Dear APSA Members, Welcome Back! As the new semester begins and the seasons begin to change, I’d like to welcome you all back to another Fall on campus. Fall is my favourite season, with sunny days and crisp, cool evenings, leaves changing colours, and students coming or returning to campus with enthusiasm and a positive outlook for the future.

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month.   Antolick, Heidi            Coordinator, Research Grants & Projects New to Group Gerontology Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences   Arkadianos, Dionysios           Digital Learning Specialist New to Group Humanities

Hello APSA members, We are pleased to announce the official ratification of our memorandum of agreement with SFU. Many of you have asked questions during the information sessions or by email to the APSA office staff. Here are some frequently asked questions.    Compassionate and Personal Leave With Pay How is this different from Vacation or Sick days?

Learn more about this policy here: AD 10.09

Welcome Back (to a Ratified Bargaining Agreement!) August 30, 2023 Hello everyone, I’d like to welcome you all back to the start of September. I’m writing just before heading out on vacation, and it looks like September has brought some early fall weather. 

APSA's Board of Directors has four open director positions. Are you interested in applying? Director position description A director:

Coming Back to SFU from Long Term Disability: Critical Issues August 10, 2023

Hello APSA Members,

What is the Pay Transparency Act in British Columbia? The B.C. government passed the 2023 Pay Transparency Act on May 11, 2023. This act requires that employers must take steps to address and eliminate pay discrimination in the workplace through more transparent discussion and reporting of salaries and pay ranges for both their current staff and for job postings. The government had previously conducted consultations beginning on March 8, 2022, which included Indigenous women, women of colour, and transgender individuals to help address pay inequities. 

Learn more about this policy in AD 10.06, Section 6

Bargaining Updates Please see our dedicated bargaining updates page.

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month.   ­­Aldridge, Kathleen Coordinator, Special Projects New to SFU Education Office of the Dean  Faculty Of Education   Chambers, Treena Coordinator Indigenous Student Life

Are you interested in connecting with and building the Black community at SFU? Nominate yourself or someone else to join the Black Caucus Steering Committee! ​The SFU Black Caucus seeks to uplift the SFU Black community through education, action, and capacity-building. Membership and elections are open to all Black students, staff, faculty, and alumni.  Learn more about elections, roles, and general membership on the Black Caucus website.

Some Mental Health Tools July 5, 2023

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month. Cowan, Jill       Manager Schedules    New to SFU     AVPSI Registrar and Information Services Associate VP, Students   Fernando, Dinushi Coordinator, Student Recruitment New to SFU

Arbitrations and Grievances APSA has filed a grievance based on article 9.2 of our Basic Agreement. This grievance is to dispute the University's inconsistent distribution of the professional development fund reimbursement payout for temporary members from our last round of bargaining. We hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Although this article uses the term “men,” it is meant to include all people who identify as men. There is a silent epidemic happening when it comes to mental health. Although men suffer from mental health issues, especially concerning workplace stress, very few seek the health practices needed to improve their mental fitness.

Each month, your Advocacy Committee answers your questions about the AD 10 policies (aka, your terms and conditions of employment.) Hello, I’m Angela Vass, Senior Labour Relations Officer for APSA. On behalf of your Advocacy Committee, I’m answering your questions about elective surgeries and sick leave.

SFU has a Central University Health & Safety Committee (CUHSC) and eleven Local Joint Health & Safety Committees (LJHSC).  CUHSC oversees university-wide health and safety and compliance.  The LJHSCs are organized based on departments and groupings of buildings, and they oversee departmental and building-specific health and safety.  Safety committees are mandated by WorkSafeBC and consist of what is referred to as "worker representatives" and "managemen

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.

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month. Allan, Janet Strategic Partnerships Manager New to SFU Beedie Executive Education Programs Beedie School of Business   Bianchi Ravanelli, Karoline    Communications Associate

Getting that New Job Description June 5, 2023

Each month, the Advocacy Committee answers your questions about the AD 10 policies (aka, your terms and conditions of employment.)

 The APSA board would like to hear from you! Meet your APSA board members and have small group conversations on negotiations, training opportunities and advocacy work. These drop-in and informal sessions will help us understand how you're feeling, your needs and priorities, and any concerns you have. Below is the information on location, dates and times. Please be mindful of the expectations of these in-person interactions with your fellow members, the board directors, and the APSA office staff. 

Arbitrations and Grievances APSA has filed a grievance based on article 9.2 of our Basic Agreement. This grievance is to dispute the University's inconsistent distribution of the professional development fund reimbursement payout for temporary members from our last round of bargaining. We hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

To get reimbursed for prescription drugs and other extended health, you must submit these receipts from 2022 by June 30, 2023.

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month.   Abisoye, Tobi Olaoluwa Research Contracts Officer New to SFU Research Operations VPR VP Research Summary   Barker, Paul Assoc Dir, Strategic Operation New to SFU

Arbitrations and Grievances APSA has filed a grievance based on article 9.2 of our Basic Agreement. This grievance is to dispute the University's inconsistent distribution of the professional development fund reimbursement payout for temporary members from our last round of bargaining. We hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Further reading: https://apsacentral.ca/news-item/five-percent-lin… https://apsacentral.ca/news-item/5-line-sand-part…

Each month, our advocates answer your questions about workplace challenges, the AD 10 policies, and how they’re applied. Questions? Submit them anonymously here. These questions will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact APSA.

Research Assistants and APSA Membership April 27, 2023

Your Independent Voice April 4, 2023 Flora’s (not her real name) email to me came at a low moment. Let me explain.

Mat Cocuzzi, Associate Director of Facilities Services recently posted the following update on the GoFundMe page for Dante Villalobos's family:

Each month, our Advocacy Committee answers your questions about the AD 10 policies (aka, your terms and conditions of employment.) Here is APSA advocate Mike Peragine to answer some of your questions about workplace issues.

Please warmly welcome these new APSA members who have joined us in the past month. Anderson, Brendan Mark Research Coordinator New to SFU FCAT Research Affairs Faculty of Communication Arts Technology   Antunes Batista, Larissa Evelyn Executive Assistant to the VP

Essential Services

During bargaining years, APSA uses an independent financial researcher to report on the University's ability to pay. If you'd like to learn more about that research, here's key information and tables from the report. We posted an infographic on the highlights of this report, and now that the APSA Board and Salary and Benefits Committee have reviewed it, we are releasing the report to you. Please click on the image below to access the PDF.

If you need more help on job re-evaluations, please contact APSA for a confidential conversation, and learn more about AD 10.06 section 8.

Our dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly on behalf of you, our members! Their time involves attending committee meetings, creating proposals, writing negotiation points, meeting with senior administration and defending members via phone calls, email and in person.