attacks on the machines. But the bosses were pushed back
when the workers began to organize as a class to defend
their interests. And capitalism took a really big hit when
the workers' movements in Russia, China, Cuba, Vietnam,
Korea and other countries went on the offensive, defeated
the repressive state of the bosses, and expropriated
capitalist property.
That's what we must go back to--but on a higher level.
Armed with computers, fax machines and Web sites. More and
more workers are being drawn into computer-driven
technology, often at lower wages than before. We must look
beyond the machines themselves to the class that uses them
for its own profit.
Let's zap not only the capitalists' Web sites, but their
system, which allows a small group to put a stranglehold on
technology that should belong to and serve the people.
- END -
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Message-ID: 006001bf77b8$36b62de0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: "WW" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [WW] Canadian student strike
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 08:26:05 -0500
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Feb. 17, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
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TWO REPORTS ON CANADIAN STUDENT STRIKE
1) "CRUSHING DEBT BURDEN"
By Josina Dunkel
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Over 1,500 students in St. John's in the Canadian province
of Newfoundland walked out of classes Feb. 2 to protest
federal cuts to public colleges and universities.
The strikers braved heavy snow to bring their demands to
the government. By the end of the day they had shouted down
the provincial minister of education and occupied the
provincial government building for about an hour.
Called by the Canadian Federation of Students, the strike
was a nationwide day of action extending from Ottawa to
Labrador City, from Vancouver to Montreal. Braving single-
digit temperatures and deep snow, about 20,000 students in
over 50 communities across Canada walked out of classes.
They sent a clear message that the budget surplus of $12
billion should go back to social programs.
Protests took many forms. On Prince Edward Island,
students served Kraft macaroni and cheese to show that
tuition bills left little money for food. In Alberta,
University of Calgary students set up a soup kitchen.
Students at York University in Ontario were supported by
the Transit Commission, which refused to let its buses cross
the student picket line.
In Newfoundland 15 communities held strikes--every place
there's a public college or university. In St. John's,
students from Memorial University of Newfoundland were
joined by strikers from College of the North Atlantic and a
significant faction of high school students.
The community support for the students' action was
remarkable. Newfoundland's morning radio news shows were
barraged with phone calls in support, and the commentators
were more than sympathetic. Along the demonstration, drivers
honked to show their support even though the strikers were
blocking off a major road.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labor, the
Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Newfoundland and
Labrador Nurses Union, the United Steel Workers of America,
the Canadian Auto Workers, and the Communications, Energy
and Paperworkers Union, gave money, endorsements, and
speakers for the strike.
Support demonstrations for the Canadian student strike
reached as far as Mexico City, where protestors picketed the
Canadian Embassy.
In less than a decade, over $7 billion has been cut from
post-secondary education in Canada. Such deep cuts have sent
tuition skyrocketing. It has more than doubled.
With each increase these schools become less accessible
for working and poor students.
Student debt has tripled. This contributes to emigration
from some provinces and even from Canada to the United
States, where wages are higher and debts can be paid off
more quickly.
The student protesters' demands were clear and well-
supported by the community. Students demanded a national
system of scholarships, not loans, and that funds cut from
social programs such as public education, health care and
unemployment insurance be restored.
Students also demanded that tuition fees be eliminated.
They reminded the government of the 1976 United Nations
Convenant, in which it agreed to make higher education free.
Instead of fees being eliminated, tuition has consistently
risen, save for a few temporary tuition freezes.
In the past few weeks the Canadian government has publicly
presented a number of plans for spending the $12 billion
