Protesters met this afternoon in front of MPP Jeff Yurek’s office in St.Thomas to protest the changes to tuition and osap.
Among the group was OPSEU union members, London Student Coalition members, students, PSAC 610 members and others.
Jody Tomchishen is part of The London Student Coalition and he says Doug Ford and his government gave the news of the 10 per cent tuition cut as a way to soften the blow. He also says that Ontario students pay too much in tuition.
“Even with the 10 per cent decrease in tuition, we’re still the highest tuition rate in all of Canada.”
Tomchishen says that OSAP grants have been removed which will see people from low income families lose the free tuition that was only recently put in place a couple years ago.
He goes on to say that the student choice initiative is going to defund student unions.
“It’s clearly an ideological move. Doug Ford basically said he’s doing this because he’s worried about the crazy Marxist nonsense that occurs in student unions.”
Tomchishen continues by saying this is further prove of how out of touch he (Ford) is and says he is trying to silence the students who don’t like what he stands for.
Tomchishen believes these changes will have a big impact on everybody.
“Our society is going to suffer.”
He goes on to say that Universities and Colleges were already set up for the rich and says this is just going to make things worse because he says education is a human right.
President of OPSEU Local 110 of the Fanshawe Faculty Union, Darryl Bedford, says everybody their has common goals.
“I think we realize that we have some issues in terms of supporting students who are affected by the OSAP cuts. Also the loss of student unions who can see the loss of fees.”
Bedford says they will come after trade unions next.
“We have a Fanshawe college campus here in St.Thomas and those students are very much affected by the changes to OSAP by the changes to student unions. Who will be their voice? Who will advocate for them. I think it’s important to support student media and clubs. It’s all those things that make a campus a living breathing place where students feel supported.”
He says the big message is that they want to see that college system is supported.
“ I think we really need representatives who are focused on the needs of the community that they serve.”
Fanshawe College student Debra Woodhall says this will impact all students.
“It is going to affect students and affect their ability to get a good education. Larger class size, less services will be available, staff cuts, less professors, more part-time which isn’t good for anybody.”
Woodhall goes on to say “We are being a voice to the things he’s done and making this town aware of how it will affect everybody.”
The London Student Coalition is organizing a province-wide student walkout to be held on Wednesday, March 20 at 12 pm (noon). You can join the walkout which will be located locally outside of Western University’s UCC at that time.
