McGill social work students plan to strike from in-person classes, stay online
Dissatisfaction brewing for weeks at McGill's School of Social Work has led to a rebellion, as undergraduates voted on Monday to refuse to return to in-person classes for at least a month after the scheduled date of Jan. 24.
Details about the strike vote are still unclear. A student association for undergraduate social work students will officially announce the news on Tuesday, according to a brief statement by one of the student leaders.
A general assembly held for the student association had high turnout, said that student, Jo Roy, and the vote passed with 95 per cent support.
Roy told CTV that the student society believes there are 140 students in the bachelor's program, and that just over half, 73, attended the meeting. Of those, 70 voted to strike.
That's a margin "I am sure would be consistent with the rest of our program," Roy wrote.
McGill's administration hasn't yet responded to the student association or indicated whether it plans to accept their decision, said another social work student who helped advocate for the vote, Codey Martin.
McGill hasn't yet responded to a request for comment from CTV News.
Roy said it seems doubtful McGill would decide to fail or otherwise punish the entire cohort for refusing to attend in person, if the vote does have that level of support.
"We are going into a workforce that is desperate for social workers," Roy wrote, saying McGill would risk a black eye not just in its public image but with the Canadian Association of Social Work Education.
"McGill would have a lot to lose if they tried to force us back now."
Under the terms of the strike vote, students would keep doing online learning until Feb. 25, a month past the school's planned return-to-class date, and then they'd re-evaluate in a new general assembly on Feb. 25.
The students say they're worried not just about their own infection risk, but about their clients. Third- and fourth-year students spend much of their time in practicum-type settings, working in the community.
"Telling students that they need to come to class in poorly ventilated and maintained buildings, only for McGill to send those students to work with vulnerable people on other days of the week, is a risk and threat to the communities we serve," the student society wrote in its strike resolution.
The vote also came as a response to McGill overruling the School of Social Work administration earlier this month, the student society wrote.
Social work students were told by their school director on Jan. 4 that the school "had independently decided to continue online learning for courses until February 25th," they wrote.
Two days later, the director emailed them again to explain that he'd learned he was "not authorized" to make that decision and that the social work faculty had to abide by the rest of the university's schedule.
"The [School of Social Work] and faculty are more than capable of making sound decisions regarding pedagogy in the midst of this public health crisis," the students wrote.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.