The TSSU is a grassroots union, which means that it is not affiliated with any other larger union or umbrella organization—all decisions come from the General Membership. Any individual who has a position in one of the bargaining unit categories (e.g. TA, SI, ELC instructor) in the past year is considered a member of the TSSU. There are three Salaried Officers who are part of the larger Executive
Committee, which handles the day to day running of the Union; all of the Executives are also members, which helps make sure that Executive members are in touch with issues of concern to TSSU members. The Executive positions all come up for re-election once a year, and no member is allowed to occupy a position more than two years consecutively, which encourages skills development among a broad portion of the Membership, and helps to prevent the concentration of knowledge in the hands of a few members. The Executive normally meets every two weeks; meetings are always open to any TSSU member who wishes to attend. General Membership Meetings (GMs) take place three times every semester and a minimum of 20 members (quorum) must be present before any decisions are made. The Membership has control of the Union resources and must approve the annual budget, financial statements, and most expenditures of the Union. Committees and Executive members make regular reports to the GM and are guided by the motions put forward at these meetings. Any member can bring forward a motion at a GM—this motion can be about supporting other social justice organizations, starting a new committee, putting on an event, the possibilities are limitless!
