&
      ft
      :
     
     
      Page
      3
      f
      Al
      mpla
      Dec.
      14,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Union
      denies
     
     
      association
      with
      CFS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Organizations
      clash
      over
     
     
      representation
      Issue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jarrod
      Yeo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      small
      fortune.
     
    

    
     
      That's
      what
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Federation
      for
      Students
      (CFS)
      is
     
     
      accusing
      the
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
     
     
      of
      owing
      for
      unpaid
      membership
      _
     
     
      fees
      dating
      back
      to
      last
      year.
     
    

    
     
      Amanda
      Azid,
      the
      national
      chair-
     
     
      person
      for
      the
      CFS
      said
      her
     
     
      records
      indicate
      UPEI
      owes
      for
     
     
      two
      years
      of
      membership
      fees.
     
    

    
     
      "UPEI's
      student
      union
      is
      behind
     
     
      in
      remitting
      membership
      fees
      for
     
     
      2005
      and
      2006,
      so
      that's
      going
      to
     
     
      have
      to
      be
      taken
      care
      of."
     
    

    
     
      The
      CFS
      charges
      UPEI
      $7.64
      per
     
     
      student
      per
      academic
      year.
      With
     
     
      3,321
      full-time
      students
      enrolled,
     
     
      it
      equals
      $50,000
      for
      the
      two
     
     
      years,
      not
      including
      part-time
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      fees.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      this
      contrasts
      sharply
     
     
      with
      the
      SU's
      stance
      on
      the
      issue.
     
     
      SU
      president
      Willy
      Gauthier
      says
     
     
      UPEI
      owes
      the
      CFS
      nothing.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      student
      union
      holds
      the
     
     
      position
      that
      we
      are
      not
      and
      never
     
     
      were
      members
      of
      the
      CFS
      and
      the
     
     
      CFS
      does
      not
      provide
      us
      with
      any
     
     
      service."
     
    

    
     
      Relations
      between
      UPEI
      and
      the
     
     
      CFS,
      which
      date
      back
      to
      the
      early
     
     
      1980s,
      have
      always
      been
      the
      sub-
     
     
      ject
      of
      debate.
      In
      1981,
      the
      CFS
     
     
      expressed
      interest
      in
      recruiting
     
     
      UPEI
      as
      a
      member,
      and
      the
      feeling
     
     
      was
      reciprocated.
      In
      a
      report
      to
     
     
      council
      dated
      Jan.
      31,
      1981
      to
      then
     
     
      SU
      president
      Terry
      Palmer
      and
     
     
      John
      MacDougall,
      an
      elected
      rep-
     
     
      resentative
      to
      the
      CFS,
      reported
      if
     
     
      the
      UPEI
      SU
      wished
      to
      become
      a
     
     
      full-time
      member,
      the
      student
      body
     
     
      would
      have
      to
      hold
      a
      referendum
     
     
      and
      gain
      two-thirds
      of
      the
      popular
     
     
      vote.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      no
      official
      UPEISU
     
     
      records
      exist
      detailing
      the
      outcome
     
     
      of
      the
      referendum,
      media
      accounts
     
     
      of
      the
      referendum
      results,
      as
      print-
     
     
      ed
      on
      Feb.
      10,
      1984,
      indicate
      the
     
     
      pro-CFS
      position
      received
      182
     
     
      votes
      in
      favour
      of
      joining
      the
      fed-
     
     
      eration
      while
      140
      votes
      were
     
     
      against,
      representing
      less
      than
      the
     
     
      two-thirds
      requirement.
     
    

    
     
      In
      January
      1996,
      a
      referendum
     
     
      for
      deconfederation
      was
      held
     
     
      under
      the
      leadership
      of
      then
      presi-
     
     
      dent
      Amber
      Allin.
      The
      pro-decon-
     
     
      federation
      side
      won
      in
      a
      landslide,
     
     
      261-91.
     
    

    
     
      Azid,
      who
      has
      held
      her
      position
     
     
      since
      last
      year,
      said
      she
      was
     
     
      unaware
      of
      any
      previous
      efforts
      by
     
     
      UPEI
      to
      sever
      ties
      with
      the
      federa-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      process
      for
      leaving
      is
      the
     
     
      same
      for
      joining.
      The
      student
      body
     
     
      holds
      a
      referendum,
      needing
      two-
     
     
      thirds
      of
      students
      to
      vote
      yes
      to
      act
     
     
      either
      way.
     
    

    
     
      “T'm
      not
      aware
      of
      this
      ever
      hap-
     
     
      pening."
     
    

    
     
      However,
      in
      a
      letter
      dated
      Feb.
     
     
      16,
      1996,
      the
      former
      national
     
     
      chairperson
      of
      the
      CFS,
      Guy
     
     
      Caron,
      said
      the
      CFS
      would
      not
     
     
      accept
      the
      results.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      Federation.cannot
      recognize
     
     
      the
      results
      of
      this
      referendum
     
     
      because
      of
      the
      fundamental
      flaws
     
     
      in
      the
      process."
     
