Overview of TSSU bargaining as of February 17

The university and TSSU began collective bargaining in May 2025, meeting most recently on February 10, 2026, discussing both monetary and non-monetary proposals.

The university’s bargaining philosophy is oriented toward collaborative negotiations that meet the core interests of all parties and upholds the sustainable and best interests for the entire SFU community.

Negotiations are also guided by the Province's 2025 Balanced Measures Mandate, which applies to all public sector employers with unionized employees whose collective agreement expired on or after December 31, 2024. 

The elements of the 2025 mandate include maximum allowable wage increases of 12% over the 4-year term, broken down as follows:

• Year 1 – 3% general wage increase 
• Year 2 – 3% general wage increase 
• Year 3 – 3% general wage increase 
• Year 4 – 3% general wage increase 
• A 0.2% flexibility allocation fund in years 2 and 4 to support mutually beneficial outcomes for employees and the university, which may include initiatives to support recruitment, retention, or training and development. 

The terms of the mandate cannot be exceeded, and all proposals at the bargaining table must fit within the above “budget.”

Progress at the bargaining table

The university’s bargaining approach is that of “mutual interest-based bargaining” where our negotiators focus on finding win-wins and common ground. 

There are a number of monetary and non-monetary proposals currently in discussion at the bargaining table, and the university wishes to provide the community with updates on these topics for the sake of accuracy and completeness.

Wages 

The university has proposed minimum compensation increases aligned with the living wage and the Province’s Balanced Measures Mandate, at 3% per year over four years, ensuring those at the lowest end of the salary scale are not left behind by inflation. 

Many Research Assistants (RAs) and Graduate Student Research Assistants (GSRAs) already make above this minimum compensation rate because they are able to negotiate their contracts before employment begins. PIs and RAs negotiate a rate and hours of work depending on level of expertise, project funding levels, research scope and other needs. In many cases, research projects do not have the necessary additional grant funding to allow for an unplanned general wage increase.

GSRA timekeeping

SFU has proposed an hourly model to ensure Graduate Student Research Assistants  are paid accurately and appropriately for the work they do. This approach promotes transparency and recordkeeping of hours of work, ensuring the employer is meeting employment standards including hours of work and overtime requirements, legal obligations and the Collective Agreement. 

This compensation model is in alignment with the current model for Research Assistants where there is a strict minimum rate of pay and a wide range of hourly rates available. 

GSRA benefits

Graduate Student Research Assistants are entitled to full benefits upon ratification of the 2022-2025 Collective Agreement, which the parties are currently negotiating. TSSU has proposed additional benefit enhancements which the university is reviewing. These proposed enhancements must be costed as part of the Province’s Balanced Measures mandate, and it may not be fiscally possible to implement themuntil year four of the agreement, when the second flexibility allocation becomes available. 

Class sizes

TSSU has raised concerns about class sizes and their relation to workload. The university encourages all TSSU employees to review their workload with their supervisor on a regular basis. The universityacknowledges that adjustments to the hours assigned may be necessary. To support the adjustments, a robust workload review process is available within the current TSSU Collective Agreement.

Maternity/parental leaves

TSSU tabled a proposal to expand maternity/parental leave for its members that would significantly exceed the funding available from the Province’s Balanced Measures mandate and thus cannot be implemented. An existing childcare fund is currently available to all TSSU employees. To assist members in balancing academic, work and childcare responsibilities, SFU has proposed adding funds and expanding the scope of this fund to include top-ups. 

Living wage

Simon Fraser University continues to implement a living wage for employees who regularly work on our three campuses. Through ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with our four unions and one association, the university will table proposals that identify and address living wage gaps where appropriate.

Stay informed

You can stay informed by reading TSSU updates on SFU’s Collective Bargaining website: https://www.sfu.ca/dashboard/faculty-staff/bargaining/updates/tssu.html

Thank you for your contributions to our university, and for your continued interest in this collective bargaining process.