One of the initiatives the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has been campaigning for is unionizing SFU’s research assistants (RA). The SFU administration claims RAs are not considered employees, and are therefore unable to unionize. TSSU has since engaged in a card signing campaign for RAs. Each signed card represents a declaration from an RA that they are willing to be a member of the union. Over 1,350 cards have been signed and submitted to the Labour Board, where the vote is still pending. The Peak interviewed TSSU organizers, Catherine Dubé and Yameena Zaidi, who explained the significance of the…
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Editor’s Note: The Peak would like to acknowledge and apologize for misgendering one of our interviewees. Their correct pronouns have been added to the web-version of the article. On July 19, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) took strike action at SFU’s…
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On June 29, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) held a picket line outside SFU’s Harbour Centre. Paul Finch, the treasurer of the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), was present at the demonstration, where he announced the BCGEU was…
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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 about any of those things,…
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As of June 12, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has gone on strike, with an overwhelming 94% vote to take this action. Leading up to the strike, teaching assistants (TAs) began their labour action by refusing overtime pay for…
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As is the case with any Canadian union, SFU’s Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has the right to strike in accordance with the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (LRB). Strikes are a type of job action that pressure an employer…
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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…
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Over the past month, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has been circulating a petition that demands research assistants (RAs) — who fall under the TSSU — be granted the benefits they were promised by SFU nearly two years ago.…
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On February 23, 2021, the SFU Graduate Student Society (GSS) held their annual general meeting over Zoom. The event was open to graduate students in good standing to vote on matters surrounding their experiences at the university. Opposition to tuition…
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Several SFU students have voiced their concerns to The Peak regarding SFU Residence and Housing’s COVID-19 procedures. These concerns primarily revolve around proper sanitation and the enforcement of existing physical distancing policies that Residence and Housing already has. One of…
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