News
Read the latest news in BC post-secondary education.
Year in Review: 2019 Highlights
2019 is drawing to a close, and it’s been a big year for our federation. We’ve been talking about how contract faculty are paid less than their colleagues, and why we need to fix this. We have been in bargaining since our contracts expired on March 31st. And of course, we’ve continued to push for…
December 6, 2019: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women
December 6th will mark 30 years since the brutal murders of 14 women at École Polytechnique. The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women was created to remember those female students, and to take action to prevent violence against women in the future. Sadly, there is still work left to do to…
Fair Employment Week
Thousands of post-secondary students will be writing mid-term exams this month, but it’s not only the students who need to evaluate what they are learning. Over three thousand contract faculty in BC, including educators just starting out in their careers, are learning that they are precarious labour who are paid less for doing the same…
BC municipalities support federation call to pay contract faculty fairly
For immediate releaseFriday October 4, 2019 VANCOUVER – Ten municipalities across BC are supporting fairness for contract faculty through motions, proclamations, and public letters of support in the leadup to Fair Employment Week, an international campaign that calls attention to the working conditions experienced by contract faculty at post-secondary institutions. “This show of support from…
Statement on September 27th Climate Strike
Statement from FPSE President Terri Van Steinburg on the Climate Strike (Friday, September 27, 2019) “Today’s climate strike is bringing much-needed attention to the climate emergency. The young people leading this action in our province and around the world are both an inspiration and a reminder of what is possible when we join together. Just…
Labour Day: A Call for Workers
This year marks the 125th anniversary of Labour Day as an official holiday. Back in 1894, the standard workday was 12 hours, and the standard workweek 6 days. It took years of fighting, but eventually a limited workday and 5-day workweek was achieved. But workers didn’t stop there: over the decades that followed, child labour was…
A Reason to Celebrate: 50 Years of Pride
There is even more to celebrate at Pride celebrations this year as we mark the 50th anniversary of two important events in North America’s LGBTQ/2S+ history. Bill C-150, Canada’s first piece of legislation decriminalizing homosexuality was passed, and the Stonewall Riots took place in New York – which directly led to the formation of the Gay…
Post-secondary Educators Fight for Fairness
Each year, the BC government holds public consultations that inform the next year’s budget through the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. This year, the consultation happened in June – and for three weeks, the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators and our locals spoke out about paying contract faculty fairly. From Courtenay to Kelowna to…
Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC elects new President
Terri Van Steinburg assumes role August 1, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2019, Kelowna BC – The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC has elected Terri Van Steinburg as the federation’s new president-elect at an Annual General Meeting, held in Kelowna on May 15. The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC is the provincial…
National Day of Mourning, April 28
Last year, 131 workers were killed on the job or died from work-related illnesses in B.C. That’s nearly three workers every week – and thousands more were injured at work. Losing a loved one due to unsafe work conditions is unacceptable. We mourn for each of the 131 workers we lost, and for the family, friends, and…
