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 "Yes, we would have liked to continue the strike," says CLASSE co-spokesperson Jeanne Reynolds.  "But we can see that people want to continue to mobilize for the march on August 22nd and strike votes will be taken up again after the election."

 "Yes, students of several cégeps have returned to class, but there are still tens of thousands of students to vote," Reynolds says.  "It is too soon to tell."  According to her, fear of losing the semester is the main reason behind the votes to date in favour of returning to classes.  

  Threat of Cancellation

 "The threats from the Federation of Cégeps have had an impact," she says.  Over the last few days, the president of the Federation of Cégeps, Jean Beauchesne, has confirmed that the semester could be cancelled if students do not return to class.  

 For its part, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ) refuses to say it has been beaten.  "We have not been beaten because there is still a way to block the tuition fee increase," says its president, Éliane Laberge.  "We have to get people out to vote on September 4th."

 She does not see the movement running out of steam either.  "Don't confuse the means and the end," she says.  "In March, the only means was to strike: we tried everything else.  Now, the elections have brought a new way for us to achieve our ends.  We see many young people getting involved in the campaign."

 There are similar feelings at the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ).  Contrary to CLASSE, FECQ and FEUQ have not given word to their members about whether or not to pursue the strike.  

  Different Context

 "The strike was very effective this winter, but it was always a means and never an end," says FEUQ president Martine Desjardins.  "There are not the same reasons for having a strike in the context of an election.  Students think that the present context suggests other kinds of action."  

 The penalties set out in Law 12 (formerly Bill 78) have certainly spooked many students, adds Desjardins.  "We can't deny it, the fines are stiff for individuals as well as for associations."  FEUQ, who along with FECQ are campaigning to get young people out to vote, believe that there is more value in concentrating on the September 4th general election.  

 And what should happen if the Liberals are re-elected?  The three student leaders refused to speculate, but they agreed on one thing: the struggle would be far from over.  

  A Tough Choice

 "I support those who have decided to continue the strike.  But, personally, I would find it hard to put myself on the line a second time."

 So says Anne-Florence Bisson, a master’s student in ethnology at Université de Laval, who still wears a red square and is firmly opposed to the tuition fee increase.

 But she is torn between pursuing the strike and going back to classes.  

 Between now and the return to classes (scheduled for September 5), many students at Université de Laval will have to decide whether or not to continue to strike.  Quebec students have closely followed votes at other Cégeps throughout the province.  The choice was difficult.  Why risk losing a semester, given that the government of Jean Charest might not be re-elected on September 4?

 Rosalie Readman, a master’s student in political science, goes back and forth between an electoral truce and the strike.  "It may not be sound strategy to continue the strike during the election," she says.  "The focus must be on the Liberal government's record," she says, regarding corruption and collusion, rather than on the student strike.  

Sitting at the same table, Benjamin Ducol says he will vote to continue the strike "while waiting" for the results of the election.  He is convinced that it would be too difficult to restart the strike if the government of Jean Charest were to be re-elected.  "But there will need to be a second vote after the elections," he added.

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

Peaceful mobilization

Early Monday morning, activists with banners and casseroles greeted students at the doors of the four CEGEPs that were holding votes on continuing the strike. The solidarity action was peaceful; the authorities made no arrests and gave no notice to disperse.

The only trouble was at Collège de Maisonneuve - where about a hundred people managed to block access to teachers and administrators - when a young man wearing a green square grabbed a banner for the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE). The agitator and the student with the red square who tried to stop him were kept at a distance by the police and no charges were laid.

The first return to classes occurred peacefully Monday morning at Cégep André-Laurendeau, under the watchful eyes of the police.

This peaceful return to classes goes against calls to reinforce picket lines made nationally and even internationally by associations affiliated with CLASSE (Voluntary Association of Humanities Students at UQAM [Association facultaire étudiante des sciences humaines de l’UQAM], Student Association of Cégep Saint-Laurent [Association étudiante du Cégep Saint-Laurent]) and by smaller independent groups (The Networks [Les Réseaux], The Theoreticians [Les Théoriciens] and the Order of the Black Square [l’Ordre du Carré Noir]).

According to Jeanne Reynolds, co-spokesperson for CLASSE, the absence of picket lines Monday shows the effectiveness of student mobilisation rather than a loss of momentum: "At first, classes were going to be held at Marie-Victorin and at Maisonneuve. But after pressure exerted by the groups, administration at both of those CEGEPs decided to delay the return for a day" in order to let the strike continuation votes to be held in an orderly manner.

Influencing the vote

Éliane Laberge is unequivocal: since the start of the student movement, the Ministry of Education, the federation of CEGEPs and collegiate and university administrators "attempted to influence decisions by students in general assemblies" with lies and threats. This round of strike votes is no exception.

