SFSS Food Bank fall 2014 expansion

Board voted to approve multiple expenses for the fall 2014 expansion of the SFSS Food Bank, which will expand the initiative’s services to SFU’s Surrey and Vancouver campuses.

These services include: up to $500 for 100 Dining Hall vouchers; up to $1,875 for 75 vouchers from Safeway to be distributed at SFU Surrey; up to $2,000 for 80 vouchers from Nester’s Market to be distributed at SFU Vancouver; up to $7,500 for 300 vouchers from Nester’s Market to be distributed at SFU Burnaby; and up to $500 for printing costs.

The SFSS Food Bank Working Group analysed what students were actually purchasing with the vouchers, and found that a majority were being used to buy healthy products such as meat, produce, and dairy. Only nine per cent of the vouchers given out were used for junk food.

Collective agreement reached

Extensive collective bargaining between the SFSS and CUPE 3338 Unit 3, which formed in late October 2013, has concluded in a new collective agreement between the two.

The members of CUPE 3338, which represents employees in the Food and Beverage Services Division, accepted the SFSS bargaining committee’s last offer, which was tabled on July 29.

The new collective agreement will be in effect until April 30, 2016.

Board Strategic Planning defines four goals

After two strategic planning sessions held on July 16 and 17, the board has outlined four goals to pursue for the remainder of their term in office.

The goals are to strengthen SFSS accountability and transparency, increase the visibility and accessibility of the SFSS to its members and stakeholders, better align society services with members needs, and improve the SFSS governance and operational model.

The remainder of the initiatives discussed by board will be labeled objectives rather than goals, to be discussed further at later meetings.