APSA Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
12 pm - 1:30 pm
Burnaby campus: Halpern Room 126 or via Zoom

Call to order 12:06 p.m.

  1. Approval of Agenda

Motion to approve the 2024 AGM Agenda

Moved by: Jeff Bryer Seconded by: Jasper Stoodley

Approve: 103 

Opposition: 0

Abstain: 3

Motion Carries

  1. Approval of the 2023 AGM minutes

Motion to approve the 2023 AGM minutes

Moved by: Mike Peragine Seconded by: Nicole Manson

Approve: 96

Opposition: 0

Abstain: 10 

Motion Carries

  1. President’s Report

Ben Boyle gave an overview of his report, which can be found in the 2024 annual report. Below are key highlights:

Key Highlights

  • Layoffs and current challenges in the post-secondary environment 
  • JUAC committee reactivated
  • Pensions
  • Alison Biro reappointed as the Pensions Trustees
  • Changes in APSA staffing
  • Professional Development
  • Summer socials attracted 150 members
  • Monthly member conversations

Questions from the Floor

  • No questions asked
  1. Treasurer’s Report:
    1. Engagement Review (Accountant’s Full Financial Report)
      1. Statement of Financial Position
      2. Statement of Operations
      3. Statement of Changes in Net Assets
    2. 2024 - 2025 Budget

APSA’s Treasurer, Jasper Stoodley, presented the financial statements and the 2024/2025 budget, which are linked above. Below are key highlights:

Key Highlights

  • Assets - $1,235,006 (2023), $1,272,591 (2024) 
  • Liabilities - $39,996 (2023), $24,714 (2024)
  • Net Assets - $1,272,591 
    • Internally restricted funds for legal items were $370k,  larger than in previous years. Legal spending was in relation to a dispute with the faculty association regarding membership certification and joining SFUFA.
    • Salary line items went up as well. The treasurer noted that APSA compensates its staff in line with SFU APSA employees, so when APSA members receive retropay and their salary increases, the same goes for the APSA staff.
  • Statement of Operations
    • Revenue comes from two sources yearly: membership dues and investment interest. Both numbers were higher than in previous years. Members received retro payments this year and the general increase in salaries. Interests improved due to the increased interest rates.
    • Savings are healthy at $1,200,000k
  • 2024/2025 Annual Budget 

Questions from the Floor

  • Salary and Benefits - Observed that additional funding of $42k was needed. Can you clarify whether hiring someone was to support the Basic Agreement bargaining, as salary and benefit negotiations aren’t currently happening?
    Basic Agreement Bargaining. There are two bargaining agreements: our Basic Agreement and a compensation agreement. The BA had not been negotiated or renegotiated for about 30 years, and when this was raised in compensation negotiations with the university, some items were listed as Basic Agreement items, and this was renegotiated at this table. It was contentious, and there were suggestions that it wouldn't be successfully renegotiated. The Board approved hiring a consultant to work with the APSA team on negotiations as the lead negotiator. David Harvey was hired as a paid consultant to work with the APSA committee and legal counsel on a very difficult Basic Agreement negotiation process.
     
  • Professional Development - Will there be additional PD offerings as more staff are figuring out how to meet the university's changing needs, especially because people could not sign into the past ones when it was fully booked?
    Yes, this is something we have discussed. The main issue is that we were down a staff member, but have been working through it. Since April, we have had nine Professional Development workshops, and we have more scheduled with four speakers.
     
  1. Proposed Bylaw amendments

Resolution:

Whereas the Board consulted with the APSA's legal counsel on the bylaws and board policies, 

Whereas the APSA legal counsel recommended the following amendments to two (2) sections in our bylaws. This is to comply with amendments in the BC Society's Act and adhere to APSA's board policies; 

To comply with these changes, we need to pass a Special Resolution by the membership at our Annual General Meeting;

Be it resolved to amend sections 3.3, 7.11 and 10.5 of the current bylaws of the Association and replace them with the proposed amendments submitted by the Board of Directors.

Questions from the Floor

What are the changes, is this just about the board resolutions?
Yes, legal counsel has just added that there’s the option for the board of directors to vote as well due to potential privacy issues etc.

This special resolution must be approved by two-thirds of the current members attending.

Moved by: Jill Sutherland Seconded by: Jeff Bryer

Approved: 82
Opposition: None
Abstention: 10

Motion Carries 

  1. Year in Review - Committee Reports
    1. Advocacy
    2. Pension Advisory
    3. Total Compensation Review
    4. University Affairs

Committee reports can be found at the links above. Committee chairs gave brief overviews of their reports.

