Today TSSU met with the Employer’s bargaining team for what was supposed to be the 45th bargaining session to build momentum heading into mediation tomorrow morning. When they came into the room, however, the Employer tabled a package of proposals that did not respond to any of the work done yesterday, with one small exception. Then, the Employer refused to bargain. Instead, they planned to spend the day that both parties had agreed to bargain to do costing that they’ve had 344 days to do. The Employer refused to bargain because they were unprepared—both for bargaining today and mediation tomorrow.
This blatantly obvious delaying tactic has been a tried and true tactic in SFU’s playbook for union-busting. Perhaps this is a response to the loss of their proposed concessions as leverage in mediation, the terrible PR from hiring strikebreakers to surveil their own graduate students, or our ever-increasing Collective Power.
Regardless, today was an insult which demands further escalation. The Employer’s refusal to bargain today crystallized their disrespect for not only TSSU members but also every CUPE, SFUFA, Poly-Party, and every other community member sacrificing pay to be on the picket lines so that we can get a fair deal to end this strike. It disrespects every student who has missed class due to the strike.
Friday we will picket the entire Burnaby campus with the aid of all other major unions in Metro Vancouver. All members are encouraged to arrive as early as they can. Our pickets will host the Vancouver District Labour Council Rally at 12PM.
Reach out to every friend, member, and community member to encourage them to show up to the picket lines to show the Employer that their delaying tactics pale in comparison to the might of our Collective Power.
A more detailed update on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s bargaining (if you can call it that) will be posted to our bargaining website soon.
In Solidarity,
Contract and Strike Committee