Two events this Wednesday, March 30th

1. Student Strike: Week Five
Social rights are not negotiable! Disrupt the social peace!
*** Montreal Days of Action ***

-> Thursday, March 30
Demo-Action
Settle the Score: Poor and united against the Government
3pm
Gathering Point at Berri Square
Metro Berri-UQAM

In solidarity with people on social assistance; against bill 57 (reform
of welfare) and against the $150 million cut to social assistance.

2. Next Wednesday, March 30th is the anniversary of the release of the Quebec budget that cut $103 million from student grants. Come out and celebrate this sad day with a large mobilisation and festive gathering to denounce the government's cuts in Parc Lafontaine. We invite everyone, students and non-students alike, to come out in large numbers and show their support for the cause.

WHAT: Festive gathering to denounce the $103 million cut from student grants

WHEN: Wednesday, March 30, 6 PM

WHERE: Parc Lafontaine (Rachel and Sherbrooke to the north and south, Papineau and Amhest-rue La Fontaine to the east and west)

WHY: 1 year anniversary of the Quebec Budget

Join us! 103-hour "study-in"

Students to hold 103-hour “study-in” at premier’s Montreal offices

Montreal, March 22 2005 – Concordia students will be holding a “study-in” in the
plaza in front of Premier Jean Charest’s Montreal offices starting at 9am this
morning.

The students plan to camp-out in front of the premier’s office for 103 hours, in
protest of the $103 million which have been cut from the provincial financial
aid program.

“Actions like this have been taking place across Québec. It is essential that
Anglophone students, and particularly students at Concordia University, begin
lending their strength and support to the student movement in a sustained,
visible way,” said Tim McSorley, a student at Concordia University and Chair of
the Quebec office for the Canadian Federation of Students. “This is an issue
that touches everyone.”

During the study-in, students from across Montreal will be encouraged to join
the group outside Charest’s office to study together, as well as participate in
various activities such as workshops, teach-ins and street theatre.

“We will create an inclusive, non-threatening space where students can come
together to protest the cuts, continue their academic activities and at the
same help inform others of the effects these cuts are having on students across
Quebec,” said Liz Whittaker. The event will also be alcohol and drug-free, she
added.

What: 103-hour study-in
Where: Premier Jean Charest’s Montreal offices, corner McGill College and
Sherbrooke Street West.
When: 9am March 22nd to 4pm March 26th

-30-
Contact: Tim McSorley, 514-969-2377

Support McGill on Strike!

Tomorrow (Friday) the McGill undergrads will be on strike all day. It would be great if as many of us as possible could be out there to support them.

The day's events look as follows:

7:30AM - Meeting at Shatner Building for distribution of picket materials

8AM - Picketing Starts

NOON - This is the time SSMU has posted on their site for people to show up, although the actual rally has been planned for 3:30

2:30PM - Midnight Kitchen will serve at Roddick Gates

3:30PM - Rally at McGill (show-up at Roddick Gates)

4:00PM - A demo will be taking place at Berri Square. People from McGill may or may not be joing up wth it, but everyone is welcome to go!

McGill Undergraduates ON STRIKE!!

From zingaro{AT}riseup{DOT}net:

McGill undergraduates (more or less 17000 members) will be on strike this Friday. WE NEED YOUR HELP. We will do picketing. There will be one picket more artistic, one more musical and one with food. Come to help us please. There will also be a demo at 3.30pm from Roddick Gates (corner of McGill College and Sherbrooke)

Join us please.

Here is what has been voted today by a huge majority.

Whereas we, the undergraduate students of McGill University, believe that education is a public good that benefits society as a whole and therefore must remain public and accessible, regardless of ability to pay; and

Whereas the Quebec government's reforms to education – a 103M$ cut from the bursaries programme, a higher loan ceiling, a monthly loan payout policy, and projects to decentralize the CEGEP system and tailor it to the needs of private business - are reducing accessibility and threatening the public nature of education; and

Whereas McGill University currently charges international tuition fees above the limit set out by the government; and

Whereas all other options to renegotiate government policy have been exhausted and over 100 000 students are currently on strike;

Be it resolved that the SSMU officially endorse and support the student groups (both internal and external to McGill) that are on strike and the actions of March 16;

Be it further resolved that the SSMU call a 1 day strike in solidarity with the general unlimited student strike for Friday, March 18.

