T f lf M C G IL L T P IC U N f
Volume 5, Number 19
Published by the Students' Society of McGill University
Tuesday 25 February, 1986
StudSoc Sued by Musicians G roup O ver Savoy by Adeeb Khalid The Montreal Musicians' Parity Com mission is taking StudSoc to court for not paying musicians with the Savoy Society minimum union rates. StudSoc President James Green fears paying those rates might mean putting the whole venture beyond the reach of the Students' Society. Le Comité paritaire des musiciens de la région de Montréal is a group set up by provincial statute to oversee finan cial arrangements of all musicians in the entertainment industry. It includes representatives of the Musicians' union and the industry, but not of amateur groups. Its current guidelines stipulate that musicians be paid a minimum of $73 for every performance for which admission is charged. Singers are not considered musicians. The McGill Savoy Society is an amateur group whose musicians, most ly drawn from the Faculty of Music, are paid honoraria rather than wages. Ac cording to StudSoc VP Finance Marie Davis, under the current arrangements, the Society needs only a small StudSoc subsidy to break even from the sale of tickets to its performances. "If we pay the musicians at the recommended
rates, we'd have to increase the budget by $6000,” she said, "and there's no way we could afford that, even if ticket prices were increased. "It seems strange to me that we are being forced to pay people who are willing not to be paid,” Davis said. "It's like human rights in reverse. Most peo ple involved with Savoy are McGill students or graduates who want the ex perience or involvement. It's all volun tary, and our honoraria are a way of say ing thank you." Davis also sees these measures as a serious threat to English theatre in Mon treal. "There's not too much of it as it is," she said, "and asking all amateur groups to pay at union rates could be the death of all English theatre in the ci ty." Green sees a difference between StudSoc and other amateur theatre groups. "Our members pay fees to us and part of our mandate is to enhance the cultural opportunities open to our members," he said. Savoy president Andrew Smith calls the Commission's actions "ridiculous. Rules are applied out of context," he said, pointing out that the Commission was first set up to deal with exploitation of musicians by night clubs. "We're ap-
pealing to the government to seek an exemption for student groups from the jurisdiction of the Commission," Smith said. According to Davis, StudSoc will
plead against the charges on the grounds that it would not be possible for the group to survive if the newfinan cial arrangements come in place. The McGill Savoy Society is not the
only one to have drawn the Commis sion's ire. All amateur theatrical groups in Montreal face similar action. Accor ding to Smith, however, no joint action has been taken yet.
Cancellation O f Youth Program Sparks Protest
by Pablo Policzer A nation-wide public awareness cam- it paign has been launched by La Comité S des Promotteurs de Katimavik to try and ° reverse the federal government's decision to close that program. 5 Several community groups have ex- ^ pressed their outrage at losing Canada's —I only national youth program. Ex- O participants have staged various pro tests and vow to do everything possible to save Katimavik. Katimavik is a program, launched ten years ago by Senator Jacques Hébert, that offers young people from 17-21 the opportunity to work in different Cana dian provinces in a variety of work pro jects. These in turn are determined by communities who would otherwise not be able to fund these projects. At a news conference two weeks ago, Pierre-Jean Parent, speaker for the Com ité was empathetic in stating his disap G o v 't R e p r is a ls pointment with the government's deci sion, which he called "a blow to our society's values." He noted that "the f o r X e r o x F e e s U n lik e ly decision was taken without consulta tion. We know the government's by Michèle Dupuis very surpised" if the government decid policies. They're going to try and create The provincial government has ed to lower subsidies in response to the only temporary jobs.. The work that declared that it will probably not take charge. Katimavik has done costs one third the action against McGill's recent imposi "Some students are protesting the sur amount it would have cost at minimum tion of a $100 materials charge. Luc charge, calling it a hidden fee," he said. wage." Rhéaume, press attaché to provincial "I'm not going to call it that." He said Other representatives from communi Minister of Education Claude Ryan, tole the issue was under discusion at the ty groups have also expressed their the Tribune that "fee schedules are up Ministry however. anger. Daniel J. Dubé, the mayor of Ste. to the universities, and they are Joli-Coeur also spoke of his Adèle, stated that "in three years, we autonomous in the matter". dissatisfaction with the way the fee was have received 108 participants and Rhéaume was speaking in response to imposed. "There was no process of created 9 permanent jobs. Our people the claim of StudSoc VP External Luc consultation between the university and are aware that it is Katimavik that has Joli-Coeur that the government might the student body before the fee was ap made these changes. I find the decision lower McGill's subsidy by the amount proved," he said. "If McGill needed the deplorable." of the charge. A work sponsor in Ste. Adèle, Jeanmoney they should simply have gone to Still, StudSoc is taking action against the government and asked for it." Marie Leduc, claimed that "youth need the charge. At Wednesday's