UQAM students vote down strike

The student movement at UQAM regarding tuition fees is showing signs of fatigue and indecisiveness, according to recent results of general assemblies for three faculty associations at the French university.
“On the one hand I wasn’t very surprised, there hasn’t been a lot of information that was passed out in the last few weeks. Students were not very mobilized, some were expecting an unlimited strike last semester. I think students were a bit tired at the beginning of this semester,” said Marc Andre Faucher, communications person for l’Association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante (ASSE).
Faucher explained that students were expecting the unlimited general strike in the fall semester, as ASSE had promised. Because it never took place, students are now discouraged and divided on whether to go ahead in winter. He added that the current “political context” is not favorable for the movement, attributing it to Jean Charest’s Quebec Liberals’ “right-wing” policies.
L’Association facultaire etudiante des sciences humaines was the only faculty association who voted in favor of a general strike. The 5000-strong faculty had a turnout of between 500 to 700 students at their general assembly last week, 64 per cent of whom voted in favor. The strike began Monday.
The strike is set to last indefinitely. However, these students will return to a general assembly after a week to vote on whether to continue striking.
Two other faculty associations held general assemblies Monday, where voting results at both went against striking. The turnout for l’Association facultaire etudiante de science politique et de droit was roughly 900 students, approximately 370 of whom voted in support and 420 against.
L’Association facultaire des etudiants en lettres, langues et communications had 300 students turn out for the vote, 145 of whom voted in favour and 215 against.
A strike mandate required a 50-vote difference in favour of a yes vote.
A fourth faculty, l’Association facultaire des etudiants et etudiantes en arts, scheduled a general assembly for this Thursday, but according to Faucher, chances are slim that arts students who would vote in favour because of the lack of support in the other two general assemblies.
According to Faucher, ASSE will be organizing a one-day strike for various student associations at Universite de Montreal on Feb. 21.
The reasons behind past demonstrations at UQAM go beyond the hike of tuition fees enacted by the Charest government in 2007.
As a result of a financial crisis at the university, an initiative know as “Le Plan de Redressement” was employed where ancillary fees rose by up to $500 for some students, class sizes grew and less teachers will be hired to save funds.
UQAM students responded with a series of demonstrations, which included a week-long strike last fall.