General Assembly April 2 2012 – Minutes
Agenda
1. Approval of Agenda
2. Vote to affirm the existing strike mandate
3. Date of next General Assembly (university closed Monday April 9
4. Demands for international students
5. Update on the CLASSE Congress and vote on mandates for CLASSE delegates
6. Adjourn
GSA Members present: 60
Quorum met
Call to Order: 9:55 am
Motion to approve Daniel Simeone as GA Chair and Linda Overing as Secretary: David; Second: Ryan
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Daniel Simeone will act as GA Chair; and Linda Overing will act as GA Secretary
Vote to adopt resolution: PASSED
1.0 Approval of Agenda
a) Motion to approve agenda: Ryan Madden; second: Holly Nazar
1.1 Motion to amend agenda: Ryan Madden
a) Motivation: Ryan Madden
- Question of GSA’s mandate to “force” strike action, i.e. picketing, etc.
b) Vote to amend agenda: FAILED
1.2 Motion to amend agenda: Pamela; second: Chris
a) Motivation: Pamela
- Addition of information about IP (In Progress) notation
b) Vote to amend agenda: PASSED
- Agenda amended to add information about IP notation as Item 3.
1.3 Motion to adopt amended agenda
REVISED AGENDA:
1. Adoption of Agenda
2. Vote to affirm the existing strike mandate
3. Information about IP notation
4. Date of next General Assembly (university closed Monday, April 9/12)
5. Demands for international students
6. Update on the CLASSE Congress and vote on mandates for CLASSE delegates
7. Adjourn
a) Vote to adopt amended agenda: PASSED
2.0 Vote to affirm the existing strike mandate
a) Motion to affirm existing strike mandate: Giullea; second: Holly Nazar
2.1 Motion to add new resolution to strike mandate: Ryan Madden; second: None
a) Motion dismissed
2.2 Discussion: Rushdia; Ryan; David; Renée; Holly; Didier
a) Concerns about non-observation of strike mandate; undermining by peers; therefore, jeopardizing those striking; “coercion” by GSA; recognition of the fact that all graduate students have an opportunity to participate in GAs and exercise their right to vote for/against strike mandate.
2.3 Motion to amend strike resolution to reflect choice about soft picketing/hard picketing for each department by removing the item: “the GSA will encourage and support picket line actions for the collective and visible cessation of classes”: Ryan; second: Laurent
a) Discussion: Sean, Geography; Audrey, Education
- hard picketing now going on in some departments, therefore softening the resolution jeopardizes those students; questioning authority of GA to change original resolution
b) Clarification: Nadia
c) Vote on motion to amend resolution: FAILED
d) Discussion: Ryan
2.4 Motion to affirm the existing strike mandate:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Graduate Students’ Association of Concordia University shall remain on strike as voted at the General Assembly of 6 March 2012;
Note: at the GSA General Assembly of 19 March it was resolved that: “By Strike we mean that we will not be attending class nor submitting coursework in recognition that they are inseparable, and that to submit coursework while not attending class implies that class time is irrelevant; and that the GSA will encourage and support picket line actions for the collective and visible cessation of classes.”
a) Vote to adopt resolution: PASSED
3.0 Information about IP (In Progress) notation
a) Clarification: Pamela
b) Holly: motion to mandate herself to investigate IP information and its usefulness as a pro-strike statement; suggestion to consider other tactics
c) Discussion: using Course Evaluations as Statement
4.0 Date of next General Assembly (university closed Monday April 9/12)
a) Motion to give GSA authority to change date of next GA: Holly; second: Chris
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the GSA executive may organize the next General Assembly for either April 10/12 or April 11/12.
b) Vote to adopt resolution: PASSED
5.0 Demands for international students
a) Motion to adopt omnibus resolution concerning demands for international students: Nadia
- Motivation presentation: Nadia
5.1 Discussion: Audrey; 3 international students
a) Call to international students present to be part of discussion; response by 3 international students: these demands are important
5.2 Reading of motion by Chair/presentation of motion on screen
5.3 Motion to adopt Resolution: Nadia; second: Chris
a) Request to remove Item 3 for vote: Laurent
b) Alternative request to separate omnibus items and group tuition Items (1,2,6) and financial items (3,4,5) separately
- GA agrees
c) Discussion re Items: employment is restricted; international students as “subsidized”; rebuttal stating that international students subsidize much at university in that the forfaitaire fees go directly to university; international students’ contributions to economy
5.4 Motion to adopt Resolution Items 1,2,6:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the GSA recommends to the CLASSE Negotiation Committee the following demands to the government:
1. Reverse the provincial government’s policy allowing universities to annually increase international tuition by 10%;
2. Reverse the provincial government’s policy allowing universities to increase tuition for undergraduate international students in the six programs of Engineering, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Applied Sciences, Management and Law;
6. Freeze international student tuition (forfaitaire) fees until their eventual equality with students who are Québec residents.
c) Vote to adopt Resolution Items 1,2,6: PASSED
5.5 Motion to adopt Resolution Items 3,4,5
a) Request to remove Item 5 from vote: Didier
- Request allowed
b) Discussion: Laurent
5.6 Motion to adopt Resolution Items 3,4:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the GSA recommends to the CLASSE Negotiation Committee the following demands to the government:
3. Allow international students the right to work off-campus without restriction;
4. Provide more funding and financial aid opportunities for international students.
a) Vote to adopt Resolution Items 3,4: PASSED
5.7 Motion to adopt Resolution Item 5
a) Discussion: Didier; Rushdia
- overloading “laundry list” to government; negotiating strategies; different tiers for insurance and medical care
b) Question called: Holly
5.8 Motion to adopt Resolution Item 5:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the GSA recommends to the CLASSE Negotiation Committee the following demands to the government:
5. Allow international students access to health insurance under Québec medicare.
a) Vote to adopt Resolution Item 5: PASSED
5.9 Omnibus Resolution concerning demands for international students: PASSED
6.0 Update on the CLASSE Congress and vote on mandates for CLASSE delegates
6.1 Quorum called by Didier
7.0 Meeting closed: 11:54
a) No quorum
04/02/12
Secretary: Linda Overing, Student #3599000
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