With a vote of 94%, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has decided in favour of taking strike action to improve working and learning conditions on campus. The TSSU represents over 3,500 workers “who teach and conduct research at Simon Fraser University” but are not considered faculty. This includes research assistants (RAs) and teaching assistants (TAs).
Despite the fact that RAs are key contributors to SFU’s research endeavours, bringing in $171.6 million dollars worth of grants in 2021, SFU administration does not agree that RAs are entitled to employment and union protections. Similarly, TAs, who often play a large role in ensuring the academic success of students, are struggling to make a living wage. Some of the issues to be addressed through the strike action are: class sizes, workloads, benefits, pensions, and the rising cost of housing.
“It is really disappointing how SFU has been dealing with the strike,” said an international student. “I wasn’t assigned any TA positions for the summer term, even though I should have priority. TAing is my main source of income and it is so sad to see my strike vote to be completely delegitimized by the university.” According to TSSU, SFU forced the union to meet at the Labour Relations Board in downtown Vancouver to avoid strike action, asserting “tired talking points” that are referred to as “objectively absurd,” such as “students cannot also be workers.”
SFU has commented on the current situation, stating that while negotiating collective agreements is a complex process, they are “committed to reaching a fair agreement with TSSU.” The university intends to present a monetary proposal that will provide more support for graduate students and “fulfills [their] commitment to becoming a living wage employer.”
Bargaining will continue until May 19, 2023. If a deal has not been reached by May 19 at 4 p.m., the TSSU may take a second strike vote. If the TSSU decides to strike, they may notify the University after the May 19 date. Traditionally, during a job action, if an employer wishes to place pressure on a union while bargaining a collective agreement, they may decide to initiate a lockout which “occurs when the employer closes a place of employment or suspends the work to be done by employees in the bargaining unit.”
