SFUFA Certification Vote to be Held May 12-14

The following information is based on recent discussions, and is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, please note that all matters related to the formal vote on certification are ultimately decided by the Labour Relations Board and communicated to members by the Ministry of Labour’s Industrial Relations Officer appointed to the case.

Since submitting our application for a certification vote on April 23rd, SFUFA has been in discussions with the Board, the Industrial Relations Officer, and the University regarding the precise protocols for the vote itself. Our discussions have been collegial, productive, and noted for the cooperative and constructive approach of all involved. As is always the case in such matters, there are areas of uncertainty, particularly as regards the composition of the official voters’ list. We believe that we have resolved these issues such that the vote can be held without undue delay.

Members are advised to please expect the following, in preparation for an ELECTRONIC BALLOT to be held from Monday, May 12th through Wednesday, May 14th:

a) a message known as as NOTICE OF POLL which will be sent to all eligible voters before the end of this week. This will constitute official notice of the ballot, its procedures and timelines, and the text of the exact question you will be asked to decide.

b) a notification of ballot to be sent to all eligible voters on MONDAY, MAY 12th. This will provide a link to the electronic voting system where you may cast your vote for or against certification. Voting will close at 11:59pm on WEDNESDAY, MAY 14th.

On Thursday, May 15th, the Industrial Relations Officer will review the results, and determine whether SFUFA members have voted to become certified under the Labour Relations Code. The results of that ballot will be shared with the Labour Relations Board, who will (barring any complications) release the official results and, if positive, formally recognize SFUFA under the Code. Throughout the process, your ballots are anonymous – no one has any means of determining how any individual voted, and it is the IRO and the Labour Board who oversee the election, with no governing role played by either SFUFA or the University.

Again, this information is based on our current understanding of what to expect, and we send it to you in order to provide as much information as possible as early as possible. The protocols and timing of the vote, however, and the official communications providing that information, rest in the hands of the Labour Relations Board and the appointed Industrial Relations Officer; this message should be considered only tentative information and should not be relied on for any legal purpose.

SFUFA encourages all members to vote in the upcoming ballot; after many months of discussion and debate, some 60% of SFU faculty and librarians signed cards requesting that this question be put to the membership as a whole. This is the final stage in the process, and will be decided by those who participate in the vote.