SFU wastes an entire day of mediation

Greetings members,

As noted in yesterday’s bargaining update, TSSU made overtures to close the gap on key monetary issues. We expected the response from the Employer’s bargaining team at 2PM today. Despite this, we have not yet received a response from the Employer on any of our proposals (which are detailed below). 

With our members losing pay on the picket lines in the rain, this lack of serious engagement is deeply insulting. We will still be on picket lines tomorrow and as a result must further escalate our pickets on the schedule below. You will be assigned locations for October 18-20.

1. October 17th: Burnaby campus
2. October 18th: Burnaby and Surrey campuses (your location assignment TBD)
3. October 19th: Burnaby and Vancouver campuses (your location assignment TBD)
4. October 20th: Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver campuses (your location assignment TBD)

We will be back in mediation at 11AM tomorrow expecting the Employer’s bargaining team’s response. Until we get a tentative agreement, our picket lines need to remain strong to keep the pressure high so we can get to the deal we need. This means showing up as early as possible with people you know every day until we get a contract. The more we show up, the faster we get a deal.

In solidarity,

Contract and Strike Committee

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Core Monetary Issues we have identified:

1. A compensation model for online and distance education courses
   1. What we want: A TA compensation model that accounts for preparation and class size to be used for remote teaching.
2. Guaranteed minimum funding offers which guard against wage theft
   1. What we want: An agreement where only up to 5.17 Base Units (BUs) per semester can be counted towards minimum funding offers (so that TA appointments above 5.17 BUs will result in more money getting to our members) and a grievance process to protect against adverse impacts on RA, scholarship, and academic financial support as a result of a GWI.
3. Pensions for Sessionals and ELC/ITP instructors
   1. What we want: An application to the BC College Pension Plan (BCCPP) to seek enrollment no later than 31st December, 2023 (and failing that an application to BC Municipal Pension Plan (BCMPP) no later than January 31st, 2023). The contribution will be split at 10.24% and 10.34% for the employees and employers. This shall not be a market adjustment nor be costed from within the Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC) mandate.
      
      Past examples exist where new entrants into pension plans have also received General Wage Increases (GWIs). These include Childcare workers at UBC, Correctional Officers, and SFU’s own Faculty just a couple of years ago. If new entries into pension plans were costed against the PSEC mandate, there would have been no new entries into any public sector pension plan since the PSEC mandate came into effect. 
4. Vacation pay at 6% for employees who have worked at SFU for 5 years
   1. What we want: 6% vacation for employees with 5 years from first employment start date. Fund this by settling grievance over said Employment Standards Act (ESA) violations.
5. Removal of Equivalencies
   1. What we want: Take care of equivalencies for TAs in Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography and SIs in Contemporary Arts. Math and Stats Workshops would be adjusted so 0.57 BU would be the minimum assigned for repeated courses.
6. Yearly teaching model for ELC/ITP instructors
   1. What we want:
      1. ELC Instructors will be entitled to 12% vacation pay and a corresponding 6 weeks of vacation time. The paid days off can be taken at the discretion of the employees and subject to operational requirements.
      2. SFU and TSSU works collaboratively to determine the amount of work required by the program areas including but not limited to committee work,  instructional preparation, professional development, instructional design and updating course materials.