Budget Cuts at Brock: Union leaders threaten to shutdown Brock University

Following a major rally yesterday at Brock University, CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan has threatened to close down the university, which has recently announced that a round of budget cuts will be made to the operating budget. Departments have been asked to propose cuts of 3% and 6.9% respectively, and many have indicated that the cuts are likely to come out of the universities part-time teaching budget. CUPE 4207, the union representing part-time faculty, teaching assistants, marker-graders, lab demonstrators, and course coordinators, will be bargaining for a new collective agreement this summer.

"There is no need whatsoever for cutbacks," CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan announced at the rally. "We can easily, completely and totally shut down this university and send the message to (president Jack) Lightstone that you may have gotten away with this at Concordia (University) but you won't get away with it at Brock."

While Ryan is indeed correct in the union's ability to shut-down the university, these budget cuts are completely unnecessary in the first place, as tuition fees are set to go up by 4.5 per cent for undergraduates and eight per cent for graduate students next year; government funding for Ontario universities will grow by 3.8 per cent for next year alone, meaning an extra $110 million will be allocated to Ontario universities. In addition, Brock finance stated that they were operating a $3.9 million surplus that will be carried over to the next fiscal year that starts July 1, 2007. "So when you have a surplus, tuition fees are going up and the government is investing more money," said CUPE 4207 vice-president Curtis Maloley. "All of this should lead to better education, not to cuts that are going to affect students negatively."

With over 100 people in attendance at yesterday's rally, which moved from the university's front gates to in front of the Senate Chamber, a strong message was sent to the university's administration. It is their choice on whether or not to act upon it. "This doesn't end today. We'll keep going until we know for sure the university is properly funded," said Dan Crow, president of CUPE 4207.