August 10, the Director General of Collège Édouard-Montpetit, Serge Brasset, sent a message to the student community with title "Wednesday August 15, it's your return to classes!", which assured students that "everything is in place for the return to classes [...] And believe me, you'll be among many!". He also reminded that "the College is obliged to uphold article 14 of law 12" that forbids blocking access to public establishments.

"Throughout the strike, we often saw administrators sending emails without notifying the student associations. Yes, they need to inform them about the school calendar [...], but it's quite another thing to try to influence them by fear", deplores Éliane Laberge.

Important demonstration this evening

The strike may be running out of steam, but the mobilisation continues. The 112th nightly demonstration Monday night brought several hundred people to downtown Montréal. The demonstrators first marched in a rather festive mood not far from Cégep du Vieux-Montréal. Later, the demonstrators took aim at election signs on Sherbrooke and Maisoneuve streets. Graphittis were painted and four storefront windows were smashed. The march was dispersed around 11:30pm after the Montréal police declared the assembly illegal.

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

Marois and Bureau-Blouin have come out saying that it could help the Liberals if they take the strike back up during the electoral campaign, when no negotiations are underway.  Among other things, the Liberals want to make the vote a referendum on the student conflict.

Nadeau-Dubois is not so certain. “We could turn this argument around,” he says. “People could also say that Liberals are inciting disorder and that their election will therefore resolve nothing. It's hard to say, with 40% of voters undecided and the election just begun. Nothing is in play yet.”

Truce: FEUQ and FECQ stay neutral

FEUQ's response to the prospect of an electoral truce is “neutrality.” “We want to let our members speak in their general assemblies,” said FEUQ president Martine Desjardins. Likewise for Éliane Laberge, president of FECQ. Still, she says she hopes students “will take all elements of the real context into account” before voting, including the fact that Liberals will derive “political capital” from their conflict.

Desjardins points out that university students will return to classes after Cegep students. The return to classes in universities will happen at the end of August. She says she is “cautious” for she fears “giving ammunition to the Liberals.” If there are protests with arrests or violence, “there is a danger of helping them.”

The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, François Legault, has said since the start of the week that students have to return to classes in an orderly way. But he gives no credibility to the appeal for a truce launched by the Parti Québécois.

“Unless I saw wrong, I saw Mme. Marois in the street, encouraging protesters,” he decried. “Today, that same party is telling people to stop with the protests.”

Tuition fees: the PQ proposes a summit

The PQ has stated its position regarding tuition fees: within 100 days of taking power, the PQ would cancel the special law as well as the tuition increase. There would then be a summit on university financing, which would address tuition fees, university management, financial assistance, debt payback and student housing.

This summit would be made up of equal parts students, government and “civil society,” notably members of unions and management.

The maximum yearly tuition increase would be indexed to the cost of living.  Bureau-Blouin says he will continue to advocate his own position, which is a tuition fee freeze.  "My convictions have not changed," he said.  He promises to act on them, but also "to listen," and to be "non-dogmatic."  

Summit: FEUQ in agreement, CLASSE worried

CLASSE is satisfied with the PQ plan to abolish the tuition fee increase and the special law.  And it is not opposed to the summit.  "If this allows for an in-depth discussion (of secondary studies), then it is a great idea," thinks Nadeau-Dubois.  But he worries that tuition fees will be indexed to inflation.  And he is worried about the make-up of the panel.  He would like "the university community" -- students, teachers and their assistants, and support staff -- to make up half the number of panel members.  These groups will have to be represented in the "civil society" that Marois has referred to.

FEUQ and FECQ have also positively received the idea of a summit.  While saying she is "vigilant," FEUQ president Marine Desjardins is satisfied that the discussion panel will talk about university management, like advertising budgets and satellite campuses, as well as tuition fees.  "We have to talk about having universities collaborate, rather than compete with one another," she said.  She thinks a summit should cast a wide net and last a long time.  "We would not support a summit that lasts just one day," she said.  

FEUQ is still concerned that the PQ wishes that tuition fees be indexed to inflation.  "It's interesting, to us," says Desjardins.  "This part of their platform wasn't agreed to by vote in their last congress, and it's not based on evidence. "  "Indexing to inflation is obviously not what we are proposing," adds Laberge.  

In Montréal for the night, Jean Charest said that Pauline Marois, "is getting a taste of her own medicine," namely "intransigence," since "even those she supports are refusing her solutions."

"What is hiding behind her politics," he asked?  "If she is saying she will cancel our policy, where is the money going to come from?  Who is going to pay the bill?  The middle class?  Yes, Pauline Marois thinks highly of the middle class: she thinks they are a bank machine that keeps dispensing money."

Marois: "Where is the money going?" 

