[Fdu] Quebec Professors Seeking Support Re Bill 12 (former Bill 78)

[Cynthia Wright]

Dear Colleagues on the FDU list,
Please read this very important manifesto and do consider signing on and 
circulating. Apologies for any x-posting.
Best, Cynthia

Please see the Professors' Manifesto:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3lTHAjqihRqcjByeG51Zi1Qcms

To add your name to the letter write to: manifestegreveetudiante at gmail.com

BRIEF BACKGROUND
To my professor friends outside of Québec, here is a link to a Manifesto to
support the student strike and especially to denounce the special law that 
will
force us to teach despite the democratic votes of student associations, even
against our own principles, thus endangering our academic freedom and 
freedom
of expression.

To give you a concrete example of what this law does, whereas before the 
law, each professor was free do decide whether the "normal conditions" of a 
class existed (and where they did not, did not have to teach),
the law now forces us to teach even if there are two students in the class, 
even if striking students come to class to disrupt (which is now illegal too 
under the special law).  If I refuse to give my class and my university 
tells on me (which it has the obligation to do under the special law), I can 
pay fines from
$1000 to $5000 for EACH time I refuse to teach. And each time the fine is 
doubled. If my union backs me up, it can pay fines from $25 000 upwards...

 The manifesto denounces what the liberal government has done to public 
higher
education.

You CAN do something!!!  If you want to sign it, there is an e-mail address 
at
the end of the document.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3lTHAjqihRqcjByeG51Zi1Qcms

Please distribute widely amongst your sympathetic colleagues!

Thank you for your support!
Annie