The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) held its first monthly Board of Directors (BOD) meeting of the fall semester on September 25. At the in-person meeting, board members discussed increasing part-time wages across the union and passed a motion providing funding for relief efforts in Morocco and Libya. 

The SCSU also scheduled its Annual General Meeting for November 14. 

Raising wages

At the meeting, BOD members discussed the increase in hourly wages of part-time SCSU employees and employees at 1265 Bistro, the SCSU’s pub-style restaurant. Previously, SCSU front desk workers and Bistro staff made $16 an hour until October 1, when the Ontario minimum wage increased to $16.55, raising these SCSU employees’ wages. 

Historically, the SCSU has set wages for Bistro staff and part-time workers at one dollar above the minimum wage, so the executive team decided to set hourly wages at $17.55. 

In an email to The Varsity, Amrith David, president of SCSU, discussed why the union sets its wages above the minimum. “We are the only organization/department within the university that pays its students above the minimum wage requirements because we understand the hardships of working alongside academic responsibilities in this day and age,” he wrote. 

This topic was not mentioned in the BODboard package, which was not published by the SCSU until late October, when it published both the August and September board packages to its website. In the past, the SCSU has failed to publish board reports on its website. 

Relief efforts 

In the aftermath of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck Morocco and a hurricane that hit Libya this September, student groups across multiple campuses have worked to raise money for both countries. During the meeting, the SCSU highlighted the efforts of the Muslim Student Association and Islamic Relief Chapter at UTSC, which tabled in the student centre and raised $7,200 and $4,700 for Libya and Morocco, respectively. The groups have already donated the funds to Islamic Relief Canada — an organization providing emergency aid to address poverty and disasters.

The SCSU passed a motion to donate an additional $500 to Islamic Relief Canada to help relief efforts in both countries. 

Newly painted mural 

The SCSU also highlighted a new mural created by Durothethird, an acclaimed graffiti artist who previously collaborated with Scarborough Town Centre, Nike, and Google. Durothethird and student volunteers recently finished the mural, which is located outside of 1265 Bistro along a path to the Student Centre.

The piece aims to represent the Scarborough community and features natural elements such as plants and birds. Executive committee members also said they plan to install new patio furniture near the mural soon.