Tuition Fee Announcement

We still have not been given any word about the status of the announcement on tuition fee increases. The absence of an announcement is undoubtedly a sign that the government is nervous about how the announcement is going to be received by Ontario families. Already the announcement is nearly two months later than originally expected. College and university administrations cannot be happy either, since they are in the midst of preparing next year's budgets and calendars, and have no concrete information to use.

However, each day of the delay gives us more time to organise and get the word out about the looming fee hikes. Now is the time to re-distribute the Federation's website far and wide: www.reduceTuitionFees.ca and www.CFSontario.ca. We have updated the message and copied all MPPs on the fax campaign. We should get as many faxes sent as possible between now and the announcement.

Last Friday, March 3, Local 20 representatives (Nipissing University Student Union) organised a constituency office picket of Liberal MPP Monique Smith. The media coverage was excellent, and included: local CTV television; the major print daily the North Bay Nugget; as well as local radio stations.

On Thursday, March 2, Local 98 representatives at the University of Toronto in Mississauga organised a demonstration with less than 3 hours notice, to call on the University President to stop tuition fee hikes. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion was in attendance at the event and met with students to hear their concerns. Likewise, the event garnered significant media coverage including local print, television and radio.

This week in Peterborough, Local 71 (Trent Central Student Association) is organising an on-campus rally for Wednesday, March 8. Other locals in Toronto, London, and Guelph are set for emergency pickets the day after the announcement.

original information from the CFS