Community and Public Affairs and Women’s Studies Students Vote to Strike

Two More Concordia Student Associations to Strike March 23 and April 2

NewsJosh Fischlin — Published March 20, 2015

The School of Community and Public Affairs Student Association (SCPASA) voted in favor of a “limited strike,” to take place on March 23 and April 2.

The word “limited” was added to the motion to clarify that the strike will be taking place exclusively on the two agreed-upon days, with no renewal assembly scheduled yet.

At a separate assembly, the Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA) voted in favor of a strike on March 23 and for the week between March 30 and April 3.

WSSA’s position will be re-evaluated at another assembly on April 1.

Also discussed at the SCPASA meeting was the inclusion of the First Peoples Studies program in the strike. Students were unsure whether or not the school should be able to deliberate on behalf of the First Peoples Studies, but ultimately they were included in the motion, and therefore will be a part of the movement.

The vote to strike was held as a secret ballot. There were 29 in favour, 15 against, and 4 abstentions.

Executive Secretary of the SCPASA, Agunik Mamikonyan, says it is better to strike for two days rather than a week.

“I felt like the purpose of the strike was met in the sense that people want to show solidarity, and at the same time they weren’t going to prevent other students from completing their degree, or their studies,” she said. “So even those who voted against were left quite happy.”

Students of WSSA agreed that their strike will cease all academic activity and disrupt classes.

The vote was passed with 16 in favour, 0 against, and 1 abstention.

On Thusday, Concordia’s President Alan Shepard announced classes would be cancelled on March 23 for students in Fine Arts , Geography and Philosophy . These associations all voted to strike on March 23. Liberal Arts students and graduate sociology and anthropology students have also voted to strike.

Correction: In a previous iteration of this article, it stated that there was no chance the SCPASA could renew their strike mandate. The Link regrets the error.