Greetings all,
As of 06:15 AM on October 19, 2023, we have reached a tentative agreement renewing the 2022-2025 Collective Agreement between TSSU and SFU. This means that there will be NO picket lines today.
Please cease all strike activity. The next step is that you contact your supervisor who can provide direction as to when you are to return to work, including any preparation necessary. The expectation is that you return to work as soon as reasonably possible. TSSU and the Employer have agreed to sort out specific return to work details over the next 48 hours and will be restarting pay effective Thursday Oct 19th. Do not work for free. Any additional work you are asked to do as a consequence of the strike and work stoppage must be paid. If you have any concerns please contact strike@tssu.ca.
The key proposals that we have won over the past few days are:
- A process to get pensions for all ELC/ITP/ITA and Sessional Instructors
- An agreement to ensure no clawback of other graduate funding when TA wages or pay are increased
- A substantial fund for payments to TAs, to be paid out starting in January 2024
- Securing the per student compensation for over 100 online/distance courses
These are huge victories that the Employer has said would be impossible to achieve through the bargaining process. However, this was made possible through the Collective Power of all of our members who showed up day in-day out, in the freezing wind and rain, to the picket lines.
In addition, we have secured the General Wage Increases (GWI) of over 11% retroactive to May 2023, and approximately 4% retroactive to May 2022, as well as an additional GWI of up to 1.81% for the upcoming year. Further, we have eliminated the most egregious equivalencies that have been in place since the 1990s.
These are in addition to benefits improvements to extended health and dental insurance plans that were agreed previously. Crucially, we have ensured that there were no cuts to any existing Collective Agreement rights.
We will share full details in the coming days ahead of our GM where members will vote to ratify the agreement.
In solidarity,
TSSU Contract Committee