The two-day strikes will take place on Nov. 21 and 22.
In the last two weeks, nine student associations at Concordia have voted for strike mandates demanding more ethical investments by Concordia in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict and better treatment of pro-Palestinian protestors.
The strike dates coincide with the International Day of Action on Nov. 21, declared by the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP). Nov. 22 is also the opening day of the 70th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which will take place in Montreal.
The nine student associations that will be on strike are the Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA), the Concordia Undergraduate Psychology Association (CUPA), the Sociology and Anthropology Student Union (SASU), Students of History at Concordia (SHAC), the Geography Undergraduate Student Society (GUSS), the Urban Planning Association (UPA), the Women’s Studies and Sexuality Studies Student Association (WSSSA), the School of Community and Public Affairs Student Association (SCPASA), and the Geography Geography, Planning and Environment Graduate Students Association (GeoGrads).
The Political Science Student Association (PSSA) and the Communication Studies Student Association Guild (Coms Guild) will also hold special general assemblies to vote on a strike mandate on Nov. 19. If they also vote in favour of a strike, over 10,000 Concordia students will be on strike.
Every student association’s strike motions and demands varied slightly, but all revolved around the same points. They demand that Concordia discloses its investment portfolio, divests from companies selling weapons to Israel, stops employment partnerships with these companies, severs academic ties with various Israeli universities and changes its policing approach to pro-Palestinian protests.
In addition to the strike motion, the UPA passed a motion to include two points to their position book. The first denounced police presence on campus and demanded that Concordia stop turning to them in response to political organizing on campus. The second point demanded the defunding of Concordia Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) and the abolishment of the Student Safety Patrol Program (SSPP).
“We do want to make sure that all of our students are safe and want to have more community-led safety programs or initiatives,” said UPA President Alésia Keim.
CUPA voted overwhelmingly for a strike mandate – 76 in favour, five against and two abstentions.
CUPA Vice-President of Communications and Public Relations Emma De Pippo believes the strike vote was important because it was requested by some students and to express solidarity with other student associations that held similar strike votes.
“We had students that had approached us and it was important for them that we include it [in our special general assembly],” she said. “So that was one of the reasons, but also, we were following precedent set by other student associations at Concordia that were also voting for the same strike mandate.”
Some Jewish students at the meeting opposed the strike. Rudy Grief was one of them. During the special general assembly, she explained that she had empathy for and respected those who were pro-Palestinian but believed CUPA should stay impartial and support all of their students.
“This is a psychology association that prides themselves on the inclusivity and protection, so they say, and security and tolerance of every student and taking care of mental health is their number one priority,” she said. “How can they be so partial and one-sided here?”
Among the reasons CUPA presented for the strike was their belief that the university is not a safe environment for pro-Palestinian students. They cited the suspension of two students who participated in the Sept. 25 walkout and arrests made during recent pro-Palestinian protests at Concordia in the motion.
During the debate on the strike vote, Grief expressed concerns that a strike would not help to provide a safe environment for all students, notably Jewish students. She explained that she sometimes feels a tense environment on campus.
“Why am I going to school afraid to wear my Star of David?” she said. “I wear it regardless because I really feel that no one should have to hide who they are, but just the fact that this is going on, makes me feel uneasy.”
“If ever there is an issue, we will do our best to work with the administration and campus security to ensure the safety of everyone,” De Pippo said. “I do hope that students who feel unsafe, you know, do feel safe in this situation. I can understand the concern, but on our part we’re doing everything that we can to ensure the safety and comfort of everybody.”
