OUWCC Petition Read into Ontario Hansard

Several Toronto OUWCC [Ontario University Workers Co-ordinating Committee] reps, Mary Catherine McCarthy and CUPE members from U of T met with Mr. Rosario Marchese last Friday and on Monday April 11 he read into the House of Commons the following CUPE petition OUWCC created:

Ontario Hansard - 11-April2005
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Mr. Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina): "To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas rebuilding our post-secondary education system is critical to the
future of our communities and our province; and

"Whereas high tuition user fees are resulting in massive student debt;
and

"Whereas Ontario ranks second-last among all provinces in terms of total PSE
budget received from government grants and has the highest percentage of total post-secondary education revenues from private sources; and

"Whereas working and learning conditions must be healthy and safe, because
working conditions are learning conditions; and

"Whereas the deferred maintenance cost at Ontario university campuses is estimated to have already reached the $2-billion mark;

"We, the undersigned, support the Canadian Union of Public Employees' call
on the provincial government to invest sufficient public funds that will:

"(1) Restore public money cut from operating funds since 1995 and bring Ontario up to the national average for funding post-secondary education;

"(2) Finance the $1.98 billion needed for deferred maintenance; and

"(3) Provide the funding needed to continue the tuition freeze beyond 2006
and increase grants to working-class families."