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Student associations and university labour unions can learn a lot from each other.

The Link reports that while labour unions can benefit from the tactics used in the student movement, student associations can equally gain from the history of labour movements.

Spokesperson for the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante Jérémie Bédard-Wien says fostering solidarity between students and workers is extremely important.

Students who work and educational workers face unpredictability and a lack of job security in the workforce, and can benefit from supporting each other.

Bédard-Wien acknowledges that cultural differences between student associations and unions could hinder that mutual support.

ASSÉs use of disruptive tactics have put them at odds with union activists.

Professor at the Université de Québec en Outaouais and lecturer on organized labour in Quebec Thomas Collombat says student associations can learn from labour unions about the importance of unity.

Labour unions can also learn from the creativity of the student movement like the effective use of social media and mascots as symbols of the movement.

Bédard-Wien believes we must see unions as a political vehicle in order to affect government policy.

STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU

By: -AX-

McGill University Health Centre is at a low point in history according to a group of doctors and professors of medicine.

A group of six openly slam the hospital in an open letter printed in the Montreal Gazette.  The critiques range from an overburdened system to a major deficit.

The letter states that these problems, along with recent scandals surrounding former MUHC head Arthur Porter, will continue unless changes are made.

The new “superhospital” project is also critiqued for its lack of teaching resources.

However, the letter also provides solutions, suggesting that the hospital renews it’s approach to governance and breaks down old barriers.

The six professionals go so far as to say that the issues surrounding MUHC has tarnished the name of McGill University.

Workers at the N.D.G. food depot have until the end of the week to vacant the building that has been serving food to families in need for more than 20 years.

According to the Gazette, though the lease ended on March 31^st, the owners agreed to let the staff stay until June in order to have more time to find a new home. 

However, that verbal promise was broken when the landlords showed up on Friday returning the rent money for the next 3 months and stating they never promised that staff could continue using the building. 

Located at the corner of de Maisonneuve Blvd and Oxford avenue, the food depot serves about 700 families a week. 

Until a new, permanent location has been found, families will only be able to receive baskets of food items from the depot once a month, instead of twice. The depot has promised to give out more food than usual to make sure people get by. It will also continue its delivery service to the elderly and disabled residents of N.D.G.

Flickr Photo by: Don Johnson 395

STORY WRITTEN BY: NIKITA SMITH 

A first-year McGill medical resident at St. Mary’s Hospital claims he is being punished by the McGill faculty of Medicine for standing up for patients.

According to the McGill Daily, Dr. Alexander Nataros received a dying patient last November after senior doctors made what he said were “significant life-threatening medical errors.”

Nataros says that by correcting and reporting the errors allegedly made by senior physicians, he was able to save the patient’s life.

In a meeting last December, two of the physicians arrived with several letters written by different doctors stating that they found it difficult to work with Dr. Nataros.

But Nataros isn’t the only one who finds talking to their supervisors challenging.

Other residents say they’ve experienced humiliation when asking questions to their supervisors.

This in turn discourages open communication and can be detrimental to patient care.

A medical resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the McGill Daily that someone in a position of power can so easily shame and embarrass young doctors if they feel their authority challenged.

Nataros is currently on a forced paid leave of absence.

The incident is still under investigation.

Flickr Photo by: cursedthing

STORY WRITTEN BY: JENNA MONNEY-LUPERT