Marois points out that Québec invests $29,242 per student per year. This is more than Ontario ($26,382) and more than the Canadian average ($28,735). “Where is this money going?” she asks. She figures that universities have spent a million dollars on “golden parachutes” in the last two years, and $56M on satellite campuses.

The Conference of Rectors and Principals of Québec Universities says that it is precisely because it is difficult to reduce expenses that financing should be increased.

On May 5, 2012, student leaders and the government reached an agreement in principle that, if universities were able to make savings in management costs, those would be used to lower fees paid by students. But before student associations voted on the measure, Jean Charest hinted he was sceptical there were any money found to save.  "I have read the agreement, and the savings don't come automatically," he said.  "We hope to be able to find money to save, but it's not automatic."

-- With Martin Croteau and Tommy Chouinard

***

Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

Students affected by these recent modifications will have no choice but to vote via the new process for voters residing outside their electoral district.  Effectively, between 10 and 4 days before the election these voters will have to go before a scrutineer in a polling station in the riding where they are temporarily residing, and they will have to go through a more complex administrative process.  So says the judicial advisory clinic Juripop in response to a request for advice made by FECQ.

FECQ and FEUQ recommend creating offices on CEGEP and university campuses to handle people who wish to vote outside their ridings.  

To remedy the situation and to really enable the youth vote in the next elections, FECQ and FEUQ suggest creating offices on CEGEP and university campuses to handle people who wish to vote outside their ridings.  [Doing so would be] "a first step to really enable young people to vote by reaching out to them right in their own environment," affirms Laberge.  "Senior citizens are enabled to vote to by having voting stations in old folks' homes and workers are enabled by being given four hours to go to a polling station.  These are real steps to grant people access to voting and we support them.  Now, if the Liberals are not afraid of the student vote, it is time for them to put their money where their mouth is and take a step to give everyone access to voting," adds Grégoire.

This morning, this suggestion was sent by registered mail to the DGEQ and to the province's political parties.  

Lastly, FECQ and FEUQ encourage all students who have changed address in the last year to complete a change of address so as to be able to vote in the district they consider their home.  This has to be done before the election call because at the moment the election is called, the lists are frozen and it becomes more complex to have the information updated.  To change an address after this time, a person has to appear before a revision committee that doesn't always accommodate a student's availability.  

The letter, as well as the judicial opinion above, will be online at the campaign page of FECQ and FEUQ: http://www.1625canepassepas.ca

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

As a result of these questions and after many consultations with those closest to me, friends and colleagues, that I have decided to step forward as a candidate for the Parti Quebecois in the next election in the electoral district of Laval-des-Rapides. I have made the decision to run with Pauline Marois and her team from the Parti Quebecois because I believe that a Quebec that is more just, more green, and stronger on the international scene is within our reach. I believe that now, and now more than ever, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of workers, of senior citizens, of families and of young people. We have the opportunity to improve the quality of our schools, to develop our infrastructure, to increase the efficiency of our health system, to become a country, and above all to build a more participatory democracy. On the other hand, I believe that the reelection of the Parti Liberal would lead to more cynicism, social inequalities, and disinterest towards the public good. 

I have chosen to announce this information first on social networks out of respect for the thousands of my fellow citizens who have put their trust in me over the course of the past few months. I intend to use this medium of communication for the entire length of my campaign in order to keep hearing from my peers. I will also announce soon the ten commitments that I intend to put first in my campaign: ten commitments which, I hope, can make a difference, so that together we will renew our faith in the public good and improve citizen participation in collective projects. 

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

Duel between two opponents

The duel in Laval-des-Rapides is likely to be very interesting. Léo Bureau-Blouin would be up against Alain Paquet, who was in league with Michelle Courchesne during the final round of talks with the students last June. Mr Paquet, named delegate minister of Finance, is a rising star in the Charest government. 

The young spokesperson of the CEGEP students had been noticed for his composure and the quality of his interventions during the difficult period of negotiations with minister Line Beauchamp and her successor, Michelle Courchesne. All parties, except the Liberals, would have courted him in light of the electoral campaign, which should be launched next Wednesday. His candidacy, following those of Daniel Breton, Raymond Archambault, Pierre Duchesne, and soon Diane de Courcy and Jean-François Lisée, represent another successful sweep for Pauline Marois. 

At 20 years of age, the ex-student leader, who grew up in Saint-Hyacinthe, had enrolled in Law at Université de Montréal. He has made the gamble of a political career before obtaining a degree, as André Boisclair had also done before him. 

His name had made the rounds a few weeks ago, when the media had insisted that the executive committee of the péquiste organization of Trois-Rivières had refused him as a candidate in Trois-Rivières. Yet it appears that the party had made no attempt to have him land in Trois-Rivières. 

*** Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.