    

    
     
      He
      went
      on
      to
      cite
      problems
      with
     
     
      voter
      lists
      and
      polling
      stations
     
     
      attendants
      and
      indicated
      the
      CFS's
     
     
      willingness
      to
      go
      to
      court.
      The
      ref-
     
     
      erendum
      results
      were
      subsequently
     
     
      overturned.
     
    

    
     
      Further
      efforts
      to
      cut
      ties
      in
      the
     
     
      2000s
      also
      proved
      ineffective.
      In
     
     
      2002,
      the
      then
      SU
      President
     
     
      Brandon
      MacKenzie
      filed
      a
      35-
     
     
      page
      report
      indicating
      interest
      in
     
     
      severing
      ties
      once
      and
      for
      all.
     
     
      MacKenzie's
      report
      scathed
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      CFS
      for
      lobbying
      on
      issues
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pertinent
      to
      education.
      It
      also
     
     
      reported
      that
      at
      the
      time,
      the
      SU
     
     
      paid
      approximately
      $18,090
      annu-
     
     
      ally
      for
      services
      including
      ISIC
     
     
      Cards,
      Student
      saver
      cards,
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      the
      use
      of
      a
      Maritime
      field
     
     
      worker.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      demonstrated
      how
      the
      SU
     
     
      could
      obtain
      better
      service
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      other
      national
      representation
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one-third
      the
      cost
     
    

    
     
      Matters
      were
      further
      complicated
     
     
      when
      students
      voted
      to
      join
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      Alliance
      for
      Student
     
     
      Associations
      (CASA)
      in
      October.
     
     
      The
      goal
      of
      both
      organizations
      is
     
     
      to
      defend
      the
      interests
      of
      post-sec-
     
     
      ondary
      students
      across
      Canada
      to
     
     
      federal
      and
      intra-provincial
      levels
     
     
      of
      government.
      UPEI
      is
      a
      member
     
     
      with
      both
      organizations,
      according
     
     
      to
      their
      respective
      websites.
     
    

    
     
      Other
      Maritime
      members
      of
     
     
      CASA
      include
      Acadia,
      Dalhousie,
     
     
      St.
      Mary's,
      St.
      FX,
      St.
      Thomas,
     
     
      UNB
      and
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      Today
      there
      is
      no
      record
      of
      a
     
     
      signed
      contract
      or
      any
      other
      legal-
     
     
      ly
      binding
      document
      within
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      SU
      regarding
      membership
     
     
      with
      the
      CFS.
     
    

    
     
      At
      this
      time,
      Azid
      says
      the
      organ-
     
     
      ization
      won't
      legal
      action
      against
     
     
      the
      SU.
     
    

    
     
      "I'm
      sure
      the
      student
      union
      will
     
     
      live
      up
      to
      their
      legal
      and
      contractu-
     
     
      al
      obligations."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      April
      8th,
      1970
      -
     
     
      UPEI
      SU
      founded.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1984
      -
      Original
      partnership
     
     
      between
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
     
     
      and
      the
      CFS
      is
      formed,
      with
     
    

    
     
      students
      voting
      182-140
      in
     
    

    
     
      favour.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2002
      -
      UPEI
     
     
      renews
      efforts
      to
     
     
      terminate
      relations
     
     
      with
      the
      CFS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2006
      -
      Students
     
     
      vote
      to
      join
      CASA.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1981
      -
      CFS
     
     
      founded.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1995-1996
      -
      UPEI
      hosts
     
     
      referendum
      to
      sever
      all
     
     
      relations
      with
      the
      CFS.
     
     
      The
      pro-defederation
     
     
      position
      defeats
      the
     
     
      CFS
      'yes'
      position
      by
      a
     
     
      margin
      of
      261-91.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2004
      -
      UPEI
      SU
     
     
      President
      Brandon
     
     
      MacKenzie
      prepares
      a
     
     
      35-page
      report
      examin-
     
     
      ing
      the
      relationship
     
     
      between
      UPEI
      and
      the
     
     
      CFS.
      It
      criticized
      the
     
     
      CFS
      for
      lobbying
      on
     
     
      ‘non-educational
      issues,
     
     
      from
      the
      war
      in
      Irag
      to
     
     
      supporting
      illegal
     
     
      strikes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Anderson
      House
     
     
      seeks
      charitable
     
     
      donations
      for
     
     
      Christmas
      Season
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      is
      Anderson
      house?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Anderson
      House
      is
      the
      provincial
     
     
      emergency
      shelter
      for
      abused
      women
     
     
      and
      children.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      How
      you
      can
      help:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Donate
      an
      in-need
      item
     
     
      -Drop
      off
      in-need
      items
      by
      Dec.
      24
      into
      the
     
     
      Christmas
      boxes
      located
      at
      the
      front
      desks
     
     
      in:
      student
      services,
      the
      sports
      centre
      and
     
     
      the
      library.