Letter of Solidarity with the Unist'ot'en Camp and the Wet'suwet'en Nation

January 22, 2019

The Teaching Support Staff Union is an independent, feminist and member-driven union that represents over 2000 teaching assistants, tutor markers, sessional instructors and ELC/ITP instructors at Simon Fraser University.

The TSSU membership reaffirms its support of the Unist'ot'en Camp and stands in firm solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation and the movement fighting for Indigenous Sovereignty against encroachments by extractive industries and the Canadian state. We condemn the colonial Canadian state and the RCMP for continuously enabling extractive industries like the Coastal GasLink to insert pipelines on unceded First Nations territory without consent.

In northern British Columbia, the Wet’suwet’en stand in the path of the Northern Gateway pipeline. Threatened not only by Northern Gateway, Wet’suwet’en territory is to be bisected by the Pacific Trails pipeline which will carry natural gas to Kitimat. Construction has begun on the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and a proposed four pipelines will travel the route through Wet’suwet’en land. Efforts to halt pipeline development and reclaim ancestral Wet’suwet’en land are already underway.

On January 7, 2019, militarized RCMP descended onto unceded Gitdumt’en territories of the Wet’suwet’en Nation to enforce a colonial court injunction in favour of Coastal GasLink. The RCMP and Coastal GasLink have violently trespassed on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory and removed people from their traditional land, an act which is in gross violation of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We call on the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to immediately revoke Coastal GasLink’s permit, remove all RCMP and Coastal Gaslink presence, and respect Wet’suwet’en laws, jurisdiction and Indigenous Sovereignty.

In solidarity,

Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU)

Survivors Tent Pole - Documentary Screening & Dialogue with DTES Community

This event is held on the unceded territory of the sḵwx̱wú7mesh, sel̓íl̓witulh, & xʷməθkʷəy̓əm nations. The TSSU Solidarity & Social Justice Committee is very honoured to be working with people at the heart of The Survivors Totem Pole project to bring to the screen the stories and journey of the Totem Pole on:

Thursday, January 31
7:00 - 9:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
Djavad Mowafaghian, SFU Woodward's
149 W. Hastings St.


The Survivors Totem Pole is a grassroots community art and action project. The pole is a three-year collaboration between DTES advocates, First Nations, members of the LGBTQ community, along with Japanese, Chinese, and South Asian survivors of racism. The Survivors Totem Pole symbolizes inclusion in the Downtown Eastside as well as resilience, fierce resistance, and solidarity of people in the DTES community. Carved from a 1,000-year-old cedar tree, the Survivors Totem Pole was raised in Pigeon Park on November 5th, 2016.

In order to create a legacy of the Survivors Totem Pole project, local filmmaker Susanne Tabata documented both the lead up to the pole installation and the historic pole raising day. The result is a moving and stunning film (24') where we witness the journey of the Survivors Totem Pole and a tribute to the undying strength and unity of a community of displaced people. Lead by carver Skundaal Bernie Williams, local Indigenous voices soar, interwoven with commentary from Sacred Circle supporters Sid Chow Tan, Raj Toor, Grace Eiko Thomson, hereditary Squamish Chief Bill Williams, Haida elders Wilfred Price and Woodrow Wilson, Musqueam activist Audrey Siegl, and anti-poverty activist Jean Swanson. (Description credit: Terry Hunter)

Please join us in a night of learning and witnessing the story of the Survivors and dialogue with those who have been the heart of this project.

To learn more about the Survivors Totem Pole, please visit: https://survivorstotempole.wordpress.com/

or read:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/survivors-totem-pole-vancouver-downtown-eastside-1.3838801

Event details and accessibility information:

Accessible washrooms available on the same floor. Elevator accessible from the ground floor.

We aim to have a scent-free environment. Please refrain from wearing perfumes or any scents to the event due to sensitivities.

Mandarin interpretation will be provided. Please contact us if you need interpretation.
提供中文翻譯。如果您需要翻譯,請提前聯絡何宜謙小姐 778-872-1222 / ssjc@tssu.ca

Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or specific needs. To inquire, email Jade Ho at ssjc@tssu.ca

Spring 2019 Semester Timeline

Events & Socials

Friday 4 January:
TA/TM Day Social, Diamond Alumni Centre, 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm; Club Ilia, 8:00 pm – late
Thursday 31 January:
Survivor Totem Pole Film Screening & Dialogue, SFU Woodward’s, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday 15 – Sunday 17 February:
Member Bargaining Retreat, Loon Lake Lodge & Retreat Centre

General Membership Meetings

Tuesday 22 January:
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Burnaby WMC 2220 (Free dinner!)
Wednesday 27 February:
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Surrey SUR 2750 (Free dinner!)
Thursday 22 March:
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Vancouver HC 1600 (Free dinner!)

Stewards Meetings

Monday 14 January:
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Vancouver HC 1425 (Free dinner!)
Tuesday 12 February:                 
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Burnaby AQ 3154 (Free dinner!)
Thursday 14 March:                     
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Surrey SUR 5080 (Free dinner!)

SFU Spring 2018 Semester

Wednesday 2 January:                  
Orientation
Thursday 3 January:                   
Classes start
Friday 4 January:                     
TA/TM Day & Social
Monday 18 February:                 
Family Day Classes cancelled. Offices closed.
Tuesday 19 – Friday 24 February:     
Reading Break. Classes cancelled.
Monday 8 April:                   
Last day of classes
Wednesday 10 – Wednesday 24 April: 
Exam period
Friday 19 April:           
Good Friday Classes cancelled. Offices closed.
Monday 22 April:                 
Easter Monday Classes cancelled. Offices closed.
Tuesday 10 April:                  
Last day of classes

How to get a Job for Summer 2019

Centralized Job Posting site: www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/job-postings.html

Your Current Spring Job: Benefits

TSSU Member Childcare Fund application

Sign up for MSP & TSSU Extended Health and Dental

Get your Guard.me refund

Continuing benefits

Your Current Spring Job: Deadlines

January – April: Stewards distribute Logbooks to members in departments

Friday 4 January: Complete Time Use Guidelines (TUGs) [CA Appendix C]

Friday 4 January: Evaluation Criteria [CA Article XVII & Appendix E]

Wednesday 16 January: Sign up for Tuition Deferment by (no financial penalty)

Wed 6 February (approx.): Automatic/Mandatory Workload Reviews [CA Appendix C]

Beginning of Spring semester: turn in Logbook Lotto to AQ 5129 or coordinator@tssu.ca by Tuesday 22 January

Every month: Stipend Request Forms