Our strike action is working!! We have shown the power of our labour by stopping work and going out on the picket lines. We have brought that power to the bargaining table, and we forced the Employer to withdraw substantial concessions to the Collective Agreement that would harm international students, scholarship pay for grad student TAs, and members who work as both Sessional Instructors and Limited Term Lecturers.
TSSU fought hard to negotiate this win on the eve of convocation knowing how important it is to our members and our families. We offered a proposal to the Employer that would allow convocation to happen as it should, and after much negotiation we got the job done.
We are still on a full and indefinite teaching work stoppage, meaning we are not getting paid. In order to get strike pay,all members should come to Burnaby campus AQ 5135 to do their strike duties between 10am-6pm tomorrow, Thursday October 5. We will be taking over the whole 5th floor of the AQ to make buttons, t-shirts, leaflets, graphics, posters, picket signs, and everything we need to get back out on picket lines even stronger to win the rest of our collective agreement.
With the concessions gone, now we can focus on fighting for a better collective agreement that we all need and deserve. Bargaining and picketing will continue on Friday Oct 6.
In solidarity,
Strike & Contract Committee
Picture taken by Sadia Nasrin