#return to classes

We have received testimonies from professors who are extremely worried, even in tears, and this situation is inadmissible.

On behalf of the members of the Union (the SGPUM), I request that you withdraw your request for police intervention within the buildings of our institution, in order to reestablish a normal climate for work and study at the University of Montreal.

Moreover, we demand that the Committee for health and safety at work [called for by the union's collective agreement] be mandated to visit professors who fear for their safety or their health. This committee will be empowered to take the necessary measures to process complaints.

In the absence of an agreement on your part on the matter of this Committee, we ask for authorization for our representatives to present themselves at any site in order to evaluate situations where health or safety complaints might occur.

The urgency of this situation requires that we ask you to respond in the course of the next few hours.

Cordially,

Jean Portugais

President of the SGPUM

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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.

"What gives us confidence is that following the suspension of classes last spring, we conducted a major survey to confirm the students’ return in August. Over 90% responded and 87% had indicated their interest to resume the session on August 16th", explained the spokesman for the college, Guylaine Gagner.

In the evening, students from Valleyfield College voted overwhelmingly in favor of the return to classes on August 14th. Using secret ballots, 246 students voted for the renewal of the strike until August 20th, while 426 voted against it, 19 abstained and two others canceled their vote.

CLASSE is committed to respect the will of the student association members, who have been on strike since February 20.

The co-spokesperson for the organization, Jeanne Reynolds, expressed her disappointment all the same about the results from Valleyfield College, the institution she attends. "Certainly we cannot jump for joy; it comes from my college, so I know the activists. However, there is no tradition of student struggle, and this is a win that should be highlighted," she said.

“We were still 160,000 [striking students] when Bill 12 [trans. note: formerly Bill 78] suspended the student conflict, so there is a good chance for us to continue the strike," she said, calling members “to continue to mobilize.”

Strike votes continue

CEGEPs de Maisonneuve and Marie-Victorin will host their general assembly on Monday, August 13th, that is, the very same day that classes are scheduled to start.

As for universities, students in the humanities at UQAM voted on Tuesday night to continue the strike indefinitely, the same as students in social work at the Université de Montréal on Monday. Graduate students in arts and communications at the Université de Sherbrooke (except for those in the Longueuil campus) also voted to continue the strike on Monday.

Nearly 150 associations from 12 academic institutions still have general strike mandates indefinitely after the adoption of Law 12 (Bill 78) in May, as reported by CLASSE.

In addition, Jean Charest announced on Tuesday the signing of a tentative agreement with representatives of CEGEP teachers to add instructors to assist teaching personnel in September.

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

The special law requires CEGEPs to "take appropriate action to allow delivery of educational services" when classes return.  This is a real puzzle for these establishments, even before considering that strike pickets and other disruptions are already planned.  They seek to avoid clashes like those at Collège Lionel-Groulx, where striking students blocked passage of other students armed with an injuction saying they were to be let through.  Sûreté du Québec agents then doused students with tear gas.  College directors have a mandate to report to the minister of education if parts of the law are not being respected at their facilities.  A decision to call police will then be made on a case-by-case basis.  

"We are teachers.  We don't want to see scenes of violence," says Jean Beauchesne, president-director of the Fédération des CEGEPs.  "But we want for people to be able to go to their classes if they so desire."  

It is for this reason that many CEGEPs have taken measures to increase security.  

"Most CEGEPs have brought on more security personnel so that the return to classes happens calmly, and so that people who want to return to classes can do so," says Arnaud.  She says there is a limit to what security staff can do, however.  "They cannot break through a picket line or do police interventions," she explains.  

At Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, many new guards have been brought on "so that all goes smoothly" when classes resume on August 16.  It is expected that certain aspects of the special law will be applied word-for-word, such as the directive to stay 50 metres away when protesting and to not block access to those who wish to enter.  "If that happens, we will report it," says Guylaine Gagné, the CEGEP's communications service co-ordinator.  Management has met with local police to discuss what kinds of interventions might be requested from law enforcement.  

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.

He also defers to the "good judgement" of educational institutions when choosing what measures to take to ensure that the return to classes happens in an orderly way next week.  

"There may be difficult situations.  If that is the case, people will use their good judgement.  The law is there so that it can be applied, but in a context of using good judgement," he explained at a press conference in Montréal.  

"We trust the judgement of the leaders of colleges.  They are in the best position to determine what action must be taken to ensure security for everyone."

He said that he approves of the decision to hire security guards for cégeps.  "Each establishment has to make decisions based on its needs," he said.  He says it is normal that the Fédération des cégeps met with Montréal police today.  "I think people want all possible precautions to be taken," he said. 

At this time, he does not imagine sanctions against professors who refuse to cross picket lines to give classes.  "We are not at the point of sanctions now," he said.  "There is no reason to think that the return to classes will be anything but calm."

But what will he do if it is not calm?  "That is a hypothetical question," he answered.  "We will take it one step at a time," he said.  "This is not the time to imagine all kinds of possible scenarios.  We have to give the return to classes time to happen."

"If there is a sword of Damocles," he said, "I'm not the one holding it, but rather the students," he added.  "It's not me who is choosing to do these things: I denounce such things."  

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Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.