[GSA Council] NOTICE: Urgent action required -- 3pm on Friday (March 6) meeting re: CFS settlement

Fri Feb 27 11:01:12 PST 2015

Hi,

Could this happen before the Congress? I am not overstating this issue when I say that literally hundreds of thousands stretching into over a million dollars should the judge rule in favor of the CFS completely are at issue in this legal case. Notwithstanding the human rights and other important issues.

I know there are many directors who have little to no knowledge of what is happening. Unfortunately that is the nature of a multi-year lawsuit within organizations that have annual turnover. I truly wish we could make this easier, but all indications were that the CFS were going to fight us until the last bell so that they could maintain their illusory stance that they are a pan-Canadian student alliance. This being a very important cornerstone of their institutional identity many of us are very surprised that they are even coming to the negotiation table. Hence this mad scramble, it is not a lack of planning or enormous effort by dozens of students over the past six years, but a case of even our legal team being surprised the offer came at all as we have had nothing but truculence in the legal sense coming over the lines for a very long time.

I have not met many of you, and again I am aware of the effort and potential for the arts and science congress, but please make every attempt to convene to consider this issue. 

Roddy

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 27, 2015, at 1:22 PM, Jon Summers <jsummers6 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Yeah, Friday afternoon is pretty terrible timing. Is there really no other time we could do this?
> 
>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 1:20 PM, Anastasia Llewellyn <anastasia.llewellyn at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I'll be at the Arts & Science Congress, but I suppose I can excuse myself for the time needed for this meeting.
>> 
>> Does it have to be Friday, since people don't seem to be available? Could it not be earlier in the week?
>> 
>> Also, what information should we have beforehand? I am aware of the situation, but not its detail.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Anastasia
>> 
>>> On 27 February 2015 at 09:44, Roddy <roddy.doucet at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> Arts and Science folks, this meeting should last no longer than an hour. I will also do everything I can to meet with each of you individually before Friday if required to answer questions.
>>> 
>>>  While I appreciate the amount of time and energy that has gone into convening the Congress, this meeting is of utmost importance financially and in terms of our now six year battle to exercise our democratic right to leave the CFS. It could potentially save this dragging on, at further great expense, until 2018 or beyond. The timing of the meeting could not be helped, as any chance to accept a negotiated settlement will likely expire Monday March 9 at 10am when the judge convenes the case. 
>>> 
>>> I wish it was different, but unfortunately that is not the case.
>>> 
>>> Roddy
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Feb 27, 2015, at 8:46 AM, Isabelle Johnston <isabelle.johnston at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi,
>>>> Ok, I just wanted to be sure. Unfortunately, I will be out of town that day. It is also the day of the Arts and Science congress, which may present a problem for other AS councilors.
>>>> Isabelle
>>>> 
>>>>> On Feb 27, 2015 8:39 AM, "gretchen k" <gbayou at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> sorry about the typo, the meeting is Friday March 6th at 3pm.
>>>>> 
>>>>> thanks!
>>>>> 
>>>>> -g-
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 8:36 AM, Isabelle Johnston <isabelle.johnston at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi, Friday is March 6th and Monday is March 9th. What day is this meeting?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Feb 27, 2015 8:30 AM, "gretchen k" <gbayou at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hello Councillors--
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The following notice is for an urgent meeting requested by GSA legal advisers (see details below). Based on the previous doodle for Friday, March 9th - 3pm seems to be the best time for this short meeting.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> We need 9 voting members to make quorum and a proposed agenda is included below.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Please email me your regrets as soon as possible if you cannot make 3pm Friday March 6th.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>> gretchen
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>>>>> From: Lex Gill <lex.gill at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> Date: Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 7:27 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Urgent action required — calling a meeting re: CFS settlement
>>>>>>> To: gretchen.king at mail.mcgill.ca, Houda MADNOUNE <president at gsaconcordia.ca>
>>>>>>> Cc: Roddy Doucet <roddy.doucet at gmail.com>, Erik Chevrier <erik at collectivevision.ca>
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Dear Houda and Gretchen,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> My name is Lex Gill. I hope this message finds you well. Please read this email carefully as it contains very time sensitive information! (Thank you)
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I have been working with Roddy, Erik and the GSA's legal counsel on the lawsuit related to the GSA's membership in the Canadian Federation of Students.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Roddy is out of the country but I just spoke to him over the phone about an urgent issue regarding the case. It was his recommendation to contact you and to send this email.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The Canadian Federation of Students has initiated a conversation regarding a potential settlement of the lawsuit. Time is of the essence with this issue, as the trial is set to begin March 9th. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> A decision to settle, rather than go to trial, must be made by a vote of GSA Council. This means that GSA Council must meet before the trial begins in order to be able to consider any potential offer. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> We do not have all of the details about the offer yet and a formal meeting will need to take place between your legal team and the CFS's legal team next week. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> However, in order to make sure that we meet the notice requirements in the GSA bylaws, the council meeting must be called as soon as possible. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Therefore, I am requesting that the Council Chair please call a meeting for Friday, March 6th. Feel free to set the exact time at your convenience, but it should be on that day in the afternoon.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The agenda should be as follows: 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 1. Call to Order
>>>>>>> 2. Update and discussion regarding Graduate Student Association of Concordia University et al. vs. Canadian Federation of Students et al. [Closed session]
>>>>>>> 3. Motion regarding potential settlement offer [Closed session]
>>>>>>> 4. Adjournment
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If there are any issues or problems that you foresee with this meeting, please call me on my cellphone as soon as possible and we can work together to sort them out.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Thank you so much for your help.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Lex
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
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