Below are the candidate's statements for the Fall 2016 General Election. Polls are open as of noon today and will close Saturday, November 5th at 12 pm. You will receive a voting token by email. If you have not received a token and believe it was in error, please email reaganb(at)tssu.ca

Kelli Finney - Coordinator

Hello TSSU Members,

I’ve enjoyed serving as your coordinator this past year, and look forward to continuing the position for a second term. During my first term, I ensured that departments followed Collective Agreement language relating to your TSSU contracts by checking the position description and compensation on each TA, TM, and Sessional contract and following up with departments regarding errors and inconsistencies. Additionally, I, along with the other Salaried Officers, began the process of cleaning up the TSSU office. As part of this task, I recruited volunteers to work as archivists, ensuring that we have a proper file (hard copy and digital) of important documents relating to the union’s past history, including past achievements and struggles. Streamlining many of the day-to- day administrative processes of the union was also a highlight this term. For example, we now have a reimbursement request form, which helps to track expenses related to specific events and projects, and makes it easier for members to request reimbursement.

In my second term as coordinator, I plan to finish the process of archiving materials and cleaning the office; this will make the office a more functional and welcoming space for you. Additionally, I plan to expedite the process of contract checking and follow-up, as well as continue to streamline the organizational systems in the office. Regarding checking contracts, I plan to check these daily, and follow up with departments at the end of each week as necessary. In terms of office processes, I plan to revise the committee stipend request forms, which I am already in the process of doing, and implement a new committee member information form. This way, new volunteers will need to provide personal information only once. One project I especially look forward to is revising the institutional memory documents relating to the coordinator position. This will provide instructions for many common tasks (e.g. renewing our web domain, preparing the yearly audit, preparing meeting agendas) which are not currently recorded in detailed form.

I look forward to a second term as coordinator; thank you for your consideration!

In solidarity,

Kelli

Adam Dyck – Chair

Greetings everyone!

My name is Adam Dyck (he/him), and I am a 3rd-year Master's student in the Department of Mathematics. My activism in the TSSU began in the Summer 2015 semester during our most recent round of bargaining and strike action. Since then, I have been engaged in our union through the Membership Mobilization Committee, the Internal Relations Committee, as a departmental steward, and as the current Chair. These aspects of the TSSU have taught me a great deal about labour relations, union activism, and the heightened ability that our collective membership has when we fight for our rights. Our people are our strength, and it has been an honour to witness this while serving as your Chair for the past year.

I admire the TSSU for operating as a democratic, feminist, and non-hierarchical union. Now that I am familiar with how our meetings are structured, my primary focus as Chair will be to assess their efficacy and collaborative nature. With this in mind, I would appreciate your support for my role as TSSU Chair.

Thank you for your consideration! In solidarity,

Adam

Carl Mandy – Organizer

Hello! I am Carl Mandy, the current TSSU Organizer. I am running for this position for a second year. I am an MA student in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies, and have worked as a TA and an RA in several departments at Simon Fraser University. Previously, I have been a full-time college teacher, the regional president of a teaching union, and have had many years of practical involvement with education activism. I would like to continue working with the TSSU to help further develop our campaigning, our outreach and education for all members, and our connections with other progressive groups. Areas I am particularly interested to continue working on include improving orientations and training, sexual violence support, accessibility on campus, and affordable housing.

Tania Arvanitidis – MMC Commissioner

My name is Tania Arvanitidis, and I’m running for a second term as Member Mobilization Committee (MMC) Commissioner for the TSSU. I’ve been a TSSU member since I began my studies at SFU in 2010, and have been consistently involved in the TSSU ever since. In addition to serving as a trustee on TSSU’s Executive Committee from 2012-2013, as an active member of TSSU’s Contract Committee since March 2015, and as a Steward for the School of Criminology since 2014, I have for the past four years been an active member of TSSU’s Membership Mobilization Committee.

This past year, as MMC Commissioner, my committee and I played an active role in organizing a number of social activities and campaigns. These socials include include our May TSSU Day social, our September TA/TM Day social, and our October Halloween social, all of which I helped to organize, staff, and design promotional materials for. Additionally, the MMC organized a series of information sessions over the summer to inform members about major changes to our 2014-2019 Collective Agreement, updated a number of informational materials for our members, and started a knitting circle in the GSS lounge (“Solidarity Stitches”). Members of the MMC have also been active in working to secure affordable housing for SFU students, to draw attention to contract breaches that have taken place in other departments most notably Mechatronics in Surrey, and to create short films intended to inform members about changes to our 2014-2019 Collective Agreement.

The MMC is a perfect fit for creative TSSU members looking for ways to get involved in their union, and chairing this committee is been one of the most fun and satisfying jobs I've had. I am incredibly proud of the many varied and wonderful projects the MMC has accomplished this past year, and to have been involved in these projects. It is my hope that the union will elect me for a second term in this position, so that I may continue to work with so many talented and inspirational TSSU members.

Thank you for your consideration!

Benjamin Anderson – Trustee I

I have served for nearly a year in the role of Trustee 1. In this role I have had the opportunity to sit on the Executive, Finance, and Internal Relations Committees. It is my intention to continue serving in this capacity and I would be proud to continue representing the TSSU membership.

It is important in the intervening years between contract bargaining to maintain our commitment and momentum. Over the last year we have worked hard to do some much needed maintenance on the by-laws and policies as well as to assist in the implementation of the new collective agreement. It is obvious that we will continue to do this work over the next year and I would be happy to do my part in this regard by serving a second term as Trustee 1.

Adam Barlev – OH&S Commissioner

I've been the TSSU rep on the Faculty of Science safety committee for the past 5 years. The new safety committee structure is an opportunity for TSSU members to engage the university and improve their working conditions. My experience on the Science committee showed me that a functioning safety committee can get things done on this campus. We now have seats on all the committees, and its up to us to participate. I'm looking forward to my role as the OH&S commissioner.