STA Structure – Surrey Teachers Association

The Surrey Teachers’ Association is a union representing public school teachers, speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, teachers-on-call, adult education teachers, and summer school teachers working in the Surrey School District in British Columbia. It has been in existence since 1941. The goals of the STA are:

To promote the welfare of members
To foster and promote the cause of education
To promote the professional development of teachers, and
To represent its members and to regulate relations with their employer through collective bargaining of terms and conditions of employment.

The STA has 6,600+ members who determine the direction of the STA by participating through various decision-making bodies.

Constitution and By-laws

The Constitution and By-laws establish the rules by which the Association is run. The by-laws establish the division of responsibilities among the major decision-making bodies and spell out what each level of decision-making is authorized to do.

Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures outline the objective and beliefs expressed by the STA and the adopted practice in which to handle the business of the Association.

STA members participate in decision-making in a variety of ways.

General Meetings

A General Meeting held at least three times per year makes key decisions such as the annual budget, changes to the by-laws, and electing the Executive Committee. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held in May of each school year while Special General Meetings (SGM) are held every November, January, and at other times when deemed necessary.

Site-based Union Representatives

Site-based union representatives are an essential link between the STA and its members. Staff Reps, Health & Safety Reps, Pro-D Reps and Staff Committee Chairs are all site-based union representatives. Every site elects their union representatives to support members.

STA Representative Assembly (STARA)

Staff Reps are elected by members to represent their school/site at the STA Representative Assembly (STARA). STARA Meetings are held every month where members hear from Table Officers. Members also participate in making decisions about STA Policies and Procedures and financial items.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is made up of 22 teachers. Nine teachers are Full-Time Table Officers and 13 are members who volunteer in their roles. The Executive Committee meet bi-weekly and has the overall responsibility for the running of the STA. Full-Time Table Officers have the responsibility for the day-to-day affairs with the President at the helm for the supervision of the association.

Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees

The STA has over 37 committees. The work of STA committees is focused on a range of issues related to our work as educators and to our roles as citizens in a democracy. Committees also make recommendations to the Executive Committee for actions related to those roles. Standing Committee Chairs also participate at STARA Meetings.

Local Specialist Associations (LSA)

The STA authorizes Local Specialist Associations (LSAs), which are organizations of teachers or specialists within a school district who teach in a common subject area or grade level (e.g., Secondary English, Primary, Teacher Librarians etc.). There are currently 17 active LSAs organized for Surrey teachers.

Office Staff

The STA employs a team of professional office staff who are members of the Teachers’ Federation Employees’ Union (TFEU). They support the operational functions of the STA with the direction of Full-Time Table Officers.