Members of the Université de Montréal community are extremely worried and disturbed by rumours of the Quebec government's failure to observe an agreement it signed recently. At the University-wide assembly held on February 5, representatives of the entire community unanimously adopted a motion demanding that all commitments made by the Quebec government to the university community be honoured.

Community members now question the Government's will to honour the commitments it made at the Quebec Youth Summit. In his budget speech, Bernard Landry stressed the fact that the Summit had laid out "excellent guidelines for concrete action for the future." This led to a broad consensus on the urgent need for massive investment in education, which was reflected in a firm commitment by Quebec to invest 600 million dollars, including 300 million on a recurring basis, to finance the Quebec university system for the 2000-2003 period. While nobody seems to have noted the fact that this re-investment will only enable Quebec universities to make up part of the ground they have lost relative to their counterparts in North America, everyone applauded the hope this re-investment kindled among members of the university community.

According to Education Minister François Legault, the investment program, which culminated in the signing last December of a performance contract, was designed to give Université de Montréal "the tools it needs to adequately play its appointed role in North America, a university that has a mission to grow, develop and help shape the Quebec of tomorrow." By suspending this performance contract, which was signed less than three months ago, the Quebec government has now jeopardized Université de Montréal's future growth, thereby depriving Quebec of a vital force in its own development.

All of the groups and associations that make up the university community join with the University's administration in demanding that the government honour its promises, so that the university community can in turn meet the future needs of Quebec.

Signatories:
Robert Lacroix, Recteur, Université de Montréal
Jean Wilkins, President, Association des médecins cliniciens enseignants de Montréal (AMCEM)
Yves Lépine, President, Syndicat général des professeurs de l'UdeM (SGPUM),
Chantal Gamache, President, Syndicat général des chargées et chargés de cours de l'UdeM (SCCCUM)
Michel Ducharme, President, Syndicat des employés de l'UdeM (SÉUM-1244),
Hans Glaude, President, Syndicat des employés d'entretien de l'UdeM (SÉEUM-1186),
Germain Lalonde, President, Association des cadres et professionnels de l'UdeM (ACPUM),
Robert Martin, President, Association générale des étudiantes et étudiants de la Faculté de l'éducation permanente (AGEEFEP)
Patrick Lebel, Secrétaire général, Fédération des associations étudiantes du campus de l'UdeM (FAÉCUM)

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