To all Unions,

Even though the Concordia Student Union (CSU) is not a labour union, it is similar to a labour union in its principles, its organizational structure and its aims. It is a union of all undergraduate Concordia students and is dedicated to protecting their interests. The CSU is now calling for the support of unions from across Canada in its fight to protect students’ (and staff’s) right to due process, freedom from administrative and corporate interference in our internal union affairs and free speech.

Fundamental union rights have recently come under attack by the administration at Concordia, an English language university located in Montreal. The attack started in earnest when the university rector, Frederick Lowy, arbitrarily expelled two student representatives, Laith Marouf and Tom Keefer, during the summer semester. Laith Marouf is the CSU’s VP Internal and Tom Keefer is a CSU Councilor. By expelling these two outspoken critics of the privatization of education and outspoken proponents of Palestinian human rights, the rector circumvented the University’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities. This can be compared to a company firing those who are active in organizing or bargaining on behalf of a union.

The second significant attack on the student union happened when the university administration mobilized hundreds of Engineering and Commerce students to vote down a CSU resolution condemning corporations that profit from the murder of union activists in the Colombian public telecommunications industry, and subsequently promoting a recall petition of the current union executive. This is similar to a company interfering in union affairs. By working to recall the current executive, the administration is effectively trying to turn the CSU into a “company union”.

Third, the administration attempted to dissolve the student union, claiming that its publications are somehow illegal. In the letters to various provincial agencies the university’s legal council had to resort to anti-sedition laws not used since the fight against unionized labour of the 1930s.

The Quebec government rejected the claim, but not before the Montreal Gazette ran an editorial titled “Students must rein in CSU.” This is like a company attacking the right to free speech of union members.

Fourth, the administration recently changed, without notice, how it disperses fees collected from students and arbitrarily imposed a 1.61% bad-debt fee, thus reducing the funds available to every on-campus association. More “company” interference in union affairs. Imagine an employer holding back the union dues of its employees and charging the union for dues collection!

Finally, the administration recently gave the addresses of all 30 current student union Councilors to last year’s runner-up presidential candidate. The addresses were used to have bailiffs hand-deliver a lawyer’s letter that vaguely threatened any Councilor who would impede last year’s loser from becoming the next president. It is estimated that the cost for the bailiff and lawyer fees is over two thousand dollars, an amount few students have at their disposal (but this would be a mere drop in the bucket in the university’s budget). Would a labour union tolerate its employer financing a candidate running for a union office?

The university administration has attacked the CSU because it has been successful at raising student awareness about many issues including free trade and the corporate agenda. Moreover, the CSU has been able to freeze “backdoor” tuition fees hikes, get accredited (under Quebec law this is similar to a trade union accreditation), start a free lunch program and engage in other battles that have empowered students and reduced corporate domination over university life.

With an election coming (November 26-28), it is crucial that the university administration hears the voice of the Canadian union movement denouncing outside manipulation in union affairs. We invite all unions to demonstrate their support for the Concordia Student Union’s autonomy by emailing or faxing the rector, passing resolutions denouncing the administration’s tampering and with any other means at their disposal.

In solidarity

CSU VP External
Genvieve Page

Please send letters to:

Rector Frederick Lowy lowyfh@vax2.concordia.ca
fax: 514-848-4546

please cc them to:

the Concordia Student Union csu@csu.tao.ca
fax: 514-848-7450

For more information contact:

David Bernans, CSU Researcher research@tao.ca or 514-848-7421

Here is a suggested letter of solidarity that you might consider sending:

Dr. Lowy,

Our members are extremely concerned about your meddling in the affairs of the Concordia Student Union.

If you have disciplinary problems with student representatives you have access to the Office of Rights and Responsibilities. There is no need to arbitrarily expel students by rectorial decree. If Tom Keefer and Laith Marouf really are, as you claim, being banned from the university for disciplinary reasons rather than political ones, the Rights and Responsibilities hearing panel will issue a decision that should satisfy you.

It is inappropriate for the university administration to be taking a partisan position in internal student union affairs. We respectfully ask that you refrain from mobilizing students to protect your corporate partners from justified and well documented criticism. We would also ask that you not involve yourself in any way in the upcoming CSU elections. Students should be allowed to freely elect the people who represent them in their dealings with the administration.

We consider your call for a provincial investigation into the affairs of the Concordia Student Union to be entirely unwarranted. The Student Union has done nothing illegal by producing a controversial student agenda. Nor is it illegal to criticize corporations that profit from human rights abuses.

Sincerely,