Tyler McKay | Assistant News Editor
Featured Image: YFS VP of Campaigns and Advocacy Jasmine Hawamdeh leads the crowd in a chant. | Courtesy of Tyler McKay
On Wednesday, November 6, a student strike was held on campus. It began with a picket at the York Boulevard Main Gate around 10:00 a.m. This led to the rally that was held on the field behind the subway station.
This strike was led by the York Federation of Students (YFS) as a part of their “We the Students” campaign to protest against provincial cuts to education funding. There were five demands associated with this protest
The five demands included: the elimination of tuition fees for all students; more public funding; a repeal of the Student Choice Initiative so that student bodies will have more of a voice; pass legislation that recognizes student union autonomy, and increase funding and expand eligibility for non-repayable grants to all students instead of loans.
“This strike is a perfect opportunity for you to tell your friends and family to come out and fight for free and accessible education,” said Jasmine Hawamdeh, YFS Vice President of Campaigns and Advocacy.
“This is a fight for each and every one of us. This is a fight for our future. This is a fight to ensure that each and every one of us has access to education for a more just and fair world.”
An assortment of chants were recited by the crowd until about 2:00 p.m. when the guest organizations were introduced.
Representatives from the York University Graduate Students’ Association, the Socialist Fightback, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3903, the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union, and the Ontario Federation of Labour came to the rally to affirm their support for this strike.
Despite the student outcry and union support, the provincial government remains steadfast in its decisions.
“This year, we introduced a historic 10 per cent tuition reduction that is providing students and their families $450 million in relief, putting more money back into the pockets of students and their families while ensuring that students have more access to high-quality skills and training our colleges and universities provide,” reads a statement from the Office of the Minister of Colleges and Universities.
However, international students face a 10 per cent tuition increase this year as well as another 10 per cent increase next year.
“I think it is important that international students get treated fairly and have just as much accessibility to education as domestic students,” says fourth-year political science student Anusha Bhadra.
“Because York and other universities in Canada treat them like cash cows and make money off of them and that’s not fair.”
“Under the previous Liberal Government’s program, students from higher income families were receiving grants just for applying, not because they had demonstrated need,” reads the statement from the Minister.
“Had OSAP continued on the unsustainable path created by the previous government, generations of future students would have been unable to access the vital support this program provides.”
Yet, the YFS maintains that “the reduction of grants means many already feel like they are falling behind, as they will no longer be able to survive or sustain their university education.”
