living wage
January update on SFU’s contract workers
January 12, 2026By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Students returning to campus this week will be greeted by a new year, a fresh semester, and an updated syllabus. For the university’s contracted workers, however, the push for better wages continues. While the idea of being a living wage employer has been a topic of discussion for over a decade, it was not until July 2022 that SFU announced it would begin taking steps to obtain a living wage certification. Most recently, the university provided an updated statement in January 2025, stating that “Simon Fraser University continues to implement a living wage for employees…
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Dining workers speak to poor working conditions
November 11, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer On October 7, a Reddit user posted to r/simonfraser concerning the possibility of a dining worker strike across SFU’s Burnaby campus. The message, which is from Contract Worker Justice (CWJ) @SFU, asserted that SFU “hasn’t…
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Advocates demand removal of earnings limit for disabled individuals
July 16, 2024By: Hannah Fraser, News Writer A coalition of over 50 small business owners, non-profit leaders, and advocates have written an open letter demanding the BC Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction “remove the earnings limits for people receiving disability…
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SFU’s response to the TSSU picket lines has been poor
June 29, 2023By: Anthony Houston, SFU Student As an international student, I tend to stay at the edges of certain aspects of Canadian life. I’ve strayed away from having an opinion about politics, healthcare, or worker’s rights, not because I don’t care…
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Exercising Agency: Quiet quitting is a sign we need to address workplace inequality
September 12, 2022By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor Recently, news companies and political commentators have latched onto the idea of “quiet quitting” — the practice of only putting in the minimum amount of work required for a job. This can involve avoiding working…
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SFU commits to offering a living wage to entire SFU community
September 10, 2022By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer This month, the SFU Board of Governors passed a motion to begin the certification process for becoming a living wage employer. According to Living Wage for Families BC, living wage is calculated by providing…
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Food service workers to sign historic contract
May 10, 2022By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer Over the next three years, some SFU food service workers are expected to see up to a 17% increase in wages. This is the largest increase for food service workers in SFU’s history. In their…
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SFU food workers rally for a living wage
March 28, 2022By: Karissa Ketter, News Writer The negotiation period for the new SFU food workers contract with Chartwells has begun since their contract ended on October 30, 2021. SFU food workers are wearing red buttons on their uniforms that read “Living Wage,”…
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Rise in crime attributed to COVID-19 insecurity
March 8, 2022By: Yelin Gemma Lee, News Writer Two researchers have published a study on COVID-19’s impacts on Vancouver crime patterns. According to SFU News, the study’s key findings revealed areas with economic disadvantage experienced an increase in crime during the pandemic.…
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BC needs a living wage already
May 16, 2016[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, so why is our minimum wage the lowest? British Columbia has been through this before. Unlike in many jurisdictions, our minimum wage has not been linked to inflation…
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