Hello APSA members,
I'm sure that many of you are aware that several unusual incidents have occurred this year, from the football team issue to potential strikes. The SFU community has felt the effects of many of these challenges.
I'm writing to assure you that your Board of Directors and I are looking at ways to have productive conversations with the University. We are beginning our compensation negotiations soon with the hopes that the University will come to the table with the same outlook of mutual respect, professionalism and understanding that we will embrace to quickly reach an agreement for our members.
We are hearing about issues in many areas of campus at a higher rate than we have over the past few years. If you are concerned with interactions in your department or workplace, APSA would like to hear from you, whether it is fellow APSA members, faculty, or other staff; we want to support you in creating an effective and positive working environment. Please reach out to the APSA office staff, as they will be able to discuss the issues in confidence with you and either set you up for future success or support you in any further action you wish to take.
Even with all this uncertainty, there are opportunities for us to make your workplace a place where you are, or continue to be: happy, healthy and productive. To that end, the board is hosting a series of informal conversations throughout June at Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver campuses for you to share how you're feeling and what you're experiencing in your work life post-pandemic: the good, the bad, and the in-between. We're posting our dates and times for these small-group conversations in the newsletter, and our first group conversation will take place on June 12. I truly hope that you can join one of the sessions, meet a Board member and share your thoughts with us so that we may support you and your work.