The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is the largest student organization in Canada. Founded in 1981, the CFS works for high quality, accessible post-secondary education at the federal level. It represents over 500,000 full-time and part-time students from seventy college and university students' unions across the country.

History

Several more moderate and conservative student governments left the CFS in the early 1990s expressing displeasure over the organization's political stances, particularly its opposition to the Gulf War and involvement in other issues which some argued were outside the purview of student politics. As well, several of the student governments who left argued that the CFS's advocacy of zero tuition was unrealistic and its emphasis on organizing political demonstrations rather than lobbying governments was detrimental.

In 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations was formed by several student governments dissatisfied with CFS and today has 19 member organizations. The unions charged that CFS was too busy promoting other campaigns, instead of fighting rising tuition, and felt that CFS was an ineffective organization, not serving the needs of students. [1] In addition, CFS has been accused of being too close to the NDP. [2]

Some of the students' unions have since rejoined the CFS resulting in an increase of membership by 100,0000 students. Returning members included the undergraduate student unions at Carleton University and the University of Windsor as well as the gradute students at Queen's University. In 2002 the University of Toronto Students Administrative Council, Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students and Scarborough Campus Students Union joined the organization. In 2004 the University of Manitoba Students' Union and the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union became prospective members.

In the past ten years the CFS has organized a series of actions to complement its lobbying of provincial and federal governments. In 1995 over 100,000 students came out to oppose the Liberal government's plan to introduce Income Contingent Loan Repayment Schemes. In Ontario the CFS organized a series of demonstrations to protest the former Conservative government's deregulation of tuition fees and reduction of provincial funding. In British Columbia it played an active role in convincing the former NDP government to introduce tuition fee freezes and reductions. They have been accused of being too close to the Glen Clark government in B.C. in addition to harassment against any union which tries to leave CFS.[3] Conversely, CFS' defenders argue that it was the federation that convinced the Clark government to institute a tuition freeze and that the CFS' view is that the only legitimate way for a student union to disaffiliate from CFS is through a referendum of the student body rather than by a decision of the student government or a vote in student council.

A 1998 article in the Simon Fraser University student newspaper accused CFS of being corrupt, bloated, Ontario-centered, and a form of clique, with their people getting jobs in the NDP or Liberal governments.[4]

Services

The CFS offers a number of services to its members including the International Student Identification Card in Canada, the Student Work Abroad Program and homes4students, an online housing service. The organization also produces the Studentsaver Discount Card for members and operates the National Student Health Network.

Current Issues

In 1999 the University Students' Council at the University of Western Ontario filed suit against the CFS in relation to the ownership by its subsidiarly, CFS-Services, of Travel Cuts . [5] The lawsuit has since been joined by CASA schools University of British Columbia, and University of Alberta and unaffiliated Queen's University. [6]

The Ryerson Students' Administrative Council was to hold a referendum to leave the CFS, but it was deferred following feedback from students at their Semi-Annual General Meeting.

External links

• Official Site
• USC slaps CFS with $100 million lawsuit
• UPEI moves to leave Canadian Federation of Students
• 72 per cent majority
• Dispenses with worthless expense: Federation has yet to put out
• The CFS-Files