The elections shall be held beginning on Monday, March 11th at approximately 12 noon. Polls shall be open the week through, 24 hours a day, until 12 noon that Friday, March 15th. Received candidates' statements below and will also be included in the e-mail you will receive with your voting token. If you have not received your voting token by 5PM on Monday the 11th, please send an email to tssu (at) tssu.ca including when you last TAd, TMd, or worked as a Sessional, ELC or ITP instructor and what course it was for so we can verify your membership. If you are aware of people in your department who have TAd, TMd, or been an ELC, ITP or Sessional Instructor between Summer 2012 and now and they aren't getting these e-mails, please let us know at tssu (at) tssu.ca.

To be voted on: Chief Steward, Trustee #2, Ex-Officio, Treasurer

Chief Steward:
Haida Antolick and Colin Tether 

Haida Antolick's Statement:

Hi, my name is Haida Antolick and I'm running for Chief Steward.  I have been a member of the TSSU for just under two years, and have been particularly active in the last year.  As shop steward for the English Department I was very active during the strike in organizing with my department, and the general membership.  In December I joined the Social Justice Committee and have enjoyed working with other members to reach out to the broader community.

In addition to my experiences with the TSSU as a masters student, I have been actively involved in SFU campus organizing for over six years.  As an undergrad student at SFU, I served as Internal Relations Officer on the Executive of the Simon Fraser Student Society.  As part of a progressive board my portfolio involved working with shop stewards and CUPE representatives, and ensuring that we, as the employer, adhered to our collective agreements.  Last year, as an Executive Officer of the Graduate Student Society, I took a lead role in our recent round of bargaining with our CUPE-represented staff.  Although I was sitting on the employer's side of the table in both roles, I learned a great deal from these experiences that I feel would help me fulfill the role of Chief Steward of the TSSU.  I gained experience in all aspects of working with a collective agreement, including language interpretation and drafting, steps in the grievance process, and steps to solve problems before they become grievances!  Through my work in these positions, I also developed a significant skill set in administration and diplomacy.

As we work and study in an increasingly neoliberal university system, a strong TSSU is absolutely vital, both to protect our rights as workers, and to preserve a strong public university, for ourselves and for our students. This coming year is a crucial time to build on the successes of last year's strike, and to engage our membership as we identify priorities for the upcoming round of bargaining.  I believe that my combination of skills, knowledge, and dedication make me a good fit to serve as Chief Steward during this exciting and critical time.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about my experience or approach at hma18 (at) sfu.ca.  Thank you for your consideration.

In solidarity, Haida Antolick

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Colin Tether's Statement:

Hello, my name is Colin Tether and I hope to become the TSSU's Chief Steward. My experience negotiating our latest collective agreement as a member of the Contract Committee as well as the outreach and planning I have done on the Member Mobilization Committee makes me an ideal candidate for this position. Over the past year I have gained significant experience in negotiating with the human resources department at SFU. Along with our current chief steward and a number of other members, we were able to bring our most recent strike action to a productive close. The hours of careful discussion, strategizing and drafting of language have given me the skills I will need to smoothly transition into negotiations on the TSSU Joint Committee as we address many of the issues that could not be resolved during the last round of bargaining. More importantly, over this past year, I have developed strong working relationships with many of the stewards, executive members, and volunteers from the Burnaby, Surrey and Harbour Centre Campuses. I have also been able to work closely with our Member Representative on a number of projects related to implementing our new collective agreement. As such, I have already developed the skills, working relationships and familiarity with our union's most pressing issues that will be absolutely vital in meeting the challenges our union faces.

We are entering a crucial year for our union as we implement the latest gains in the collective agreement and prepare for the important task of bargaining in 2014. As such, the work of the Chief Steward to advocate on behalf of our members and to enforce the new collective agreement will be especially critical. We must also identify any weaknesses in our current contract and develop effective strategies for addressing these issues in order to bargain effectively in 2014. Finally, we must build new alliances and reinforce the community of support and solidarity that was achieved during the most recent strike action. My skills and experience will be a huge asset to our union as we face these challenges in the coming year. If elected as Chief Steward, I will continue the important work that is being done in these areas and insure that the TSSU continues its long history of advocating for the respect and equity that we deserve as vital members of SFU's teaching community.

Yours Sincerely,

Colin Tether

Trustee #2:
Tania Arvanitidis 

I am a third year MA student in the Department of Criminology and have been a TA (or TM) at SFU since September 2010. Since attending my first TSSU general meeting I’ve been looking forward to getting more involved with TSSU in any way I can: I’ve been regularly attending TSSU general meetings since my enrollment at SFU and more recently, have demonstrated my dedication to TSSU and staying informed through active participation in job action and other outreach activities during last year’s strike, and through participation as a member of the Membership Mobilization Committee. As being informed about union activities is highly important to me and has been for a very long time, I am committed to full attendance and participation in all committees I will be required to work with, and to fulfilling my responsibilities. I feel confident that my current familiarity and long-term involvement with union activities, in conjunction with my passion for activism and demonstrated enthusiasm, will prove to be valuable assets in my role as Trustee, if elected. I hope you think so too. Thank you for considering me!

Ex-Officio: 
Carina Nilsson

My name is Carina Nilsson. I’ve been actively involved in the TSSU since becoming Treasurer in Spring 2010. Thereafter I held the position of Coordinator, and then became Organizer until Fall 2012. I have ridden the wave through a variety of events, experiences, and efforts with the TSSU, and would be happy to sit as EX-Officio.

Treasurer:
Alex Hayer

Hi, my name is Alex Hayer and I am a third year MPH student in the Faculty of Health Science.  During my undergrad I served as treasurer for the SFU Pre-Med Society, as well as treasurer of the Biology Student Union.  Over the past year I have served as a steward in the Faculty of Health Sciences.  It would be my honor to bring my previous experiences to serve as your Treasurer to the TSSU for this upcoming year.  Thank you for your time and consideration.