representatives, and committees as they advocate for and organize workers.

Positions in abeyance

Occupational Health & Safety Commissioner

Currently in abeyance. In the meantime, send an email to tssu@tssu.ca.

The Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Commissioner shall be responsible for sitting on the Central OH&S committee of the university and performing associated duties, in addition to coordinating between all local TSSU OH&S area committee representatives. The OH&S Commissioner shall attend executive meetings as a voting member and liaison between the Central Committee, Local Area Representatives, the Executive, and the General Membership Meeting when needed. The OH&S Commissioner will work in conjunction with the other TSSU representative who sits on the Central OH&S committee. It is expected that the OH&S Commissioner attend all available employer-funded training, provided by Worksafe BC.

Solidarity and Social Justice Commissioner

Currently in abeyance. In the meantime, send an email to tssu@tssu.ca.

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.