The Québec Student Strike and The "Maple Spread" phenomenon

The Ontario Students Mobilisation Coalition (OSMC) logo -  http://osmc.ca/

The current Québec student strike (or rather a student boycott, legally speaking) had been fermenting since March 30, 2010. On this day, Québec's minister of finance, Raymond Bachand, introduced the province's 2010-2011 budget. In his budget speech, Mr. Bachand said:

Our universities play a more crucial role than ever in our economic, social and cultural development. Québec has recognized this by ending the freeze on tuition fees that had been in place for more than ten years and, in particular, by reinvesting massively in our network of universities. From 2003-2004 to 2009-2010, university transfer expenditures rose an average of 5.9% a year–as rapidly as those for health. Of all the Canadian provinces, the Québec government is the one that funds its universities the most. Taking into account the growth forecast for 2010-2011, the government’s annual contribution to university funding has climbed by $1 billion since 2003. But more must be done. Our universities must compare favourably with the world’s best institutions. To fully play their role, they must have the necessary resources. To that end, I am announcing that our government will raise tuition fees as of fall 2012 (Bachand budget speech, March 30, 2010, p. 24)

Personally, I have been intrigued by the massive movement that has come together to oppose the Québec government's decision to increase the province's tuition fees by $1778 spread out over a 7 year period or an increase of 82% (originally, the tuition fee increase was $1625 spread out over a 5 year year period or an increase of 75%). Student activists from coast to coast have watched in amazement as Québec students gathered in their respective faculty association general assemblies and held the first strike votes in mid-February 2012. These general assemblies are a form of participatory democracy which occur on a regular basis on university and cégep (college specific to the province of Québec) campuses throughout Québec. The following videos are only a few examples of what such general assemblies look like:

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois à l'assemblée générale extraordinaire du Cégep Édouard-Montpetit - 17 avril 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyGP3FdE27w

Assemblée Générale au Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu - 8 mars 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYeGuNwvWQ4

Cégep Bois-de-Boulogne en Grève Générale Illimitée! - 26 mars 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5QmpEoE0wU

In the third video (Cégep Bois-de-Boulogne), you can see that the gymnasium is pretty packed. Students gathered to vote on whether or not the next general assembly to extend the strike should be held ONLY once the minister of education and the student associations negotiated a deal. The reason behind such a vote is as follows: If students were to vote against the above proposition, the student association would continue to hold general assemblies to extend the strike mandate on a much more regular basis (some SAs held a general assembly every 7 days). After having voted by what appears to have been a secret ballot, the chair of the general assembly announced the results: 917 in favour (64%), 464 against (33%) and 36 abstentions (3%). Thus, following an offer, made by the minister of education Lynne Beauchamps on April 5, 2012, a general assembly was convened by the executive of l'Association générale des étudiants de Bois-de-Boulogne and convened on April 12, 2012.

Ontario activists lend their voices in solidarity with strike Quebec students

Now, after this long-winded introduction on the Québec student strike, let me get to the topic of this post: students organizing outside of Québec, in "solidarity" with the striking québécois students. This section will focus on events that have occurred in Ontario. However, numerous actions have taken place in other areas across Canada and as far as the France, the United States and in Chili.

Let's start with Occupy Toronto activists whom, during a May 21, 2012 general assembly held at Cloud Garden, heard from "Laura", a student activist from Québec. The outcome of this meeting led to one of the first actions undertaken in Ontario which was a protest held in Toronto, Ontario on May 22, 2012. This protest was held in conjunction with the massive student protest held in Montreal to commemorate the 100th day of the student strike. Approximately 300 people showed up to this first solidarity protest.

A call for support from 4 Québec student activists (Max Silverman, Andrée Bourbeau, Émilie Breton-Côté and Émilie Charette), all member of the Coalition large de l'Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE), was published on May 22, 2012.

Ontario Activists Form the Ontario Student Mobilization Coalition

On May 24, 2012, a group of student activists, labour union reps and community organizers gathered at Ryerson University and formed the Ontario Student Solidarity Network (OSSN). Those present agreed to the following statement of principles:

1. We stand in solidarity with Québec students.

2. We will fight to defend affordable, accessible and free public education.

3. We oppose the oppressive Bill 78 of Quebec, other municipal laws and police actions.

4. We understand that our struggle is linked with a broader agenda of austerity and oppose this broad agenda. 

From left to right: Benoit Dupuis (Ontario Public Service Employees Union), Sandy Hudson (chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario) and Xavier Lafrance (former spokesperson for l'Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante)

A press conference was held in Toronto on May 25, 2012 which announced the creation of the new group. Present at the press conference: Sandy Hudson, the chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, Xavier Lafrance, a former spokesperson for the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ) and current PhD student at York University and Benoit Dupuis, an Ontario Public Service Employees Union representative.

