MONTREAL - A motion to authorize a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a group of students who feel aggrieved in various ways by the tuition strike that took place earlier this year.
The motion targets the provincial government as well as 25 CEGEPs and universities, schools that cancelled classes following strike votes
Student associations are not being sued, because a student’s contract is with a school, not a student association, according to lawyer Michel Savonitto, who spoke to reporters at a press conference at Montreal courthouse Thursday.
Savonitto did not put a cash figure on the damages he would seek.
“There is no set amount for the time being, it is not necessary to set an exact amount,” he said. “We have to establish the nature of the damage and assess court time to determine a figure.”
He said monetary compensation would be claimed for lost time, wages, tuition and summer jobs.
“All of these figures may not be very large but combined become astronomical with everybody figured in,” he said.
The court must also determine whether the students have the right to strike under the Labour Code.
Nursing student Kim Laganiere, one of two applicants on the motion, noted that her entry into the labour market was delayed by six to 12 months by the strikes.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
