(Note, reposted w/o permission from the K-W Record)
The University of Waterloo and the organization representing undergraduate students have agreed to begin mediation in a dispute that has kept the taps dry in two student run pubs since January.
Yesterday, the two sides agreed to mediation at the suggestion of Justice John Macdonald in Superior Court at Osgoode Hall in Toronto.
The court was scheduled yesterday to hear a request by the
Federation of Students to issue injunctions compelling the university to reinstate student-run operations at Federation Hall and the Bombshelter "and to
cease unreasonable interference in their operations."
However, instead of going ahead with an injunction hearing at this time, the parties will meet "in the hope of resolving the matter out of court," said a university press release.
"It's a positive step and we welcome the opportunity to
meet with students," said university spokesman Martin Van
Nierop.
Stanley Beck, a former dean of Osgoode Hall law school and
a former chairman of the Ontario Securities Commission, will be the mediator. A date for the first meeting hasn't been set.
Chris Di Lullo, federation vice-president of administration and finance, said the federation had asked the university
to enter mediation before yesterday's injunction hearing, but was told the university wanted to wait.
"The justice strongly recommended that the University of
Waterloo enter into mediation with us," he said yesterday. "It's the first step toward resolving
this issue."
Di Lullo said the federation agreed to put a hold on legal action for 45 days to allow mediation to occur.
Both the present and incoming executive of the students'
federation attended the court hearing, he said.
$11-MILLION LAWSUIT
Last month, the federation launched an $11-million lawsuit against the university and declared it would seek an injunction to end what it called the "arbitrary" closure of the two pubs.
The federation wants the university, as the owner and licence holder, to allow the federation to apply for its own liquor licence or become a co-licensee.
"We'll put the lawsuit on hold for 45 days in the hope it will be more productive to negotiate with the university with out holding a gun to their head, so to speak," Di Lullo said.
After 45 days, both sides will meet with the judge to update him on their progress, he said.
Di Lullo said he feels confident students will have liquor
in their oncampus bars again at least by the start of the fall term.
The taps were turned off at Fed Hall and the Bombshelter
pub Jan. 20, three weeks after the vicious beating of Conestoga College student Ramsey Hanlon, 28, of Kitchener, outside Fed Hall where he'd been attending a New-Year's Eve party.
Four men from Mississauga and a third-year UW arts student face charges of aggravated assault. [ Parent ]
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