- About Joy
- Priorities
- Conversations
- Statements
- 2022
- Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson named SFU’s first Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion
- Chris (Syeta’xtn) Lewis joins SFU in advisory role on Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation
- A World of Difference: How universities must evolve in a post-COVID world
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- SFU: What's Next?
- Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples day
- Please join us for the annual appreciation BBQ
- SFU begins process to become Living Wage Employer
- Staying engaged in an increasingly polarized world
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to Faculty and Staff
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to students
- Search Announcement: Provost and Vice-President Academic
- Statement from the VP, PEI: Addressing Racism and Hate at SFU
- 2021
- Welcome new SFU students
- UPDATED Jan. 6: My response to Dec. 11 event in SFU dining hall
- Celebrating Black History Month
- The University’s Role and Contributions to a Just Recovery Over the Next Decade
- Inspired by meetings with SFU Faculty and Staff
- Looking forward to Summer and Fall
- Opinion: This is why SFU is backing the Burnaby Mountain gondola
- External Review of December 11, 2020 Event
- Facing the future with hope
- President's statement on TransMountain Expansion Project and support for a fire hall on Burnaby mountain
- The road ahead
- Stronger Together: SFU, the pandemic and lessons for a better future
- SFU to observe moment of silence at 2:15 PM today
- Taking action: Reconciliation at SFU
- Join SFU President Joy Johnson for a tour of Burnaby campus
- Message from the President: Residential school findings
- Dr. June Francis appointed Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism
- My response to the open letter from SFU faculty and staff
- Resources and ways to support scholars in Afghanistan
- BC Vaccine Card
- Masks required on all SFU campuses, vaccine card required for residence, athletics, dining, events and others
- Vaccine declaration and follow-up screening at SFU
- Return to campus planning updates
- Welcome Back
- Work to review contract vs. in-house cleaning and food services
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- SFU and SFSS united in commitment to climate action
- Inclusion benefits us all
- Moving forward with kindness
- SFU commits to full divestment from fossil fuels
- Safety on SFU's campuses
- Thank you!
- Temporary shift to remote learning January 10 – 23, 2022
- 2020
- Statement on academic freedom
- Welcome back faculty and staff
- Welcome back students
- Statement on scholar strike
- Reflections on my first 30 days
- Taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other
- Equity, diversity and inclusion commitments
- Statement on SFU's Athletics Team Name Change
- Finding connection in times of adversity
- Wishing you a safe and restful holiday break
- Op-ed: SFU helping drive social, economic innovation in time of crisis
- 2022
- President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award
Work to review contract vs. in-house cleaning and food services
This past May, I responded to the leaders of the Contract Workers Justice group about their call to transfer cleaning and food service staff to be employees of SFU. In the letter that followed our meeting, we committed to begin work on a case for change in the Fall of 2021, with more information about the university’s financial outlook.
As a community-engaged research university, our expertise is in academics and research. Where we do not have expertise, SFU has been a progressive and innovative leader working with contracted providers, local entrepreneurs, and working with social infrastructure to make a positive impact.
We wish to remain a leader with respect to progressive working conditions. Although we understand the desire to review contract service arrangements, replacing services or changing a service model must be considered with care and attention, and must also balance concern for tuition increases and the university’s multi-year recovery from the pandemic.
SFU has hired Deloitte to conduct an analysis of in-house vs. contract sourced cleaning and food service options for the university. Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services. Their analysis will determine the value, risks, and impacts to university and relevant stakeholder groups for each of the service delivery models. This work begins this September and we expect a final report by later this fall.
Both food service and cleaning employee groups are employed by companies that SFU has contractual relationships with. These employee groups are also represented by unions who have collective agreements in place with their respective employers. We value these relationships, and we will consult with these contractors and unions as we consider the way forward.
Following completion of the final report, SFU leadership will discuss the findings and make a recommendation to our Board of Governors. We anticipate this will occur in Spring 2022.
SFU is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted, and appreciated. We care about both employees and contractors who work at SFU’s campuses, and we will continue to look for ways to encourage fair employment for all.