Questions from the Floor

Advocacy

  • Is there any news about an updated PSEC mandate? The one online on the Government website is 22/23, 23/24, and 24/25?
    • We have just had provincial elections and are not sure which party will be forming the government. However, we are hoping that it will be posted in the spring. We will inform the membership accordingly.
  • What kind of help will APSA be able to provide for people whose positions were eliminated?
    • It is on a case-by-case basis and depends on the facts at hand. That is, whether the Position Elimination was genuine or not. Each case is different.
  • With the positions that were eliminated, have you researched whether it was disciplinary or not, particularly in cases where people were returning from sick leave, etc? Is it in any way connected to performance or a disciplinary issue?
    • We did research into the position elimination cases. In all the 55 position eliminations, we have had five grievances. There is evidence that some were legitimate. Where there is evidence of discrimination, we pursue it. We need to monitor the progress of the cases we pursue as the evidence comes out.

Pension Advisory

  • No questions on the report were noted.

Total Compensation Review

  • No questions on the report were noted.

University Affairs

  • No questions on the report were noted.

 

  1. Introduction of the 2024 - 2025 Executive Board
  • Appreciation of outgoing Board Executive
    To our departing Board members, Jill Sutherland, Matthew Menzies, and Jeff Bryer, your commitment to the Board and APSA is commendable. Also appreciative of Phill Culligham, who stepped away from the Board this year.
     
  • Newly Elected to the Board for a three-year term are:
    Nicole Manson, Indigenous Academic and Student Liaison, Faculty of Communications, Art, and Technology
    Ellen Yap, Manager, Academic and Administrative Services, School for International Studies
    Patrick McClarty, Project Manager, UniForum
    Tess Williams, Systems Consultant, FASS
     
  • Members of the Board who are continuing their terms are:
    Ben Boyle, Jasper Stoodley, Kim O ‘Donnell, Melanie Brown, Mike Peragine, and Stephanie Stewart will continue their terms on the Board.
  1. Other Business

Resolution submitted by Erik Tryggvason

Whereas, the Association is disadvantaged in comparison to those other certified trade unions at SFU by its lack of certification as a trade union; and ,

Whereas, SFU has taken the position that SFU has a management right to terminate APSA members without cause, and termination without cause not being an identified circumstances in the AD 10 policies; therefore

Be it resolved that the Board investigate and present to the membership the necessary actions and requirements for the Association to seek certification as a trade union under the Labour Relations Code (RSBC 1996) at a Special General Meeting to be held on or before July 1, 2025.

Moved by: Erik Tryggvason Seconded by: Beverly Newfield

Questions:

  • What are the equivalent groups of the association in UBC or other universities?
    • There is AAPS (Association of Administrative and Professional Staff) at UBC and PEA (Professional Employees Association) at UVic.
  • What are the details of the strategic planning process, and could this be included?
    • Yes, maybe if it is adopted by the membership today, we will refer to the Board for direction.
  • In the issue of a Union, there is an increase in APEX membership and a decrease in APSA membership. Do we know what percentage of APSA membership can be made APEX? Do we have a number? 
    • Yes, a certain percentage of APSA members will be excluded because they will be deemed managers. This is an exploration, and we will be looking hard at the issues and communicating it to our members.
  • If APSA unionizes, will the seniority process be affected? Specifically, unions require employment priority to be done via seniority, which is a very poor methodology. Will we protect our current selection processes?
    • This is something we cannot respond to at the moment. We will need to consult with our legal counsel on it and inform membership. 
  • If APSA unionizes, will our ability to select position candidates be based on experience and suitability for the role rather than seniority, as is normally the case in a unionized environment?
    • We will need to consult the legal counsel on what the pros and cons entail. What they will be, we cannot say at the moment. 
  • So the exploration will look at the pros and cons and financials.
    •  Yes, we will have to determine whether what the financials will be.
  • How many APSA members got moved to SFUFA?
    • In total, about 30
  • Have there been concerns about positions that had been eliminated now having other positions combined to that role and downgrading the original position?
    • Yes, we have a number of concerns that have come up, and they have been reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you know someone experiencing this or if this is an issue for any of you, please reach out to us for a more robust response.

Discussion / Comments

  • We had a process called the PEA certification drive when CUPE was trying to take our membership. At the time, we tried two things. The first option was arbitration, and the second option was certification, which the labour board denied because it indicated there were too many unions on campus.
  • I was grateful during the TSSU strikes that, as APSA, we had the choice to cross the picket line, and I appreciated the fact that APSA members could work from home. Many people would be financially insoluble. The strike payout paid by the union is a percentage of the salary, and we appreciate that we are not a Union. The fees we pay at APSA are very low compared to Unions (0.61% compared to 1.2%). We suffered position eliminations, but it was not different from what the unions, for example, (CUPE) experienced.  
  • Interested to rehear the why (the whereas)? And what the legal costs for such an exploration might entail.

Voting on the Resolution

Motion Carries

In Favor: 37

Not in Favor: 19

Abstentions: 22
 

  1. Adjournment
    The meeting was adjourned at 1:38 p.m.