Last week, the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted a number of workshops and discussions to encourage awareness about Quebec’s austerity measures. Anti-Austerity Week at McGill took a strong stance against continuing university budget cuts while aiming to inform students and the public of what austerity means for them: lower[Read More…]
Tag: austerity
Anti-austerity march draws estimated 75,000 protesters
Tens of thousands of participants marched in a protest against provincial austerity measures on April 2. The protest was organized by student federation Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSÉ). According to the organizers, around 75,000 people participated in the march, which convened at Square Victoria at 1 p.m. and[Read More…]
Student unions throughout Quebec strike to protest austerity measures
On March 23, 60,000 post-secondary students went on strike against the Quebec’s government budgetary policies. 20,000 students voted to hold a one-day strike, while the remaining 40,000 will be on strike until April 2, when another demonstration is expected. Although the students were associated under the Association pour une Solidarité[Read More…]
SSMU Council discusses austerity measures, sustainability coordinator position
Sustainability plebiscite question Sustainability Research Commissioner Julie Skarha solicited the opinions of Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council on the creation of a Vice-President (VP) Sustainability position on the SSMU executive team. A plebiscite question in the 2015 Winter Referendum on whether to institute a VP Sustainability portfolio[Read More…]
Demilitarize McGill protesters blockade James Administraton Building
Individuals associated with Demilitarize McGill, a group seeking to end military research at McGill, blockaded all entrances into the James Administration building on March 24. The blockade began at 7:30 a.m. and lasted nearly three hours, preventing students and employees from entering the building. The demonstrators, who remained masked for[Read More…]
Six thousand march against provincial austerity measures
A demonstration of approximately 6,000 people took to the streets on March 21 against Quebec provincial government austerity cuts. The protest was organized by a group called Printemps 2015, and is scheduled to be the first of a series of weekly protests planned for the next few months, according to Brice[Read More…]
Senate discusses funding for Office for Students with Disabilities
Allocation of government funding for students with disabilities Arts & Science Senator Chloe Rourke expressed concerns regarding funding for services for students with disabilities, including the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), in conjunction with the uncertainty behind McGill’s budget cuts. In response, Provost Anthony Masi stated that although[Read More…]
PGSS, SSMU host joint summit on anti-austerity measures
Members of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Council gathered for a joint meeting against austerity on Feb. 23. The joint council was the first of its kind, and through it, the two student unions produced a joint statement opposing provincial austerity[Read More…]
Editorial: Communication key for student engagement in austerity mobilization
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) recently adopted a joint anti-austerity stance at a summit in the Thomson House that brought together the two student unions. Both groups have put forward their own motions in Fall 2014 affirming solidarity against Quebec’s austerity measures,[Read More…]
Over 1,000 march against austerity cuts in provincial education funding
Approximately 1,500 people protested against austerity cuts in education on Feb. 28. The march from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) to McGill University was organized by several student unions, including the provincial student unions Fédération étudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ); Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ), the Labor Union[Read More…]