Past Strike Wins

Here’s a summary of some of our major victories from our last two strikes

2012:

  • Central posting system: all jobs must be posted publicly online
  • TAs: Graduate Student priority in all departments: previously departments only had to provide work to their own graduate students
  • TAs: removed requirement to maintain satisfactory performance as a student to continue to work as a TA.
  • Sessionals: right to be notified of an earned “right of first refusal” (ROFR)—previously sessionals had to apply for it.
  • Childcare fund: all students eligible, regardless of type of worker.
  • Benefits: integrate ELC/ITP and all other benefits into a single article within the collective agreement

2015:

  • Childcare Fund: control granted to TSSU to set terms of reference and amount increased to $55,800 / year
  • Sessional Seniority: major change in hiring policy, which includes the ability to reserve a portion of positions for graduate students, as well.
  • Sessional Bridge: right to earn a 1 year appointment in the Faculty Association by teaching 16 courses in 4 years as a sessional.
  • Intellectual Property: TSSU members covered by SFU’s intellectual property policy
  • Paid Health and Safety Reps
  • TAs: Single Date for Posting—previously departments would post as early as week 2 of the semester, and as late as week 12
  • TAs: right to be consulted with while preparing the TUG
  • TAs: Increase of Graduate student priority to 5 BU from 4 BU
  • TAs: Removal on caps of total BU for graduate priority
  • TAs: Ability to get list of applicants and assignments from department
  • TAs: no requirement to apply explicitly for all postings
  • TAs: requirement for department to take reasonable steps to meet preferences
  • TAs: new qualification: “sufficient knowledge in discipline of the course to interpret course material”
  • Postings: qualifications must be “necessary to conduct the work” and on the posting
  • General: bulletin boards on non-Burnaby campuses
  • General: office space process on non-Burnaby campuses