By: Eden Chipperfield & Olivia Sherman
- TSSU Strikes for improving working conditions, June–October
Learn more:
- The TSSU Strike Vote: A Timeline of Events
- TSSU members form picket line in labour action
- SFU’s response to the TSSU picket lines has been poor
- TSSU hosts BBQ in solidarity with strike
- BCGEU donates $200,000 to TSSU Strike Fund
- TSSU engages strike action at Surrey campus
- TSSU initiates full work stoppage
- Council Chats: SFSS discusses their lack of response to TSSU strike
- TSSU members discuss the end of the strike
Beginning in June 2023, teaching assistants (TAs) at SFU engaged in a strike following the expiration of their collective agreement with SFU and worsening working conditions. TAs were asking for an increase in wages to keep up with the ever-growing cost of living, as well as updated compensation policies to account for oversized classes. While the strike officially started in June, it wasn’t until early July that strike actions took place. Actions included a full work stoppage and picketing at all three SFU campuses. The Peak spoke with Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) member and spokesperson Dalton Kamish on a number of occasions over the course of the job action. “We have seen some minor, but not insignificant [ . . . ] movements since we began strike and job actions, like picketing,” they said.
Starting on September 28, SFU hired a private investigation firm, Lion’s Gate Risk Management (LGRM), to survey and monitor picketers at all SFU campuses. Kelvin Gawley, a TSSU organizer, spoke about this surveillance: “This is how they choose to treat members of their own community, who have the audacity to demand a fair contract. I don’t think that’s something any of us will ever forget.”
After public backlash, SFU retracted their contract with LGRM on October 11. By October 19, the work stoppage and strike officially ended. A tentative agreement was signed between the university and the employees, and the 2022–2025 collective agreement was renewed.
- SFU community shows loud support for Palestine amidst ongoing genocide, November 28
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In a letter to SFU, staff and faculty from the university called for a public condemnation of Israel’s actions in the ongoing crisis, which many have described as a genocidal bombardment of civilians in Palestine. The SFU community urges the university to uphold the tenets of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and equality by committing to actions stated in the letter. Actions include affirming support for free speech and academic freedom for those who choose to “speak out against the Israeli apartheid, the occupation of Palestine, and the genocide in Gaza,” to immediately divest from war contractors and financial relationships with Israeli companies, and to “not be silent about genocide.”
Over 20 student groups and over 700 student advocates signed an open letter to SFU, calling for an “end to SFU’s silence on the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to call for an immediate ceasefire and termination of the siege on Gaza.” The letter was published by SFU Students for Justice Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Independent Jewish Voices Youth Bloc, and other aligned groups. Up to 150 people attended a protest in response to SFU’s silence on the conflict, and a vigil in recognition for Palestinian civilian lives lost.
- SFSS councillors resign en masse, citing workplace harassment, January 30
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Early 2023 saw many Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) members resigning en masse, including former president Helen Sofia Pahou, former vice-president Judit Nagy, vice president university and academic affairs Nicole Kirigin, and both executive officers.
The replacement process for the vacant seats was by nomination. At the time, the acting vice president university and academic affairs Chloë Arneson noted the “election was a surprise.” After Pahou resigned, former vice president finance and services Abhishek Parmar took over as acting president, serving until March 18. “As you can probably tell from the historically quick turnover rate, this job is far from easy,” Arneson continued.
The mass resignations were reportedly caused by numerous internal issues within the SFSS, such as severe burnout from members, overworking, and a culture of bullying. On her resignation, former vice president, Judit Nagy, told The Peak, “at the SFSS, rules don’t apply uniformly to everyone, so had I said half of what others did, I would have gotten into serious trouble — I expect I still will.”
Nagy voiced concerns over her replacement vice president, Peter Hance, who she described as “unqualified and untrained.” Hance refuted these allegations, saying Nagy has refused to contact him to engage in the on-boarding process, “The previous vice-president was very uncooperative with me. I tried multiple times to contact them in-person, they kind of walked away.
“These kinds of things hurt the entire student society and student body as a whole,” said Hance.
Since the mass resignations, the new SFSS council for 2023–2024 was elected in February.
- Vancouver’s drug policies still not doing enough, February 21
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To combat the ongoing drug crisis in Vancouver, BC made plans to decriminalize the possession of illegal drugs from January 31, 2023–January 31, 2026. The exemption allows adults in BC to carry a certain amount of illegal substances for personal use without facing criminal charges, confiscation, or arrests. The drugs permitted in this three-year long exception include powdered cocaine, methamphetamine (meth), MDMA (ecstasy), crack cocaine, and opioids such as heroin, morphine, and fentanyl. The total amount a person can carry without confiscation and criminal charge is 2.5 grams.
In February, The Peak spoke with David Hamm, a member of the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), an organization of current and former drug users fighting against stigma for drug users. Hamm said the amount a person can carry in this new exemption is inadequate, and a limit of 4.5 grams would be more effective than the current 2.5 grams. “The reason people have larger amounts on them is because they only want to go out as little as possible to get their substances and also because [ . . . ] if you get more of it, then you get a better price on it,” he said. VANDU continues to work toward improving drug policies and stigma against people who use drugs.
- Community supports SOGI 123 curriculum and 2SLGBTQIA+ community, October 24
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Many people watched as an extensive crowd of protestors flooded the streets of Vancouver throughout September, protesting against the progressive SOGI 123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) curriculum that is implemented in public high schools.
The 1 Million March 4 Children is backed by far-right and controversial groups such as the Freedom Convoy, who protest teaching young people about gender expression and sexual orientation in schools. The goals of SOGI 123 teachings are to encourage further conversations and education around gender and sexuality, explain diverse family structures, and to support those who are transitioning. Ultimately, they aim to create space for children to ask questions and become educated allies for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
The anti-SOGI protesters were met with a robust response from those who support the curriculum’s implementation, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and local allies. The support for diversifying education has been fierce and continues to push back against the harmful rhetoric of the 1 Million March crowd.
