Letters to the editor
Dear University of Manitoba Students,
On behalf of students at the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, I encourage you to vote “yes” to membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. Students at the University of Winnipeg are excited at the prospect of working with students at the University of Manitoba through our national student organization.
All students in Manitoba know how important it is for us to work together in order to deliver a strong, united message to decision-makers. Our collective effort has kept tuition fees frozen at 1999 levels, saving full-time students over $1000 every year. This victory has been significant in stemming the tide of rising tuition fees, and in ensuring that the provincial government adequately funds post-secondary education.
Our success in Manitoba has been mirrored in other provinces with a strong student voice. For instance, consider the following statement from Statistics Canada in its most recent analysis of university funding:
“Student fees have increased at a faster pace than government contributions every year since 1990/91, except 1999/2000. However, in 2000/01, government contributions increased faster in six provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.”
It is no coincidence that those provinces listed above are those where the student movement is most united and where tuition fee freezes and reductions have been won.
In no small way has support from the Canadian Federation of Students bolstered this effort and influenced our success. National student movement solidarity is key to keeping our work strong, credible and supported.
Students at the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg have worked together informally in a number of efforts — most significantly to win and keep the tuition fee freeze.
Voting “yes” to full membership in the Canadian Federation of Students will solidify our partnership. We will be able to advocate even more effectively for students in Manitoba.
Give our message the full weight of 40,000 members. Vote “yes” to membership in the Canadian Federation of Students, and make the student voice in Manitoba a force the government can’t ignore.
Sincerely,
Kate Sjoberg, President
University of Winnipeg Students’ Association Local 8 Canadian Federation of Students
To University of Manitoba students,
On behalf of the 22,000 full-time and graduate students at Ryerson University, I urge you to vote “yes” in your upcoming referendum to join the Canadian Federation of Students.
Every day, students at Ryerson University benefit from membership in the Federation. Two such benefits are the tuition fee freeze that we won in Ontario in 2004 and the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for discounted travel that is available at no charge to members but costs $16 for non-members.
The need for students throughout the country to work together has never been greater. As we face further de-regulation of tuition fees, underfunding and the continued privatization of our campuses, the Federation is a strong and united voice for accessible, public, post-secondary education.
It’s not just a cliché: there is strength in numbers. By joining the CFS, students at the University of Manitoba will work with over 500,000 students and more than 80 students’ unions to create a stronger voice for university and college students in Manitoba and across Canada.
Working together through the CFS, we can make post-secondary education
accessible and of high quality!
In solidarity,
Rebecca Rose, President
Ryerson Students’ Union Local 24 Canadian Federation of Students
A united front
On behalf of 3,000 graduate students here at the University of Manitoba, I encourage you to vote yes on November 8-10 to membership in the Canadian Federation of Students.
Since 2001, University of Manitoba graduate students have enjoyed numerous benefits of membership in the CFS, including cost-saving discounts on travel and services through the free International Student Identity Card and the Studentsaver discount card, timely research on key student issues, and assistance in solving student loan problems.
CFS research and lobbying has resulted in many victories for students in recent years, including:
- 10 per cent tuition fee reduction and the 5-year freeze in Manitoba
- 66 per cent reduction of proposed ancillary fees
- increased capital funding for Manitoba universities and colleges
- 500 per cent increase in federal tax exemption for scholarships, fellowships, and bursaries
- a new off-campus work program for international students
- more provincial grants and bursaries for students
Graduate and undergraduate students share this university. Graduate students attend classes, grade your papers and contribute to your professors’ research. Like you, we are concerned about the quality of education at U of M, and we believe that undergraduate and graduate students need to work together to ensure that both levels of government make education funding a greater priority. The Canadian Federation of Students provides us with a strong voice at the Legislature and on Parliament Hill.
By voting to join the CFS, you will be uniting every university student in the province and connecting University of Manitoba students with half a million students across Canada. Voting “yes” will also further solidify the relationship between graduate and undergraduate students right here on campus. By pooling our resources, our research, our services and our efforts, we can achieve more victories for students at every level of decision-making: locally, provincially and nationally.
