Casual workers at SFU rally for improved pay, contracts and an end to outsourcing

A joint rally was held at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby today in support of casual workers who are fighting for better contracts.

The rally included members of the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU), the Grad Student Society and the Contract Worker Justice campaign, who were holding signs, delivering speeches and banging on pots and pans.

Organizer Felix Ruiz de la Orden said the rally is being held with members from the three groups to "establish worker solidarity across campus."

The rally was held outside of the Halpern Centre, where the university's board of governors was holding a meeting.

A paper chain was hung around the building, representing all workers and union members standing together.

TSSU votes in favour of strike

The TSSU is a labour union at SFU that includes people who teach and do research at SFU but who aren't faculty members, working as teaching assistants, sessional instructors and research assistants.

TSSU's most recent collective agreement expired on April 30, 2022.

The union has been fighting for a cost of living adjustment for grad student workers including a pay increase of $32,000 a year after tuition deductions. They also want to see pay rates tied to class sizes, which have been growing.

But, negotiations stalled earlier this month and, this week, TSSU members voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike.

TSSU member Kanksha Chawla says the response to the vote has been overwhelming.

"It shows how fed up people are. How fed up workers and students both are," she said at the rally.

In a statement, SFU said it respects the union's right to vote but is surprised and disappointed TSSU stopped the negotiation process.

The university said it has invited TSSU back to the table.

"We are eager to collaborate on a collective agreement and want to table a monetary proposal which fulfils our commitment to becoming a living wage employer," it said.

Though the union has voted in favour of strike, workers aren't currently on strike yet.

Calls to end outsourcing of food, cleaning jobs

Alongside TSSU members at the rally were protesters from the Contract Worker Justice campaign, a group of workers, staff, students and community members who are fighting to end the outsourcing of food and cleaning services at the university.

Right now, all food and cleaning service staff are employed by private companies, which the group says results in low pay, weak benefits and a lack of job security.

The campaign is calling on SFU to bring all food and cleaning services staff on as university employees.

Chawla says the TSSU stands in solidarity with members of the campaign.

"It's a collective voice. Individually we don't have much," she said.

"But we are here to make our collective voice known."