HUMA Program Students stand in solidarity with Concordia students against the new Austerity measures:
Following our general assembly of March 30th, the HUMA students have voted to go on strike, starting today and until April 3rd:
Please see the following voted motion for details on how the strike will affect HUMA students.
Whereas the government of Quebec is effectuating compressions in education, in the context of so-called austerity measures referred to as “budgetary compressions”;
Whereas Concordia University has been requested to make over $15.7 million in cuts to its own budget, and has already begun this process by attempting to eliminate 180 jobs through its “Voluntary Departure Program”;
Whereas the quality and accessibility of our education is directly and negatively impacted by austerity measures;
Whereas austerity measures are part of a larger neoliberal trend of raising user fees while decimating public services (healthcare, childcare, pensions, etc.) at a time when the wealthiest people and the largest corporations are enjoying record profits and decreasing taxes; and whereas that measures negatively affect us as students;
Whereas various student, worker, and community associations at Concordia and across Quebec are currently organizing against austerity; whereas 66 student associations, representing 55 000 students on 10 campus, are now in general strike renewablel; including more than 4000 students from Concordia;
Whereas more thant 102 000 students will be on strike to participate to the demonstration against austerity organized by ASSÉ April the 2nd;
Whereas actions are organized everyday between the 30th of March and April the 2nd;
Be It Resolved That the Concordia Humanities Student Association denounce the prevailing government discourse of austerity and “budgetary compressions,”
Be It Further Resolved That the Concordia Humanities Student Association urge Concordia’s administration to follow the bold example of the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), and refuse budget cuts;
Be It Further Resolved That the Concordia Humanities Student Association join the movement against austerity by going on strike from March the 30th to April the 3rd; a GA will be organized April the 7th (9 :00 AM) to reconsiderate this motion;
Be It Further Resolved That hard picket lines will be organized (as possible) on the courses related to the HUMA program; Strike means ‘’interruption of all the academic activities’’; but in our context, this means that Humanities students will cease all work from Humanities courses; however Humanities students in other courses can, in fact, complete their work so that they are not isolated and penalized for their actions;
*We encourage HUMA students who don’t have class to join the movement and participate in the many actions however they see fit;
Your HUMA Student Association
Interdisciplinary PhD in the Humanities 