APSA, CUPE, POLYPARTY, SFUFA, TSSU
April Collective Bargaining Updates
This bargaining update was amended on May 18, 2023 to provide greater clarity about the two negotiation streams taking place with APSA. Changes to the content have been italicized.
Throughout 2023, SFU will be in active negotiation with each of the university’s employee groups. This is an important time as the university, employee groups and negotiators work together to address monetary proposals in alignment with the Public Sector mandate and non-monetary proposals for each employee group. A central web page and regular updates on the status of bargaining with all employee groups is part of a commitment to be more transparent and provide better communication about the collective bargaining process for everyone at SFU.
Overview: collective bargaining status
| Employee group |
Status |
| APSA (Professional Association) | Negotiation of basic agreement will begin Fall 2023. |
| CUPE (Union) | Bargaining will begin June 28-29, 2023; initial meetings now being held to exchange background information. |
| Poly Party (Union) |
Negotiations are currently on pause pending further discussions with PSEC related to wage market adjustments. |
| SFUFA (Union) | Bargaining is in progress with several articles agreed upon, and will continue through June. |
| TSSU (Certified Bargaining Unit) |
Bargaining to commence on May 8 through to at least until May 19. SFU to table monetary proposal. |
| TSSU (Research Assistants) |
Negotiations underway. SFU tabled a monetary proposal that ensures all RAs employed by the university are paid a living wage. |
APSA
On January 29, 2023 APSA issued notice under Article 13 of the Basic Agreement to renegotiate the Basic Agreement. The Basic Agreement sets out the operational relationship between the University and APSA, and outlines the procedures for the determination of compensation matters (collective bargaining) and administrative personnel polices (AD 10s). The university issued counter notice under Article 13.
The University and APSA will meet at the end of May to discuss a process for renegotiating the Basic Agreement. Formal negotiations are not expected to begin until late Summer or early Fall.
The University and APSA are also meeting on May 29, 2023 to discuss the timing and sequencing for the negotiation on compensation matters under section 8.1 of the Basic Agreement.
CUPE
The University and CUPE have discussed preliminary timelines for bargaining. CUPE has requested to begin bargaining in the summer, and the University has agreed to a tentative start on June 28-29, 2023. The University and CUPE will meet over the next few months to hold ‘without prejudice’ conversations to inform the framework and approach to bargaining.
POLY Party
Negotiations with POLY Party are on a temporary pause while waiting for a decision on wage adjustments that is currently being reviewed by the Public Sector Employers Council (PSEC). The university is optimistic that bargaining will re commence immediately once approval is confirmed.
In the meantime, the parties continue to engage in off-the-record and ‘without prejudice’ conversations to maintain progress on non-monetary proposals. This group has been waiting a long time for a renewed collective agreement and the university.
In ongoing discussions with PSEC, the University has emphasised the importance of resuming collective bargaining and concluding a collective agreement with Poly Party without delay.
SFUFA
SFU and SFUFA have been meeting twice a month in 2023. Parties continue to work positively and collegially. We are making good progress with several articles signed off and a number of articles agreed upon. Bargaining will continue through June 2023.
TSSU Strike Vote
On April 17, SFU and TSSU met with the Labour Relations Board (LRB). The LRB invited SFU and TSSU to proceed through an informal rather than a formal process. This was accepted and during the informal process, with the LRB’s assistance, an agreement was reached.
As part of this agreement, SFU and TSSU have agreed to return to the bargaining table for a total of three weeks during the period between April 24 and May 19, 2023. During this period, TSSU will also withdraw its strike vote and SFU will withdraw its application challenging the legitimacy of TSSU’s strike vote. Learn more.
TSSU Bargaining
We are currently in negotiations with TSSU on two active streams of bargaining: one for the Certified Bargaining Unit (CBU) which includes teaching assistants, sessional instructors, distance education tutor/markers, graduate facilitators and other instructors defined in the most recent collective agreement. The second stream is for research assistants employed by the university (RAs). Learn more.
For RAs, SFU tabled a monetary package on April 24 that ensures any RA employed by the university will earn a living wage. Any RAs who SFU has determined to be employees of the university are being converted to employees and being issued employment contracts from the Research Personnel team.
For members of the CBU, SFU will table a monetary proposal that fulfills our living wage commitment in early May.
Negotiations are currently ongoing and more updates will be shared as soon as they are available.