The Inside Scoop: What Sophia Fabiano and Ben MacKay Have to Say About the Upcoming Referendum
/On April 2nd, a referendum will take place, asking students: “Are you in favour of increasing Student Union fees by 10% per year, every year for the next 5 years?” Sophia Fabiano, the current Student Union president, is the advocate for the “yes” vote, while Ben MacKay represents students who will choose vote “no.” Each representative has an Instagram account (@voteyes24 and @stfxfightthehike, respectively) where students can find more information about their positions. I was able to ask both Sophia Fabiano and Ben MacKay a series of questions to better understand their positions and beliefs about the upcoming vote.
Fabiano began by mentioning that the plan to raise Student Union fees has been in the works for the past three years. StFX currently has the lowest student union fees in Nova Scotia, and with the growing expenses associated with the services and events they provide, Fabiano mentioned that the raise is needed “to ensure that we are creating an equitable pay structure within the Union while maintaining the current quality of services.” The quality of such services does indeed seem to be at risk, as when I asked Fabiano about the specific allocation of the new funds should the referendum be successful, she mentioned that the Union would move to pay its employees on an hourly rate rather than by honorarium. She stated that the Union would move towards this regardless of the outcome of the referendum, meaning that should the vote end in a “no”, the existing budget towards events (resulting in cheaper tickets, number of events able to be hosted, and orientation activities) would be partially re-allocated to account for employee wages.
Fabiano wanted to stress that though they may seem high, the increase of the fees is minimal for individual students. The Union already raises their fees 3% annually, so the difference at the end of the five years would only be $86.31.
In opposition to her, Ben MacKay is an honorarium student employed by the Union. He stated that he knew of the plan to move employees to an hourly wage, but took issue with the phrasing of the question and how it would harm students. He points in particular to the current cost of living crisis, and claims that a jump of nearly $100 in Union fees is unacceptable. When asked about his motivations to represent the initiative to “vote no” in the referendum, MacKay pointed to the lack of engagement between the students and StFX and the Union, which he claims has been a “long standing concern for many.” Though the Student Union makes efforts, many students are too busy to keep up with everything going on, but MacKay claims that this referendum has the “potential to be different.” He hopes that it will encourage students to engage, and to “stand up and respectively say ‘No.’” Even if the referendum is accepted, MacKay stated that getting students to care about the issue is already an achievement he is proud of. Indeed, his Instagram account has gained over 160 followers, and he claims to be greatly encouraged by the support this support.
MacKay pointed to three main issues he has with the referendum. Firstly, he points to the loose wording of the question. Though the Union has stated the increased fees will go towards paying honorarium students better, MacKay claims that the broadly phrased question does not tie them to this at all. Currently, the Union has yet to release a cost plan, and MacKay believes students deserve more information about where their money is going. Secondly, he has issue with the referendum being framed as a fight for honorarium students. He states that it is a matter of the whole student body, and as an honorarium student himself, wants to emphasize that the referendum does not speak for him or “many others” on the issue. Lastly, MacKay claims that he does not believe it to be fair to make these changes “on the back of students” while they are already struggling with high tuition, rent, and grocery prices. He asks: “Why can students not have one thing that is not excessively expensive?” The Student Union is meant to fight for student interest, and MacKay argues that this potential change will not benefit many people outside the walls of the Student Union building.
To end each interview, I asked both Fabiano and MacKay what they would say to a student opposing their position. Fabiano focused on what the Union does and how increased fees will help them in their projects which will in turn benefit students. She stated that:
“The Student Union benefits every Student. We advocate to the government to increase student affordability. We've seen wins from our advocacy efforts, such as funding for Open Educational Resources to reduce textbook costs and the elimination of interest on Canada student loans. We've also been a part of advocating for increased international student working hours and Student Financial Aid Grants like the one-time grant seen this fall in NS.”
She emphasized that the Student Union allows for students to have a democratic input, which is the reason they put the increase in fees to a vote.
MacKay reaffirmed his belief that this increase would not be a help to students who are already trying their best to “keep their head above water.” He also emphasized the importance of knowing where the funds would go, stating:
“Why don’t we know more about how much each of these things are going to cost? Students should know what their money will be spent on, and not just the broad strokes goals. They deserve to know, right down to the dollars and cents. I think the burden of that information belongs to the U and I find it to be—quite frankly—a failure of the organization’s mandate that it’s not been more readily available to the people.”
The outcome of the vote and its consequences are yet to be seen, but as both Fabiano and MacKay mention, it is important for students to have a say. Students can vote online on April 2nd for whichever position they feel most aligns with their needs and values.