On May 25, 2012, Here and Now Toronto's Laura Di Battista spoke with Nora Loreto, the former communications and government relations coordinator for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, about the Québec student strike and how students in Ontario might "import"  the strike movement into the province with the highest tuition fees in Canada. You can listen to that interview below:

Another student group has also been created: The Ontario Student Mobilisation Coalition (OSMC). Student activists coined the term "Maple spread" (on Twitter, #maplespread) to describe the phenomenon of "spreading" the Québec student strike to Ontario. The OSMC defines #maplespread as follows:

Maple Spread: awareness spreading across the nation. Knowledge and outrage spreading through our minds, inspiration spreading through our hearts. Rallies, coalitions, demands, all spreading across the Quebec border.

The OSMC's website states:

Through groups such as the OSMC, we hope to spread the word that all Canadians are concerned about the future of our education. #MapleSpread, or the Maple Spring movement, is about demonstrating solidarity with a free education movement. (On twitter at @OntarioSMC or with #maplespread and on facebook at the Ontario Students Mobilization Coalition)

The organization's "living goals" are:

1. Free postsecondary education 

2. Decolonize education 

3. Work to see student unions recognized under the Labour Law like in Quebec, rather than the Corporations Act; this is to secure our legal right to strike through general assembly

Finally, the organization's call to action can be found here.

Actions Elsewhere in Ontario

Closer to home, students at the University of Ottawa barricaded Alan Rock's office on May 24, 2012. In a press release, Nicole Desnoyers, the organizer of the occupation, denounces the University of Ottawa's Board of Governors for having approved a 5% tuition increase during its April 2, 2012 meeting.

The so-called "Casseroles" protests first began in Ontario on May 25, 2012. One of Ottawa's first 'casseroles' protest occurred on May 29, 2012.

London, Ontario also got in on the Casseroles action on May 29, 2012:

This led to what was dubbed "Casserole Night in Canada" on May 30, 2012 which has become a recurring event in big cities as well as smaller towns and villages across the country.

The next major protest, organized by the OSMC, occurred on June 5, 2012 with George Brown College as its starting point.

Mobilize to Take Back our Education, Toronto, Ontario - June 5, 2012 - Photo credit: Anna Crooke

Many events happened on June 22, 2012, once again, in conjunction with the monthly protests in Québec. The following list of events is obviously not exhaustive.

Casseroles
- St-Thomas, Ontario
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Brantford, Ontario
- Kapuskasing, Ontario
- Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
- London, Ontario

You can see more events by checking out this special 'Casseroles' Google Maps!

The OSMC organized an event dubbed La Masquerade Solidarité on June 22, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario.

Rally during La Masquerade Solidarité - Toronto, ON - June 22, 2012 - Photo credit: Jessa McLean

As has been the tradition on the 22nd day of each month, July 22, 2012 was filled with protests. CLASSE organized the protests in Québec and dubbed it Dehors les Néolibéraux!

In the nation's capital, the Munch and March: Support Free Education took place at Confederation Park.

Since this post has become quite long, I will simply make mention, for the time being, of the Ontario Student Solidarity Tour. The speaking tour included an appearance by the co-spokesperson of  la CLASSE, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, on the first stop of the tour at the University of Ottawa. Other student activists included: Jérémie Bédard-Wien, an executive member of la CLASSE, Hugo Bonin, an activist with la CLASSE, Marianne Breton Fontaine, editor of the Québec Young Communist League's newspaper Jeunesse Militante and Audrey Deveault, the Chairperson of the Dawson Student Union. Sarah Jayne King, the chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario was also present to moderate the discussions. The tour was sponsored by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, Jeunesse Militante and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. To find out more about tour, visit www.solidaritytour.tumblr.com. 

Finally, during the weekend of July 28 & 29, 2012, the University of Toronto Graduate Students' Union (UTGSU) hosted the Ontario Student Strike Training Camp. Pictures of the weekend events can be found here. 

It goes without saying that Ontario and Québec are completely different in so many ways. Knowing what you now know about what has been going on in Ontario in terms of "importing" or "spreading" the Quebec student strike into this province, what do you think? Are Ontario student organizers too optimistic in attempting to organize a student strike as soon as this fall (September 2012)? What are the chances that a widespread student strike ever occurs in Ontario...? in any other Canadian province/territory...? I look forward to hearing what your thoughts are on this issue! Don't be shy! Les commentaires en Français sont aussi encouragés!