ASSÉ executives fired amid discord in student movement
Disagreement over whether to postpone student strike til autumn leads to executive being tossed out
The executive members of the Quebec student association ASSÉ were relieved from their duties during a closed-door general assembly this weekend.
ASSÉ represents 82,000 post-secondary students in Quebec and has been the main catalyst driving this year's student-strike movement.
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Journalists were not permitted into the meeting held in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on Saturday, but La Presse reported the meeting resulted in the executive committee members quitting.
However, independent sources told Radio-Canada the executive members did not quit but rather, that at least some of them were removed after those present at the general assembly adopted a motion to dissolve the executive committee.
The reasons for their dismissals remain nebulous. The student organization held another meeting on Sunday.
ASSÉ is expected to issue a news release after that meeting ends on Sunday to explain the situation.
Earlier this week, ASSÉ executive members sent a message to its member-associations saying they were considering postponing the student strike until the fall, when the strike would have more union support.
In a four-page letter to its members, the organization suggested a "strategic withdrawal" from an unlimited strike and the planning of larger actions with trade unions in the coming months.
The original plan was to launch an unlimited student strike on April 7.