FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March
8, 2006
Tuition fee hikes
are a step in the wrong direction, OPSEU says
TORONTO – The McGuinty
government’s move today to allow tuition fees to rise for
college and university students is a step in the wrong
direction, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.
“We have been on record for
years stating that we support the long-term goal of zero
tuition for post-secondary education in Ontario,” said Paddy
Musson, Chair of OPSEU’s College Academic Division. “Today’s
announcement takes us further away from that goal.”
“We believe in Mr. McGuinty’s
three principles of quality, accessibility, and
accountability for post-secondary education,” Musson said.
“There is no way that raising tuition fees can make
post-secondary education more accessible to students.”
A news story quoting an OPSEU
spokesperson earlier today gave the mistaken impression that
the union approved of the fee hikes as a means to settle the
current strike by college faculty. This is not the union’s
position.
“The resolution of our
bargaining dispute is not higher tuitions,” said Ted
Montgomery, chair of the union bargaining team. “It is for
the colleges to table an offer that addresses the issue of
quality to provide more faculty, and more faculty time, for
each and every student.”
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For more information:
David Cox (416) 443-8888
ext. 8314; (416) 788-9197 (cell)
Randy Robinson (416) 448-7441; 788-9134 (cell)
