UWFA Supports the Occupy Movement

On 14 November, UWFA Council voted to publish the following statement of support, provided by Peter Ives, in our newsletter and on the UWFA website, http://www.uwfa.ca.

We stand in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street and other Occupy Movements including Occupy
Winnipeg.

Over the last several years, we have watched as those at the very top have prospered while the fortunes of those below the very top have stagnated or declined. The gap between rich and poor is greater than ever before in our lifetimes, and we need to stand up for those who are trying to improve their circumstances and provide for their families. The conditions of the lives of many aboriginal people
exemplify the continuation of poverty in a society where massive wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a very few. This is the legacy and continuation of colonialism.

The dedicated students whom we teach at institutions of higher education are being forced to pay more for tuition and go deeper into debt because of cuts in state funding, only to find themselves
unemployed when they graduate. Many university faculty positions are now insecure, part-time jobs. In addition, there has been pressure against collective bargaining processes and continuing questions of the pension and benefit security.

Therefore, it is time to stand up for what is right. We applaud the action the Occupy Movement has taken to highlight the inequity and unfairness of the society in which we live.

We strongly support the movement and wish it everysuccess. We are in this together.