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Volume 101, Issue 36 March 12, 2012 mcgilldaily.com McGillTHE DAILY Bloquin’ the hausse since 1911 Published by The Daily Publications Society, a student society of VOTE TO McGill University. STRIKE PAGES 3, 7, 8, AND 15 CANADA COLLEGE www.collegecanada.com Any Language Course: 7.00$/hour TESOL Certifi cation Recognized by TESL Canada. TOEFL iBT, GMAT, MCAT, TEFaQ, TEF preparation. Student’s visa, Visa renewal. 514-868-6262 [email protected] 1118 Sainte-Catherine West, #404, Montreal, QC HEY YOU! CHECK* OUT THE GREEN BOX TO THE RIGHT IT’S* GOT SOME PRETTY FUCKING DAILY ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP IMPORTANT YOU INTERESTED? INFORMATION COMMENTARY & COMPENDIUM! . COORDINATING COPY . CULTURE . DESIGN & PRODUCTION . FEATURES HEALTH&EDUCATION . ILLUSTRATIONS . NEWS . PHOTOS . JUST *SAYIN’ SCIENCE+TECHNOLOGY SPORTS WEB EMAIL [email protected] FOR MORE INFO ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The AGM of the Daily Publications Society (DPS), publisher of The McGill Daily and Le Délit, will take place on Wednesday, April 4th in Leacock 26 at 6pm Members of the DPS are cordially invited. The presence of candidates to the Board of Directors is mandatory. For more information, please contact [email protected] News The McGill Daily | Monday, March 12, 2012 | mcgilldaily.com 3 Mac Campus PGSS votes for three-day strike declares first- Graduate students overwhelmingly support strike motion ever strike Henry Gass Henry Gass lengthen the strike by two days. while the motion was passed, it was “You’re talking about flush- The McGill Daily The McGill Daily Steve Peters, a PhD student “called to question” – a call for a ing work, which could be years of in the Department of Integrated vote – before the AGM engaged in work, and it could actually mean Studies in Education and member of any debate. lots of money and resources that he Macdonald Campus he McGill Post-Graduate the Graduate Students Mobilization “I think if that happened at a place are going to be wasted. So, it’s not Students’ Society (MCSS) has Students’ Society (PGSS) Group (GSMG), moved the amend- like the SSMU, it would have gone a just about losing your semester for a Tvoted to go on strike for the first T voted overwhelmingly last ment. In an interview with The little less unnoticed, it would have lot of grad students, it’s about losing time in its history. Wednesday to go on a three-day Daily, Peters said he and the GSMG garnered a little bit of debate. So, I’m a hell of a lot more,” he said. MCSS held a General Assembly strike, March 20 to 22, in protest of had got the sense from talking to disappointed in that,” he said. Isabel spoke to the challenges (GA) last Thursday, in which a upcoming tuition hikes. PGSS rep- other graduate students that they He said the vote was premature of hikes for graduate students. motion for a one-day strike on resents roughly 8,000 graduate and wanted to “up their participation in because the PGSS executive had Citing studies conducted by the March 22 was passed with a rough- postdoctoral students at McGill. a student strike.” planned on amending the motion Fédération étudiante universitaire ly two-thirds majority. There are The strike, voted on at PGSS’ “Many of them want to see some- at the request of PGSS Council. The du Québec (FEUQ) – PGSS’ par- currently over 130,000 Quebec Annual General Meeting (AGM), thing more than a one-day strike – amendment would have empow- ent society – Isabel said the aver- students on an unlimited general will take place on the days leading that’s more or less symbolic – to a ered Council to review the changes age master’s student earns $16,000 strike in opposition to an incremen- up to and including the March 22 three-day strike, which would allow in the intervening period between a year, while working 25 hours a tal $1,625 tuition hike, scheduled to provincial day of action against the more graduate students to partici- the AGM and the changes going week on top of full-time studies. begin in September. hikes. pate and, I think, send a stronger into effect June 1. She also said one out of every five The MCSS – which represents PGSS has a policy in place calling message to the administration and Should Council insist on the graduate students has a family. 