Quebec
      Students
      Protest
      Move
      to
      Court
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Quebec
      CUP
      Bureau
     
     
      by
      Heidi
      Modro
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MONTREAL
      (CUP)
      --
      The
      Quebec
      government
      is
     
     
      being
      hauled
      to
      court
      by
      a
      group
      of
      students
      for
     
     
      imposing
      a
      130
      per
      cent
      tuition
      fee
      hike
      last
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      from
      four
      universities
      are
      banding
      together
     
     
      in
      this
      last-ditch
      effort
      to
      reverse
      the
      government’s
     
     
      decision
      to
      increase
      fees
      in
      the
      province
      for
      the
      first
     
     
      time
      in
      20
      years.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "We
      tried
      a
      massive
      strike
      last
      year
      ‘and
      it
      didn’t
     
     
      work,
      so
      this
      time
      we’re
      going
      to
      use
      the
      court
     
     
      system
      to
      get
      the
      decision
      changed,"
      said
      Nicholas
     
     
      Plourde
      of
      the
      Federation
      des
      Etudiantes
      et
     
     
      Etudiants
      du
      Quebec
      (FEEQ).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      federation
      claims
      the
      increase
      violates
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *
      Quebec
      Charter
      of
      Human
      Rights
      which
      guarantees
     
     
      "free
      public
      education."
      They
      say
      it
      also
      contravenes
     
     
      the
      Canadian
      Charter
      of
      Rights
      and
      Freedoms,
     
     
      which
      protects
      the
      individual’s
      right
      to
      education.
     
     
      And
      it
      violates
      a
      United
      Nations
      pact
      signed
      by
      the
     
     
      _
      Quebec
      government
      in
      1976
      that
      guarantees
      access
     
     
      to
      education
      to
      all
      and
      calls
      for
      more
      accessible
     
     
      universities,
      Plourde
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "We’re
      ready
      to
      go
      all
      the
      way
      to
      the
      Supreme
     
     
      Court
      if
      necessary,”
      he
      said.
      "It’s
      not
      up
      to
      students
     
     
      to
      shoulder
      the
      burden
      of
      university
      underfunding
     
     
      through
      a
      tuition
      increase."
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Plourde
      said
      the
      federation’s
      goal
      is
      to
      force
      the
     
     
      government
      back
      to
      the
      negotiating
      table
      to
      strike
     
     
      a
      new
      deal
      that
      would
      be
      acceptable
      to
      both
      parties.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      federation
      believes
      the
      solution
      to
      the
     
     
      province’s
      university
      underfunding
      crisis
      lies
      in
     
     
      getting
      the
      government
      to
      increase
      funding
      ‘and
     
     
      forcing
      universities
      to
      cut
      administrative
      costs.
     
     
      They’re
      also
      asking
      students
      to
      pay
      a
      special
      tax
     
     
      after
      they’ve
      graduated.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Plourde
      said
      the
      federation
      claim
      wil!
      be
      heard
      by
     
     
      Quebec
      Superior
      Court
      in
      December.
      Federation
     
     
      members
      will
      kick
      in
      money
      to
      pay
      the
      $10,000
      in
     
     
      legal
      expenses.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      decision
      is
      expected
      by
      next
      spring.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "If
      they
      refuse
      to
      open
      up
      negotiations
      again,
      then
     
     
      we'll
      definitely
      go
      all
      the
      way
      with
      the
      court
      systern,"
     
     
      he
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Plourde
      said
      that
      if.
      the
      federation
      wins,
      the
     
     
      government
      will
      be
      forced
      to
      reimburse
      the
      money
     
     
      students
      have
      paid
      in
      extra
      fees
      this
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      Luc
      Rheaume,
      an
      education
      ministry
      official,
     
     
      said
      the
      government
      is
      not
      worried
      about
      a
      legal
     
     
      battle.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "They
      have
      a
      right
      to
      try,
      but
      it’s
      useless,"
      Rheaume
     
     
      said.
      "They'll
      never
      get
      anywhere
      and
      we
      don’t
      plan
     
     
      to
      renegotiate
      what
      has
      already
      been
      decided.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Quebec
      fees
      --
      frozen
      at
      about
      $540
      since
      1968
      --
      go
     
     
      up
      to
      $890
      this
      fall,
      and
      will
      increase
      to
      $1240
      in
     
     
      1991-92.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Senior
      Class
      Main
      Event
      and
      Contest
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      is
      welcome
      to
      come
      and
      party
      at
      the
     
     
      Senior
      Class
      Main
      Event
      on
      Thursday,
      Oct.
      4,
      1990
     
     
      at
      the
      Barn.
      Music
      is
      by
      Peter
      and
      the
      Rockets
      and
     
     
      it
      is
      Wet/Dry.
      Tickets
      are
      $3.00
      and
      will
      be
     
     
      available
      in
      advance.
      Start
      the
      long
      weekend
      right
     
     
      and
      come
      to
      the
      Senior’s
      Main
      Event.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Also,
      the
      Senior
      Class
      logo
      contest
      will
      close
      on
     
     
      Oct.
      11,
      1990
      at
      noon.
      Remember,
      drop
      off
      your
     
     
      designs
      at
      the
      S.U.
      office
      in
      the
      Barn.
      The
      winner
     
     
      will
      receive
      a
      Senior
      Week
      package.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Melissa
      James,
      Senior
      Class
      President
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      27,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      9