Debt makes leaving CFS impossible for U of T students
Student unions at U of T owe the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) more than half a million dollars in fees, according to a recent report. The debt, which is part of almost $1.4 million owed to the CFS by member unions in Ontario, has brought up several issues, including students’ ability to de-federate from the CFS, conflict within the CFS, and U of T’s role in the student movement.
The CFS is a national organization that administers the health plan and lobbies the governments on behalf of students. Students vote to join the CFS, and they can also vote to leave-unless they owe money.
With debt into five and six figures, it would be impossible for U of T’s student unions to de-federate from the CFS in the next several years. This keeps the organization’s influence secure on the country’s largest campus at the expense of students’ freedom to choose their student union.
