UMSU council authorizes $1.4 million in capital spending
The University of Manitoba Students Union (UMSU) council authorized its executive to spend $1.4 million to renovate a spate of union-operated restaurants last week with…
UMSU
Students with disabilities secure new service group
The University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) has approved the creation of a new student service group for students living with disabilities. The motion that…
Lots of love for the Lytics
Established local hip-hop group the Lytics are set to play the University of Manitoba Student Union’s (UMSU) annual concert hailing the start of the school…
Who does UMSU really work for?
Welcome to the University of Manitoba: a campus that “thrives” and “grows” by disengaging from the student population via the brick walls of bureaucracy and oppressive ideology. Please do not be fooled by our school’s glittery and distracting advertisements that announce “I am a trailblazer” or “I am a rebel.” In fact, you are not a trailblazer or rebel, as a student of this university.
Instead, you are expected to pay your dues and enter into a submissive relationship with both the university administration and student union. This was shown during the 2014-15 school year when several student, faculty, and staff groups protested the austerity budget that would see four per cent cuts to most faculties and some non-academic units. Here are some – certainly not all – things to consider should you decide to continue your academic journey through this treacherous campus.
Get involved on campus
Every year the same advice is given to students heading to university, whether it’s their first or final year. You’ve probably heard it, or maybe…
UMSU unveils Frosh Fest lineup
As a new school year approaches, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) is preparing to host their third annual Frost Fest Music Festival this…
Fossil fuel divestment: the way to the future
Although the reasons outlined above make a strong moral case for divestment, fossil fuel divestment also makes economic sense. A recent news article in the Guardian confirmed that fossil fuel free funds outperformed conventional funds by 1.2 per cent yearly according to MSCI, a U.S.-based provider of equity, fixed income and hedge fund stock market indices. Even former Shell chairman Mark Moody-Stuart said “divestment is a rational approach […] If you think your money can be used somewhere else, you should switch it. Selective divestment or portfolio switching is actually what investors should be doing.”
There are choices to be made in the near future that will have a great impact. The choices themselves are clear: we either take action toward a better future, or we allow our universities to support that future’s destruction. The right choice is clearly the former – we must choose to divest.
The insurance switcheroo
UMSU’s failure to find an alternate insurance plan comparable to CFS’s is made even bleaker when you consider who uses the plan. During my degree, I opted out of the health and dental plan every year because, as bourgeois scum, I had coverage through my parents. The students who live comfortably and receive some form of parental support will not even notice this premium increase, as they will never have to pay it.
Health and dental premium hike approved by student union
Students at the University of Manitoba will be paying more for their health and dental insurance this year after the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) finished negotiations with insurance broker StudentCare and provider Manitoba Blue Cross for a new annual rate.
Imbalance at UMSU
In practice, the executive holds all the power. Executive members are full-time officers of UMSU. They can devote their entire day to furthering their agendas. They can utilize the expertise of UMSU staff to develop large-scale plans and proposals. Most importantly, the executive controls the flow of information to council.