January 8, 2026
What does solidarity look like when we are facing multi-million dollar budget cutbacks and certain layoffs just as we are about to go into bargaining? How can we support each other when we know layoffs and bumping will be hurtful to colleagues who are already hurting? How can we support our bargaining team to get the best possible contract?
We do have power and we do have agency. We can choose how we respond and what actions we take to support each other and to support our bargaining team. The union is not made up of a handful of folks elected to executive positions and a steward network. Labour is a collective movement made up of individuals willing to do their part.
Join Sussanne Skidmore, the President of the BC Federation of Labour, on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 4:30 pm at the Abbotsford Campus. This talk will also be hybrid so that members can join us from home or other campuses. Sussanne will take questions afterward. See location details and Zoom information in your UFV email, or log in and visit: https://www.ufv-fsa.ca/solidarity_in_tough_times.
Sussanne Skidmore was elected BCFED president in 2022 after serving as the federation's secretary-treasurer in 2018 and 2020, according to the BC Fed website. A well-known human rights, social justice, and queer rights activist, she served as executive vice-president of BCGEU for five years. She has co-chaired the BCFED’s Human Rights committee and is active in the federation’s Women and Gender Rights committee.
The BC Federation of Labour represents more than 500,000 members from affiliated unions across the province, working in every aspect of the B.C. economy. The FSA is a member of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators, which is a member of the BC Federation of Labour, which is a member of the Canadian Labour Congress. We’re all in this together.
We recognize that some members will still be working after 4:30pm and that many members need to get home after work so this timing may not work for everyone. Please log in and listen while you’re making dinner for your family or attending to other obligations.
If you’re interested in joining a watch party on the Chilliwack campus, please let us know. RSVP here and indicate whether you’ll be joining us in person in Abbotsford, on the Chilliwack campus, or via Zoom. We’re also asking for an RSVP so we can get a sense of numbers for refreshments. If you’re interested in volunteering to help out with this event, let us know.
In solidarity,
Lisa Morry
VP Engagement