- COVID-19 Measures in 2023, ongoing
- Advocacy group calls for stronger COVID-19 measures this fall
- Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi speaks on COVID-19, public health, and preventive care
Advocacy group DoNoHarmBC made their voices heard by organizing a protest outside Minister of Health Adrian Dix’s office. Calls to action from DoNoHarmBC included reinstating universal mask protections in healthcare environments. This came after BC announced masks would no longer be required in healthcare settings as of April 2023. Alongside those who attended the rally, thousands of postcards were sent to Dix’s office to support the campaign and share the stories of those affected by the lack of masks in healthcare. Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi, a former pediatrician and heart and lung surgeon at BC Children’s Hospital, criticized the government’s pandemic response and the lack of education provided to the public. Dr. Gandhi’s central message is that COVID-19 is ongoing and needs to be addressed with evidence-based measures. In September, Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix announced that masking would once again become mandatory and re-established in healthcare environments beginning in October. The push for the return to masking is credited to individuals like Dr. Gandhi and advocacy groups like DoNoHarmBC and ProtectOurProvince with their push for increased safety measures in healthcare.
- City of Burnaby calls for ceasefire in Gaza, November 28
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On November 6, Burnaby became the first municipality in Canada to officially call for a ceasefire for the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As of December 2023, over 21,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, and 1,200 Israeli civilians have been killed. Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby, and the Burnaby Council, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in condemnation of Canada’s inactions and insufficient support for the people of Gaza, who are under Israeli occupation. Hurley and the Council of Burnaby have also publicly condemned acts of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism. These acts of prejudice have increased globally since the conflict attacks on October 7.
Burnaby Councillor Daniel Tetrault, who is of Jewish descent, introduced the motion to call for a ceasefire. Tetrault expressed his personal condemnation of the violent acts toward the civilians of Gaza, which have been described as genocidal. “When my grandparents spoke of this time as survivors of concentration camps, they always said, ‘Never again. Never again can we allow this to happen to anyone,’” Tetrault said.
Despite a $60 million fund for humanitarian aid for Gaza, Canada has also sold hundreds of military weapons to Israel.
- Student Funding Crisis and Increasing Financial Hardships, January 23
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- GradCOLA protests against the student funding crisis at SFU
- SFU alumni starts petition to increase graduate funding
In 2022, a partnership between SFU’s Graduate Student Society (GSS) and the TSSU arose in response to the funding crisis many students attending post-secondary education in North America face. Graduate students rely heavily on income from teaching positions or department scholarships. SFU physics grad student, Sina Falakian, described how the pressure of the funding crisis is demoralizing and difficult. The cost of living in North America is skyrocketing, making life increasingly stressful. Statistics Canada reported that about half of graduate students will be saddled with debt as they cross the stage to graduate.
Falakian also called out SFU, saying the university needs to be aiding graduate students and addressing the increasing cost of living for students in the Metro Vancouver area. A North American study found that 76% of graduate students found the living crisis the most difficult part of their studies. Students must often take extra work alongside their research to afford the cost of living. GradCOLA demands that the cap on student income should be removed and that more work should equal more pay.
Angela Wilson, SFU’s senior director of media relations and public affairs, encouraged students who may relate to the crisis due to financial stress and pressure to contact the SFU Financial Aid and Awards office to discuss their options.
- SFU Alumni Association is Dissolved, February 20
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A decisive vote occurred on February 15 to determine if the SFU Alumni Association would remain a legally separate council or be merged into an internal SFU presence, including appointing Council members. Voters included all registered Alumni Association members to approve or disapprove of the changes. The vote concluded that the independent Alumni Association would dissolve. SFU president Joy Johnson will appoint Alumni Council members. The Alumni Council members will take the place of the dissolved Alumni Association.
A statement made by the director of media relations and public affairs for SFU, Braden McMillan, announced that the vote was to “align SFU’s alumni program with industry best practices and modernize the governance model, which remained largely unchanged since its inception in 1969.” According to McMillan, only about 10% of SFU’s alums are registered members of the SFU Alumni Association. Before the dissolution, the Alumni Association had to finalize their funds, event organization, and more. In an interview with The Peak, an anonymous alumni believed the vote was a way for SFU to “handpick alumni” that the university wants to represent them, rather than care about alumni engagement as a whole.
- SFU350’s Divestment Campaign, ongoing
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SFU350 partnered with Climate Justice UBC Vancouver and independent UBC Okanagan students to end RBC’s presence on campus. The Banking on Climate Chaos report, published in April, outlined how RBC sits at the top of the list of global banks that finance fossil fuel companies. RBC reportedly gave $38.1 billion USD to fossil fuels investments in 2022. Some of RBC’s practices include violating Indigenous land rights and funding projects which increase biodiversity loss. Currently, one RBC ATM is located on the SFU Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten (Burnaby Mountain) Campus in the AQ on the 3000 level.
Natasha Ivkov, an organizer with SFU350, discussed the Halloween campaign the club initiated to educate SFU students on who they may be banking with and the investments they make. The petition hopes to garner student support to get RBC off campus, explained Ivkov. The SFSS has been involved with SFU350’s mission and has created a list of demands for the future of banking on SFU campuses. The demands include not having an RBC on-campus branch and ending SFU’s relationship with Scotiabank, another large fossil fuel financer. It also includes refusing to have the top five Canadian banks hosting, co-hosting, or sponsoring student union events. SFU’s response to the protest against RBC stated that SFU is committed to sustainable practices and “is targeting full divestment of all endowed and non-endowed funds by 2025.”
