Toronto – November 10, 2016 – The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is thanking UFCW Canada for going “all out” on November 2, as a national supporter of the CFS’ National Day of Action for free education, to protest against ever-increasing tuition fees and to call on our governments to #TossTuition.

“On behalf of the Canadian Federation of Students, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support of our National Day of Action,” Peyton Veitch, the National Treasurer of the CFS, said in a letter to UFCW Canada and other allies. “Thanks to your support, we have drawn closer to the day when no one is denied an opportunity to further their education because of lack of public investment.”

As part of the National Day of Action, UFCW Canada activists joined with thousands of students and allies at rallies across the country to demand that our governments provide no-cost, universal access to all post-secondary students.

Activists also engaged with participants at the rallies to raise awareness of UFCW Canada’s campaign, dubbed #TossTuition, which calls on our governments to overhaul our post-secondary education system by making tuition free for all qualified students.

"We know that education is essential to succeeding in today’s economy, and yet college and university remain out of reach for far too many students,” says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema. "It is time for the federal and provincial governments to reform our post-secondary education by tossing tuition and ensuring that students are not saddled with thousands of dollars of debt when they graduate,” Meinema adds.

Over the past two decades, average tuition frees in Canada have skyrocketed by over 137 percent, and the typical student now graduates with over $28,000 in education-related debt.