Senate Student senators would also like to a time to reflect. To my knowledge, on Angry Katimivik protesters at Radio Canada meeting the Senate-BoG student caucus know whether students receiving loans ly Katimavik offers that chance. We terests." their breath for the government to over will table a list of nine objections in the and bursaries would be compensated taught our groups to set bricks, and I Protests organized by the ex turn their decision, it was still important challenge any professional bricklayer to participants, though well-intended, to not let the program die without a form of a questionnaire to the ad for the new charge. ministration. According to Charlotte LeGaré, do it as fast or as accurately as those have been less than successful. On fight. The questions pertain to the alloca Québec counsellor at McGill's Student young people did." February 14, a group of approximately Participants still in the program have Perhaps the strongest response has twenty people gathered in front of been forbidden to demonstrate or par tion of the funds collected between Aid Office, some 4500 McGill students course materials per se and secretarial who are on either a loan or a bursary come from the ex-participants Radio-Canada studios, but did not ticipate in any anti-government protest, support and office supplies. program would not be affected. Any in themselves. Sylvie Collin, a represen manage to be interviewed by jour on the threat of expulsion from the pro "The Quebec government could con crease in official fees charged by the tative from L'Association Québécoise nalists. gram. ceivably lower McGill's subsidy if (the University would be covered by the des Anciens Participants, relates that "a On February 15, a bus took approx Serge Larrière, Director of Com charge) is deemed to be n contraven government at the beginning of the new part of us has just been engulfed by the imately 80 people to Ottawa's Rideau munications for Katimavik, stated that tion of the tuition fee freeze," warned school year. administrative machine. They tell us Canal. There they were met by other ex the government's decision is legal. Joli-Coeur. Meanwhile, the Regroupement des that Katimavik does not answer the participant groups, bringing the number "Even though they have cut funding In such a case, McGill's subsidy associations étudiantes universitaires du needs of youth, that what we need is to nearly 150. The protestors formed half-way through a two-year contract, would be reduced by the amount raised Québec (RAEU) is also concerned with jobs. Sure we need jobs, but that's not several human chains in front of the Na the government has the privilege to by the charge. "The charge is also being the new charge at McGill. RAEU warns all we need. tional Arts Centre, distributed Katimavik renegotiate its contracts every year. This looked upon by other universities in the of a chain reaction among other univer "The period between 17-21 is a turn buttons, and got petitions signed until applies not only to Katimavik but to all province as a test case," Joli-Coeur said. sities which might "risk-accessibility to ing point. It is a time to stop and look the RCMP stopped them ôn the grounds government contracts," he said. When "If McGill succeeds in circumventing higher education." before jumping into the job market or that the organizers lacked the proper asked about his hopes for the program, the freeze, all universities will charge RAEU suggests exploration of other taking a direction in your studies. That's permits to demonstrate in a public he replied, "we're starting to close the same fee." areas of reform to raise funds before exactly what Katimavik offers, a chance place. shop. We have no choice, because However, Rhéaume said he would be students are charged a specific fee. to stop and reflect and discover new inParticipants spent the rest of the day we're not being funded anymore." Students in support of the Katimavik skating on the canal, distributing but Courses To Be M oved tons to passers-by. Most seemed to feel programe are urged to write to their that, even though they were not holding MPs.
French Canada Centre W ill Closed
by Michael Smart The Centre for French Canada Studies will closed and its courses transferred to other departments, the Academic Policy and Planning Committee decid-. ed at its last meeting. Dean of Arts Michael Maxwell said yesterday that the changes will have not effect on the French Canada Studies majors programme, however. The changes mean the programme will be run like any other interdisciplinary department, he said, and a full-time director and secretariat will be main
tained for the present. "I think we can do a better job with an interdisciplinary programme" than a full-fledged department, he said, and a full-time director, the University was devoting "more resources" to the pro gramme than to similar fields like Cana dian or Women's Studies. Eight of the twenty-one courses listed in the department calendar will no longer be offered as a result of the deci sion. Five of those courses have not been offered in the last three years and the other three duplicate the existing
curricula of other departments, accor ding to Maxwell. The transfers are the final stage of a decision taken three years ago to phase out courses offered by the Centre. Max well said a separate department for Quebec studies was deemed un necessary since there are presently about thirty courses in the field offered by various departments in the faculty. "That's a major change since the period when the Centre was establish ed," Maxwell said. "The desire was to continued on page 3
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