1,698 students – requires a quorum for free tuition for Quebec students the government,” said Peters. amendment being made, Kaats Peters said the hikes show that of 10 per cent, which was exceeded and a freeze on tuition for interna- The AGM also approved a slew explained, PGSS may have to call a McGill doesn’t appreciate gradu- by over 100 students. tional and out-of-province students. of changes to PGSS’ governing Special General Meeting. ate students’ contribution to the Alex Pritz, MCSS senator who “It’s one thing to have a policy; documents. Various motions were “Doing it now is a big, huge pain University, “especially to [its] helped organize the GA, said the it’s another one when students passed without debate, chang- in the ass, because how the hell are research agenda.” He drew atten- large turnout was a result of the overwhelmingly vote for a strike. ing PGSS’ name, purpose, and we going to call a Special General tion to the most recent contract tuition hikes. That will surprise many people bylaws, as well as restructuring its Meeting, get quorum again, piss all between McGill and teaching Pritz said the MCSS hasn’t had a coming from graduate students Board of Directors and Executive that money away, when we had the assistants, ratified last November. GA reach quorum since 2005. at McGill, I think,” said PGSS VP Committee. people in the room right there?” he Graduate students criticized the “It’s like seven years in the mak- External Mariève Isabel. “The purpose of the PGSS lit- said. agreement for not increasing the ing,” he said. PGSS has only declared two erally was changed; they changed However, Kaats said he was number of hours TAs are allowed MCSS VP Finance Nicolas strikes in its recent history, once in the name of the PGSS, the French happy with the results of the to teach. Chantel-Launay said the GA was 1996 and once in 2005. Both were name, and all of this went with remainder of the AGM. Kaats was in “Grad students are being “probably the most respectful one-day strikes. no debate,” said PGSS VP Finance favour of voting to join over 130,000 squeezed on all sides, and I don’t General Assembly I’ve ever seen.” Wednesday’s strike motion, moved and former Daily columnist Adrian Quebec students on an unlimited think that the contribution they “There was not even one single by Isabel, resolved that PGSS hold a Kaats, who called the changes a general strike, but admitted that make to the University is being verbal insult at the microphone; it real- one-day strike on March 22. A motion “100 per cent overhaul.” “logistically, it’s nearly impossible” acknowledged at all, especially by ly went that smoothly. I was surprised, from the floor amended the motion to Kaats objected to the fact that, for McGill graduate students. our administration,” said Peters. very happily surprised,” he continued. The final vote to strike was “far from close,” said Chantel-Launay, who explained that there were 140 votes in favour of the strike, and 80 MUNACA and McGill at odds again against it. The motion, moved by a member Review of collective agreement between parties stalls of the Mac Campus student mobili- zation committee, originally called for a three-day strike. However, an Erin Hudson demonstrate outside the James forty members to a list of employees ing together again and actually being amendment passed shortening the The McGill Daily Administration building. who would receive modified pay able to go through campus,” she con- strike to one day. Chantel-Launay MUNACA President Kevin Whittaker increases in the form of lump sums tinued. said the amendment passed with a addressed the demonstrators before applicable to their pensions. In a statement released on “very, very clear majority.” or the first time this semes- going into the James building to deliver The list was agreed on by both March 6, Associate Vice-Principal Pritz said the major opposition ter, about 250 non-academic a letter to Chief of Staff Susan Aberman, parties in October 2011, and con- (Human Resources) Lynne Gervais to the strike motion came from stu- Fworkers rallied – this time who said she would deliver it to Principal sisted of eighty members who are attributed the delay to two issues, dents in the CEGEP-level Farming on campus – to demonstrate their Heather Munroe-Blum this weekend. unable to have their maximum one of which was salaries that are Management Technology program. opposition to the delayed signing Whittaker called Thursday to make an salary raised due to the 2001 higher than the salary scale maxi- “They aren’t actually facing any of MUNACA’s collective agreement appointment with the Principal, but she implementation of pay equity. mum of the position. tuition hikes. They’re not planning on with McGill. was unavailable. Whittaker stated that McGill In a post on the union’s website, a going to school after this because it’s a The union, which represents “I tried to make an appointment has now added forty people, note by Gervais was quoted: “Even if professional degree,” said Pritz. approximately 1,700 non-academic to see the Principal because, as you potentially more, without provid- there is still a dispute about any issue, Chantel-Launay said MCSS would support staff, ratified its collective know, [James is] Fort Knox now, and ing the rationale for its decision.