The Teaching Support Staff Union

What The Teaching Support Staff Union does

The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) is an independent, non-hierarchical, directly democratic, and feminist labor union certified in 1978 under British Columbia labour law to represent non-faculty teaching and research staff at Simon Fraser University (SFU). TSSU represents multiple worker categories at SFU, including Teaching Assistants (TAs), Research Assistants (RAs), Sessional Instructors (SIs), Tutor Markers (TMs), Graduate Facilitators (GFs), Language Instructors, and Grant Employees, operating across SFU's three campuses in Burnaby, Vancouver (Harbour Centre), and Surrey.

The union's core offerings are collective bargaining representation and member services rather than commercial products. TSSU negotiates collective agreements covering wages, working conditions, healthcare benefits (including MSP coverage for international students), extended health and dental plans, a childcare fund ($300,000 in annual disbursements), a TA Training Fund ($500 one-time disbursement), intellectual property protections, and grievance procedures. Operationally, the union maintains three web properties: the main membership website (tssu.ca), a Log Your Hours time-tracking tool (logyourhours.tssu.ca), and a dedicated bargaining information site (bargaining.tssu.ca).

TSSU's business model is funded entirely through membership dues deducted from member paychecks. The union employs 51-100 staff and operates through a democratic governance structure with 9 annual General Membership meetings, an elected Executive Committee, departmental stewards, and standing committees including Member Mobilization. A landmark November 2025 BC Labour Relations Board ruling confirmed Graduate Student Research Assistants as employees under the Labour Relations Code, expanding TSSU's recognized membership. The union is also a member of the Vancouver District Labour Council for regional labor solidarity.

Name

The Teaching Support Staff Union

Legal name

Teaching Support Staff Union

Website

https://tssu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Teaching Support Staff Union is an independent, democratic labor union founded in 1978 that represents Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, Sessional Instructors, Tutor Markers, and Graduate Facilitators at Simon Fraser University across its three campuses in British Columbia, Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Surrey

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Dues: TSSU is funded through membership dues from Teaching Assistants, Tutor Markers, Sessional Instructors, Language Instructors, Graduate Facilitators, Research Assistants, and Grant Employees at Simon Fraser University.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) is a certified, member-governed labor union at Simon Fraser University that represents Teaching Assistants, Tutor Markers, Sessional Instructors, Language Instructors, Graduate Facilitators, Research Assistants, and Grant Employees. TSSU negotiates collective agreements with SFU, provides workplace representation through stewards and grievance procedures, and administers negotiated benefits including MSP/International Student Health Fee coverage, extended health and dental plans, a childcare fund, and a TA Training Fund.

Product overview

The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) is a labor union, not a product company. TSSU operates three main web properties: (1) the main website (tssu.ca) providing comprehensive member services including information on collective agreements, benefits, childcare funds, healthcare, professional development, and union governance; (2) the Log Your Hours tool (logyourhours.tssu.ca) which provides time-tracking resources for members to record their work hours; and (3) the Bargaining website (bargaining.tssu.ca) which communicates collective bargaining updates and priorities. These are informational and member resource platforms rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collective Bargaining Representation Negotiation of collective agreements between TSSU and Simon Fraser University on behalf of TAs, RAs, Sessional Instructors, Language Instructors, Graduate Facilitators, Tutor Markers, and Grant Employees.
• Member Representation and Grievance Services Workplace representation for members through the departmental steward network and grievance procedures, covering employment rights, intellectual property protections, harassment and human rights issues.
• Healthcare Benefits Coverage Negotiated healthcare benefits package for members including 100% MSP/International Student Health Fee premium coverage for eligible members during employment and up to $1,000,000 lifetime extended health coverage maximum, plus dental coverage.
• Childcare Fund Childcare fund providing disbursements of $687.50 per semester for children aged 0-36 months, pro-rated to approximately 2/3 of the full amount from Spring 2025 onwards due to membership growth.
• TA Training Fund One-time $500 disbursement to eligible members for TA training and professional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of MSP/International Student Health Fee premiums covered for eligible members during employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSSU is a member of the Vancouver District Labour Council, a regional labor federation that meets monthly, coordinates solidarity actions, and provides financial support for community initiatives. TSSU representatives actively participate in VDLC activities and campaigns.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC): Regional labor council of which TSSU is a member. Comparable as a peer labor-movement organization providing solidarity coordination, political advocacy, and community outreach in the same metro region.

Direct peers

• CUPE 3903: Canadian Union of Public Employees local representing contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants at York University. Closely comparable to TSSU in function, membership composition, and bargaining-unit structure at a Canadian research university.
• CUPE 3902: CUPE local representing sessional lecturers, teaching assistants, and writing instructors at the University of Toronto. Highly comparable to TSSU as a union for non-faculty teaching staff at a major Canadian research university.
• AGSEM (Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill): Certified union representing teaching assistants and lecturers at McGill University. Directly comparable to TSSU in representing graduate student academic employees at a Canadian university under similar collective bargaining frameworks.
• CUPE 3338: The other certified labor union at Simon Fraser University, representing a different bargaining unit of SFU workers. Most directly comparable to TSSU by virtue of operating within the same employer and provincial labor relations framework.
• CUPE 2278: CUPE local representing teaching assistants and other academic employees at the University of Victoria. Directly comparable to TSSU as a BC-based union for teaching support staff at another BC research university.
• SOGS (Society of Graduate Students): Graduate student society at Western University that includes collective bargaining representation for TAs and graduate student employees. Comparable to TSSU as a graduate-employee representative body at a Canadian research university.
• PSAC Local 901 (UBC): Public Service Alliance of Canada local representing graduate student workers at the University of British Columbia. Closely comparable to TSSU as a graduate-employee union at a major BC research university under a different national union umbrella.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): Canada's largest labor union, parent to many of the university locals that are TSSU's direct peers (including CUPE 3902, 3903, 2278, 3338). Comparable as the broader national labor federation context within which TSSU operates and competes for resources, models, and political alignment.
• BC Federation of Labour: Provincial labor federation representing most of BC's unionized workers. Comparable to TSSU as a higher-tier labor body with overlapping policy advocacy and political mobilization functions at the provincial level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tssu
• Facebookfacebook.com/TSSU.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teaching-support-staff-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Teaching Support Staff Union