Con U undergrads updated...

Scroll down to see the update for events at Con U on the 16th

More for Concordia Undergrads

From Anne Onymous (o_compostkid@yahoo.ca):

Call out for an INDEPENDENT STRIKE GROUP around the student movement at Concordia

Monday, March 14th, 8pm at Q-PIRG (1500 deMaisonneuve W, suite 204)

- Meeting to discuss and coordinate a second General Assembly to address the student strike. If Charest won’t back down, then neither will we!

- A petition is circulating to call this GA for March 23 to resolve unfinished business from the last assembly. Folks need to organize and publicize this event.

Tuesday, March 15th, 2pm on at Le Frigo Vert (café space – 2130 MacKay)

- An afternoon of craft-making and organizing for Wednesday’s walkout. Help put together a chain gang and marching band for marches and picketing. Bring your ideas, instruments, and supplies! This is a gender inclusive space.

Wednesday, March 16th, All day, all over…

- Concordia on strike (one day walkout)! Picketing all day. March sometime in the afternoon (CFS-Q/CSU?)

- Marching band and chain gang rally together at 1pm, outside the Hall Building (deMaisonneuve and Mackay)

(an initiative of Autonomous Action Concordia)

(we are NOT a slate! we have nothing to do with anyone else's slates; at least a couple of us even think that slates are dumb.)

actionconcordia@lists.riseup.net

Concordia Admin's position on the strike

Concordia University Statement - March 16 Student Strike

* Concordia University activities will proceed normally on March 16. This means that all classes and labs, as well as administrative activities will proceed as scheduled.
* Professors are being encouraged not to penalize students who do not attend classes, sit exams or submit papers on March 16.
* Should a professor choose not to hold a class on March 16, he or she will be expected to make up the class content at a later date and where possible inform the students of the cancellation of March 16 classes in advance.
* The CSU student strike does not apply to Concordia Continuing Education non-credit courses.

What's up for McGill Undergrads

There will be a General Assembly for McGill Undergraduate students this Wednesday, March 16th, at Noon in the Shatner Ballroom. Students will be asked to vote on whether or not to go on a 24 hour strike.
There will also be a debate on the issue Tuesday evening at 7pm in Gert's Bar.
For more information e-mail aaron.donny-clark@mail.mcgill.ca.

What's up for McGill Grads

At last Wednesday's meeting, the Post Graduate Student Society voted to hold a 24 hour strike beginning at 6am, Wednesday March 16th, 2005. Although classes will most likely not be cancelled, students are encouraged to not go to class and to contact their professors beforehand in order to explain why. Students may also choose, at their own perogative, to not attend classes they TA or to not work in labs that day. Again, if you choose to do so, please contact your professors/supervisors beforehand. For more information please visit the PGSS site.

What's Up for Concordia Grads

At their council meeting last Friday, the GSA Council of Directors passed a motion of solidarity with students on strike, calling on their members to participate in strike actions this Wednesday March 16th, and calling for a General Assembly for the following week. For more information click on the GSA link on the left. For the exact motion passed, click here.

What's up for Concordia Undergrads

24 hour Strike
Wednesday March 16th 2005

All Day (starting at 8am):
Informational Picketing in front of main buildings
Hot Chocolate & Coffee will be served in front of the Hall Building
Music!

10am:
Reggies: Plackard and banner making (supplies will be provided)
Breakfast to be served by People's Potato

11am
The many tastes of Concordia Free food - 7th Floor cafeteria

Noon:
Teach-in about the cuts to loans and bursaries (Details TBA)

1pm:
Rally in front of Hall building
Music and People's Potato serving!

1:30pm:
Buses leave for demonstration at Education Minister’s office