Dear Members,
We are reaching out about the ongoing budget cuts at SFU that have unfortunately impacted CUPE again.
On January 6, 2025 SFU informed CUPE 3338 that there will be a departmental closure within the Community Engagement portfolio, resulting in the elimination of 4 CUPE positions. (APSA was impacted as well but we’ll let APSA speak to their specifics). At this time, the closure and position eliminations are specific to this one department within Unit 1/SFU bargaining unit.
CUPE’s focus was prioritizing and protecting impacted members’ dignity and confidentiality, as well as, proceeding with a trauma-informed perspective. We are profoundly disappointed in how the position elimination meetings were structured and the lack of transparency in information to CUPE and impacted members. There is a fundamental disconnect on respectful engagement that prioritizes people and lived experiences. CUPE made every effort to secure additional options above the current CUPE-SFU Collective Agreement language for the impacted members and while we were not able to achieve what we advocated for, we would like to acknowledge that the employer moved on a few items to reach an agreement for additional support.
We know this news will result in a high level of concern and fear, especially after the 2024 Notice of Restructure which forced us to say goodbye to 50 CUPE colleagues across two bargaining units. At this time, SFU has informed CUPE it is not proceeding with another notice of restructure. That said, we do not have any assurance that there will be no further layoffs.
As many of you know, there is major upheaval happening across the post-secondary system in every part of the country. This is in large part, perhaps nearly entirely, as a result of recent changes at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada restricting the number of international students that may study in Canada, and their post-study residency. As public funding has been cut from our system in the past 20+ years, institutions have become increasingly reliant on revenue from international education. Now, as we see a cut in international student numbers, it has created a funding crisis for colleges and universities. SFU is experiencing this crisis and the effects are resulting in further cuts.
CUPE is extremely frustrated with SFU’s ongoing targeting of CUPE positions for elimination in response to budget challenges. Targeting lower wage workers is neither fair nor effective in addressing financial shortfalls, as the work of CUPE members is vital to the university’s operation and CUPE wages are not a substantial cost to the institution as compared to the many new administrative positions that have been added in recent years.
Our hearts go out to the members affected and their families.
January 29, 2025 General Membership Meeting
We know this is a highly uncertain time, which is why we made the decision to move the January 22 GMM to January 29: to support impacted members from the closure, as well as, be able to meet with the membership after. Questions can be asked at the GMM and/or sent to info@cupe3338.ca, which will be compiled for FAQs on the website (and may not be individually responded to).
In solidarity and on behalf of the executive board,
Shaneza Bacchus
President, CUPE 3338