Carleton Students Forced to Take University to Court Over Unpaid Fees

OTTAWA, Nov. 11 /CNW/ - The Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) and the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) have asked for a judge to step in after the University Administration decided to withhold the two organization's membership fees. The University is withholding the fees in an effort to force the groups into signing new fee agreements.

"The University collected this money on behalf of the students' unions and has no right to withhold our democratically decided membership fees" said Alex Sirois, CUSA President. "Membership fees are our sole source of operating revenue. Without these fees, we won't be able to offer services like our food bank, safe walk home program, or health plan and may be forced to close our businesses."

On October 25, the University's Board of Governors passed a motion to withhold money collected from students on behalf of the two organizations until new administrative agreements were signed. The Board made this decision despite the students' unions having negotiated in good-faith with the administration for over a year resulting in the students' unions making concessions that address all of the University's stated concerns. In response, the University has demanded financial controls over the students' unions that would not only jeopardize the students' unions' autonomy, but actually increase the University's exposure to liability.

"Students have decided to pay these fees for on-campus services and representation," said Kimalee Philip, President of the Graduate Students' Association. "Senior administrators think that they should decide where students' money goes instead and are attempting to starve the students' unions by withholding our only source of operating revenue."

CUSA and the GSA have been critical of the University's handling of a number of issues including: current labour negotiations with the on-campus unions; the lack of student space on campus; and the need for a sexual assault support centre on campus. They have also opposed the University's attempt to take control of Orientation Week events.

"The claim that this is about financial accountability is a red herring", continued Phillip "this is about political interference plain and simple. They want to silence students' voices on-campus."

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